CUNY CARES connects CUNY students in the Bronx to health care, mental health, food, and housing services so they have what they need to succeed in school.

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CUNY Cares logo in white
Bronx Community College - Logo White
Hostos Community College - Logo White
Lehman College - Logo White

About CUNY CARES

CUNY CARES (Comprehensive Access to Resources for Essential Services) is a new model for helping CUNY students find the campus and community-based essential services they need for health care, mental health, food, and housing. By helping students meet these essential needs, CUNY CARES hopes to improve academic success and the overall well-being of students.

CUNY CARES is a Collaborative demonstration project that includes Bronx Community College, Hostos Community College, Lehman College, the CUNY School of Public Health, the CUNY School of Medicine, and the Chancellor’s Office of Transformation. This collaborative also works with external community partners that provide health care, social services, public benefits, and other support to our students. Our aim is to integrate and align new and existing resources and services to effectively and efficiently benefit students, their families and their communities.

After the impact of this three-year demonstration in the Bronx has been evaluated, successful elements will be extended to all 25 CUNY campuses, helping to fulfill the vision of  CUNY Lifting New York, the University’s 2023-2030 Strategic Roadmap.

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Students wearing CUNY CARES shirts
Student in food pantry

Resources for Students

If you are a CUNY student at Lehman College, Bronx Community College, or Hostos Community College and are looking for help enrolling in public benefits or learning about available resources, can help.

CUNY Navigators are fellow CUNY students who have been trained to work with campus resource centers and other departments to ensure all students receive the services needed to succeed at CUNY.

CUNY Navigators specialize in HRA benefits such as SNAP, Fair Fares, and Cash Assistance; and health assistance programs such as NYC CARE. Navigators can also provide direct referrals to campus and community-based resources for help with immigration, housing, career, and mental health services.

In-person Navigation is offered Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm during the fall and spring semesters, while virtual navigation is offered during evenings, weekends and school breaks.

If you are interested in meeting with a CARES Navigator, please email caresnavigators@cuny.edu with your name, school email, campus, and EMPLID, and a CUNY CARES team member will reach out to you, or fill out our Navigator intake form at .

Watch our Video:
CUNY CARES: How We Support Students Across the Bronx
To learn more about how CUNY CARES can help you.

Student Testimonials

Lehman College student

“A navigator from CUNY CARES and a staff member at the Lehman Basic Needs Center were the first glimmers of hope I felt moving forward with completing my education. ALL my concerns outside of school which could have inhibited me from completing my education were addressed and taken care of. The CUNY CARES navigator spent the time with me, advocated for me, and checked on me. Words cannot express how thankful I forever will be.”

BCC student to CARES supervisor

“I was contacted by the SNAP office of Westchester, and I was able to submit the documents and last night I received a letter saying that I got approved for SNAP. I want to thank you for your time and effort and thank you for helping me fill out the application that Saturday morning.”

Iris L., CUNY student to CARES navigator

“I had a great experience with CUNY CARES. As an international student that just came from abroad, the session I had was very helpful to understand better CUNY and NYC services that I could use. The experience was great, very clear, warm and welcoming.”

Shanea, Lehman College student

“CUNY CARES assisted me with applying for SNAP benefits, Fair Fares, and obtaining a mailing address through a community organization called P.O.T.S after helping me find a room. The CUNY CARES navigator I worked with was a very patient and compassionate person and knowledgeable about what she was doing. I would highly recommend them to anyone at Lehman College who needs assistance with just about anything. They were Heaven sent.”

CUNY Cares student

CUNY CARES is Different

Providing students with the resources they need is a university-wide priority. Most CUNY campuses have food pantries, health or wellness centers, mental health counseling programs, financial assistance, and resource centers with dedicated staff to help students find the support they need.

Even with these resources, surveys and interviews show that many students do not know about these services and have trouble getting help when they need it.

By combining existing CUNY services with those offered by CUNY CARES, CUNY has begun to meet the variety of unmet needs among students more effectively and efficiently than campus-based services can do on their own.

CUNY CARES Model

CUNY CARES has six key elements:

#1.
Students Supporting Students

CUNY CARES hires, trains, and pays students—called student advocates and student navigators—to connect their classmates with campus and community services. Using the power of peers, these students expand the capacity of existing CUNY services to help fellow students get the support they need. Read More

Student advocates promote campus and community services so that every student knows what is available, when, and where. Student navigators work one-on-one with students to enroll them in public benefit programs and connect them to campus and community resources.

#2.
Capacity Building and
New Resources

CUNY CARES supports new staff and helps to build an integrated infrastructure that enables campuses to better serve the many students whose essential needs now often go unmet, including weekend and evening students, student parents, and students with disabilities. Read More

New staff includes a housing specialist to help students with housing needs and expand CUNY partnerships with housing providers in the Bronx and beyond; campus coordinators to align existing and new services; and a CUNY CARES director and evaluator.

#3.
Community
Partnerships

CUNY CARES works with community organizations to expand resources available to CUNY students. Partnerships with the New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation, Hunger Free America, BronxWorks, and other community providers allow campuses to connect students to specialized assistance and expertise to help students meet their essential needs.

#4.
Faculty
Engagement

CUNY CARES offers training and materials to help CUNY faculty and staff connect students to the right information, resources, and services to help them meet their essential needs. Read More

Faculty contribute to CUNY CARES by including information on course syllabi, hosting class presentations by advocates and navigators, or referring students to CARES navigators.

#5.
Career Success and Workforce Development

As part of their training and ongoing support serving as advocates or navigators, students gain professional experience that can be applied to their academic field of study, internships, and future employment. Read More

In Spring 2024 CUNY CARES offered credentials for the training of advocates and navigators and courses for academic credit. In the future, partnerships with employers will provide jobs for CUNY CARES student graduates.

#6.
Evaluation and
Research

Using CUNY data and student surveys, interviews, and ongoing program evaluation, the CUNY CARES evaluation team and its campus partners monitor the implementation and impact of the program. Findings from the evaluation will inform the expansion of CUNY CARES to other CUNY campuses. Read More

For more information, check out the  along with its , which reinforces the importance and urgency of the CUNY CARES demonstration project. The CUNY CARES team also published The Cumulative Impact of Unmet Essential Needs, addressing the impact of unmet needs on academic success.