Balancing Innovation and Basic Needs: Higher Education’s Dual Challenge in 2025

Colleges are abuzz with AI-powered tutoring systems, predictive analytics for student success, and automated administrative processes that promise to revolutionize the educational experience. Yet, alongside these remarkable advances, students continue to face fundamental challenges – like food and mental health insecurity – that technology alone cannot solve.

This juxtaposition of cutting-edge technological progress against persistent basic needs insecurity highlights the multifaceted nature of modern campus life in 2025. This blog will cover the trends to watch this year as well as how you can adapt to better support your students, staff, and faculty.

The Good and the Bad About Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming somewhat of a double-edged sword in higher education. On the one hand, it helps students brainstorm projects, determine roadmaps, and meet employers’ demands for AI fluency. On the other hand, students are also losing the art of critical thinking, skipping writing exercises that foster strong communication skills, and delegating homework assignments that help them develop core competency in math and science. Jenna Lyle, a New York City Department of Education spokesperson, explains: “While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success.”¹

Despite educator concerns, 50% of college students reported using AI without their teachers’ permission.² AI’s usage is so prevalent that it’s become a bit of a cat-and-mouse game between students and professors. With the emergence of each new AI tool that allows students to do things like write essays (with citations) in minutes, professors are just as quickly adopting various AI-detecting software, like Turnitin and Pangram Labs, to enforce proper completion of assignments and exams.

AI also presents other challenges. It’s creating a world of disparity between the haves and the have-nots. The gap between certain groups could grow if access to paid tools translates into uneven access to online tools and support materials. Furthermore, data privacy and security pose significant vulnerabilities in the implementation of AI across education and beyond. AI systems collect and analyze massive volumes of sensitive personal and copyrighted information, creating substantial risks for data breaches, unauthorized access, and potential misuse. Educational institutions face mounting pressure to safeguard student records against increasingly sophisticated threats while navigating complex regulatory frameworks that often lag behind technological advancement.

The Quest for Maximum Value

Public institutions and students are weighing the concept of ROI on education. A startling two out of five graduates regret obtaining their degree.³ Further, nearly half of college graduates end up underemployed after completing their education, working in jobs that typically don’t require a college degree. This means they don’t earn the higher wages normally associated with college-level positions, according to studies by the Burning Glass Institute and Strada Education Foundation.⁴

It should come as no surprise, then, that colleges and universities themselves are looking at jobs, student debt levels, expected earnings, and other indicators that resonate more deeply with today’s students. Institutions recognize that they must maximize efficiency and optimize resource allocation this year to better support current and future students.

Students Value Mental Health & Well-Being

Mental health is a significant issue across college campuses. More than half (54%) of students prioritize taking care of their mental health.⁵ Unfortunately, 35% of students also considered leaving their program in the last six months, with 43% citing mental health and 53% citing emotional stress as primary reasons.⁶ As Aneesh Sohoni, CEO of One Million Degrees, summarizes: “At a time when a growing number of students are struggling with basic needs such as food, financial security, and housing, the modern college campus is more than just a place where students take classes. It’s evolved into a hub for social services and community support.”⁷

A 2024 United Healthcare study revealed the key factors behind college students’ mental health challenges.⁸ Financial worries topped the list (44%), followed closely by academic pressure (40%) and social and family pressures (37%). Despite these struggles, only 42% of students sought mental health support in the past year. Students avoided seeking help due to concerns about care costs (25%), lengthy appointment wait times (18%), and fears of parental discovery (14%).

The main issue, however, is that while students are concerned about their mental well-being, only 53% believe that their college is making an effort to improve it. Further, 46% of students rated wellness centers as good or excellent.⁹ The key to effective wellness centers lies in preserving student dignity and respect. Students want high-quality services without feeling stigmatized when seeking assistance. Institutions are increasingly turning to tools like smart lockers, which enable the discreet dispensing of medication, for example, without drawing attention to the fact that students are seeking help.

Food Insecurity is A Pressing and Growing Problem on Campus

Rising tuition, growing inflation, a low minimum wage, reduced Pell Grant funding, and higher housing costs are contributing to the food insecurity plaguing college students, with 38% affected at four-year institutions.¹⁰ The situation is worse at community colleges (48%) and two-year schools (44%). A 2024 Hope Center survey found that 41% of students experienced food insecurity within the past month, and only 44% reported high food security.¹¹ These statistics highlight that, although not universal, a substantial portion of students face uncertainty about their next meal, as well as emphasize the critical need for immediate support systems.

The Emergence of Food Pantries as a Solution

Food pantries have become essential student resources, with 95% of respondents in a Swipe Out Hunger survey identifying them as the most popular campus support program.¹² In 2024 alone, campus food pantries distributed over eight million meals and 687,000 additional essentials, including toiletries, diapers, and small appliances.

Institutions like Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) are at the forefront of innovation. By integrating parcel lockers into its DISH Food Pantry system, BHCC removed stigma, streamlined distribution, and created a more organized, self-service experience for students. Molly Hansen, former Senior Special Programs Coordinator at BHCC for the DISH Food Pantry, noted during her tenure with the institution that, “Our administration and student government recognized that more than half of our student population struggled with food insecurity.”

In 2023, the pantry’s last available full reporting year, DISH achieved remarkable results:¹³

• Distributed 69,647 pounds of food
• Filled 2,687 grocery orders
• Processed 899 new intake forms encompassing 851 students and 48 faculty/staff
• Fulfilled 19,900 total Grab & Go visits

Supporting Student Wellness with Smart Lockers

Whether used to distribute mail, food, medication, or other wellness-related supplies, smart lockers can help your institution serve the campus population without requiring additional staff or service hours. Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers can manage internal mail and packages as well as serve as distribution centers (a Campus Hub, if you will) for other departments around campus – facilitating the exchange of library items, IDs and enrollment materials, parking passes, equipment rentals, food pantry orders, dining services orders, and much more. Access to lockers enables students to retrieve items at their convenience 24/7, eliminating long lines and offering greater flexibility outside traditional business hours – better supporting members of the campus community in all walks of life.

Innovations Must Work Smarter, Not Harder, for 2025 and Beyond

Higher education in 2025 faces a complex landscape where artificial intelligence meets persistent challenges faced by students, including food insecurity and mental health concerns. As campuses continue to add and support hubs for social services and community support, institutions are implementing solutions like smart lockers to provide services while maximizing efficiency and preserving student dignity.

---

Ready to lock in a solution and deliver more for your students, staff, and faculty in 2025? Speak to a Parcel Pending representative today!

Sources:

1. Nguyen, Nhi. ChatGPT: How to adapt your courses for AI?. feedbackfruits.com. January 3, 2023. https://feedbackfruits.com/blog/chatgpt-how-to-adapt-your-courses-for-ai
2. Barnum, Matt & Seetharaman, Deepa. There’s a Good Chance Your Kid Uses AI to Cheat. www.wsj.com. March 15, 2025. https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/chatgpt-ai-cheating-students-97075d3c
3. Clark, C., Cluver, M., Fishman, T., & Kunkel, D. 2024 Higher Education Trends. www2.deloitte.com. April 19, 2024. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/public-sector/latest-trends-in-higher-education.html
4. The Burning Glass Institute & The Strada Institute for the Future of Work. Talent Disrupted. stradaeducation.org. February 21, 2024. https://stradaeducation.org/report/talent-disrupted/
5. Active Minds & TimelyCare. Loneliness, Resilience, and Mental Health. www.activeminds.org. October 7, 2024. https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/loneliness-resilience-mental-health-campus-action/
6. Griffin, Allison. Colleges and Universities Are the Front Lines of Mental Health Support. www.forbes.com. May 30, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisongriffin/2024/05/30/colleges-and-universities-are-the-front-lines-of-mental-health-support/
7. Ibid.
8. UnitedHealthcare. Student Behavioral Health Report. www.unitedhealthgroup.com. May 16, 2024. https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/posts/2024/2024-05-16-uhc-student-behavioral-health-report-survey.html
9. Mowreader, Ashley. Survey: College Students Consider Health and Wellness Services Average. www.insidehighered.com. November 1, 2024. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2024/11/01/four-wellness-services-college-students-want-campus
10. Landry, Matthew J. & Eicher-Miller, Heather. Pandemic threatens food security for many college students. theconversation.com. October 9, 2020. https://theconversation.com/pandemic-threatens-food-security-for-many-college-students-146823
11. Mowreader, Ashley. Survey: 3 in 5 College Students Experience Food or Housing Insecurity. www.insidehighered.com. February 27, 2025. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2025/02/27/most-college-students-lack-sufficient-food-housing
12. Ibid.
13. Bunker Hill Community College DISH Food Pantry. 2023 DISH Annual Report. www.bhcc.edu. n.d. https://www.bhcc.edu/media/03-documents/dishfoodpantry/Dish-Annual-Report.pdf