Graduate students tell regents one-in-three face food insecurity; call for housing tied to stipends

Jack Finn, UCLA graduate student body external vice president, told the regents that graduate student basic needs are worsening and asked for urgent action.

Quoting UC data, Finn said "about 1 in 3 graduate students is food secure, a sharp increase in just the past 2 years, and about 1 in 20 experiences housing security," and described a growing number of students spending more than half their stipend on housing in high-cost regions. He urged the regents to accelerate affordable graduate and family housing with rents tied to stipends, ensure UC and state budgets reflect demand, and expand predictable food support that includes undocumented and international students.

Finn said tracking of progress and gaps should be public and standardized so regents and the university can measure outcomes over time.