Student leaders urge more housing, food access and mental-health supports; caution on reduced-credit degrees

Sarah Kempel, president of the North Dakota Student Association, and student leaders Briar Modell and Eniola presented the NDSA's interim priorities to the Higher Education Institutions Committee, emphasizing student welfare and pathways that improve affordability and career readiness.

NDSA outlined key themes: preserving student safety and rights, expanding mental-health resources (including support for the 988 hotline), increasing scholarships and funding for student-led research, improving internship access and aligning programs with workforce needs. Students highlighted campus housing and food insecurity as pressing, statewide issues that affect retention and daily life.

"People want nicer housing ... that doesn't make students feel prideful," Briar Modell said, urging more resources for maintenance and capacity so freshmen are not forced off campus or into unsafe or unaffordable housing. Modell and Kempel both described instances in which students could not secure required dorm space.

On food access, the student presenters recommended more campus food pantries and measures to address food insecurity, and on mental health they advocated for stronger counseling capacity and a fall break to provide a restorative pause during the academic year. Student representatives also raised concerns about equity in dual-credit access, noting that some students cannot afford the tuition even when costs are modest and that dual-credit quality varies by delivery model and geography.

NDSA said it opposed proposals that would broadly reduce general-education requirements and that it supports pilot guardrails for any reduced-credit bachelor'degree programs. The students urged institutions and legislators to ensure advising and employer alignment so accelerated degrees do not undermine student outcomes or licensure reciprocity.

Committee members asked about transferability and cost of dual credit; Lisa Johnson (NDUS) earlier told the committee that transfer within the state has been reliable and that only occasional misunderstandings arise. Student leaders recommended more direct interaction between dual-credit students and their issuing institutions (campus visits, contact with faculty) to encourage retention in the NDUS system.

The presentation concluded with an overview of NDSA's plans to set legislative priorities later in 2026 and to pursue more detailed work on campus-housing and dual-credit logistics before the next session.