UNL Fund Offers Baby Supplies to Student Parents

Student parents expecting a first child can receive bottles, diapers, car seats, and help enrolling in SNAP.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Child Care

Screen-print poster illustration of a baby bottle, stacked diapers, and a diaper bag in warm mustard, teal, and cream tones. — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has launched a fund offering bottles, diapers, and car seats to student parents, with about one-third of its $6,000 goal raised so far. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has launched the New Parent Basic Needs Package Fund to provide essentials to student parents, including bottles, diapers, diaper bags, and car seats. The University of Nebraska Foundation is about one-third of the way toward its $6,000 fundraising goal for the fund.

Why it matters

For student parents in Lincoln who are juggling coursework and parenting, the cost of basic baby supplies can strain an already tight budget. The office director says student parents are doing multiple full-time jobs at once, which is why the fund and connected support services are being offered.

In the last year, UNL supported 100 student parents on campus and reached 135 children through activities and events. The New Parent Basic Needs Package Fund has a $6,000 fundraising goal, and the University of Nebraska Foundation is about one-third of the way toward it.

The players

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

A public research university in Lincoln, Nebraska, that runs the New Parent Basic Needs Package Fund through its Student Advocacy and Support office.

University of Nebraska Foundation

The fundraising arm of the University of Nebraska system that is raising the $6,000 goal for the new parent fund.

Food Bank of Lincoln

A Lincoln-based hunger-relief organization that partners with UNL to help new student parents enroll in SNAP.

The details

The fund is administered through UNL's Student Advocacy and Support office, which supplies bottles, diapers, diaper bags, and car seats. The office also connects new student parents with educational resources on car seat safety, safe sleep practices, milk banks, and diaper banks. A case management system, open to all students, helps new student parents enroll in SNAP through the Food Bank of Lincoln and links them with the Center for People. Student parents are also connected with UNL's Title IX office for pregnancy protection and with on-campus childcare resources.

In the last year, UNL supported 100 student parents and 135 children through campus programs.

The Home Front

Student parents often face the same household cost pressures as other young families, but they also balance tuition and campus schedules. Campus-based support programs like this one sit alongside federal aid and local food-assistance networks such as SNAP enrollment.

If you are a student parent in Lincoln, contact UNL's Student Advocacy and Support office to ask about the New Parent Basic Needs Package Fund and the SNAP enrollment help available through the Food Bank of Lincoln. Keep car seats installed by a certified technician, since the fund's car seat resources are meant to support safe installation rather than do-it-yourself fixes.

The takeaway

Student parents facing the costs of a new baby may find essential supplies and SNAP enrollment help through UNL's Student Advocacy and Support office. Contacting that office early, before the baby arrives, gives families the most time to arrange support.