Material hardship impedes academic achievement at every level of education. This dissertation examines the response of a higher education institution in reducing poverty's impact, specifically food and housing insecurities, on its student population. This qualitative case study researched a single-bound case in the southern United States. The higher education institution established a Care Resource Center to meet the needs of its students afflicted with poverty. The Center has four main components: a food pantry, a clothing closet, a homeless shelter, and educational workshops. This study reveals that a data-driven student resource center decreases poverty's impact on higher education students. The student resource center's response involved collecting and analyzing data, creating and fostering community relationships, and informing and educating students about available resources. These factors mitigated poverty's effect and supported students in their persistence to graduate. I argue that poverty is not an individual problem, but it has repercussions on the community and nation at large. For the lawmakers and citizens to achieve a return on their substantial financial aid investment and reap the benefits of well- educated workforce, it is significant that they join forces with higher education institutions to reduce poverty's impact on students' academic achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]