Question: What is the best term to replace the word 'needs' in the sentence quoted below?

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> I feel obligated to apprise you of some problems between students and their needs
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> 
> 

Nothing I found on Google seems to suit here, but the bare word 'needs' doesn't seem to do either.

Could you help, please?

Answer: 
[Necessities](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/necessity) : 

> 
> * The conditions or qualities of being necessary. (AHD)
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> 
>
If you really want to aim high you could use ***[desiderata](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/desiderata)*** which is defined at that link as "things wanted or needed". Synonyms there include " essentials, necessities, requisites, sine qua nons"