Hunger is a worldwide problem and something each and every one of us has heard about in our lives. On a college campus, someone facing food insecurity could be your dorm neighbor or another student sitting in front of you in class silently suffering. Food insecurity among college students is no longer a rarity; it is a widespread reality. But what’s the next step?
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, an estimated 23% of undergraduate students (about 3.8 million) experienced food insecurity in 2020. A majority of those reported skipping meals or eating less because they “couldn’t afford enough food.” Meanwhile, data from a National Postsecondary Student Aid Study in 2019-2020 showed that 22.6% of undergraduates reported “low or very low food security in the 30 days” prior to the survey, with another 11.9% experiencing “marginal food security.”
Colleges and universities are responding in various ways. Many campuses have opened food pantries or teamed up with national organizations, such as Swipe Out Hunger, which operates on more than 850 campuses, providing pantry access, meal share programs and other forms of support.
There are many consequences of hunger that keep students from achieving their academic goals. Ensuring access to affordable, nutritious food is essential to giving every student a fair chance to thrive in higher education and make the most of their experience.
Hunger on college campuses is not simply a matter of empty stomachs. It is a matter of justice. When students are forced to go hungry, their ability to succeed is threatened. Ensuring access to food is essential to giving every student a fair chance to build their future.