80. Expand access to food security and provide nutritious meals.

Campus Support Programs 09.6.24

Here’s what the federal government can do:

  • The U.S. Department of Education should collect, conduct, and assess research on the food security of college students.
  • Congress should expand the National School Lunch Program to include college students, especially at two-year colleges.

Here’s what state government can do:

  • State legislatures should appropriate funding for higher education institutions to develop and expand access to food security programs.

Here’s what institutional leaders can do:

  • Higher education institutions should conduct surveys to assess the food security of students.
  • Higher education institutions should develop and expand access to food security programs that are abundant, accessible, and free of stress and stigma.

Food security is essential for the well-being of all students. Colleges and universities have a responsibility to meet the basic needs of students while they pursue a higher education. Students facing barriers to food security are less likely to get adequate sleep and more likely to report anxiety and emotional distress.[i] In a study on food security among college students, 56 percent of students of color, 67 percent of women, and 46 percent of first-generation students reported very low food security compared to 9.8 percent of U.S. adults.[ii]

[i]Fletcher, Carla; Cornett, Allyson Cornett; Webster, Jeff; & Ashton, Bryan. “Student Financial Wellness Survey Fall 2022 Semester Results,” Trellis Company. https://www.trelliscompany.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SFWS-Aggregate-Report_FALL-2022.pdf.

[ii]Ibid.