Students and Food Insecurity

We’re all familiar with the broke college student trope, where students spend their nights endlessly studying, chowing down on a simple diet of “cup-of-noodles”. But do we fully understand the truth behind the origins of the broke college kid stereotype? There is a misconception that if students are attending college they must have the resources to be able to afford groceries. As simple as this sounds the fact is many students are not in a position to have consistent access to the nutritious meals, they need to enable their success both in school and outside the classroom. Most college students are first-time adults attempting to balance daily living expenses with the constantly increasing cost of tuition.

As they experience their new lives as adult students many are suddenly faced with food insecurity for the first time. In 2019 the Hope Center found that approximately 39% of students experienced food insecurity while attending either a two-year or four-year institution (The Hope Center, 2019). The issue at hand is students struggling with their financial security which, in turn, creates stress for them in addressing all their basic living needs. The Center for American Progress describes the campus food insecurity experience as a stressful whirlwind where students are struggling to meet their basic food needs and ultimately the overwhelming stress interferes with their academic success (Barboy, 2019). A recurring theme found most among food insecure students is that many are worried that they will run out of food before their next paycheck; they are trying to ensure their money and food supply will last them throughout the school term.

In addition, Covid-19 placed even more stress on students as it accelerated their financial instability, housing instability, and food insecurity. The Hope Center found that the pandemic drastically increased the number of students facing high food insecurity levels with nearly 58% of students identified as food insecure, housing insecure, and/or homeless (The Hope Center, 2020). Prior to the pandemic, students were already choosing between paying their rent or buying groceries. However, the pandemic worsened the campus food insecurity experience as the increased demand for food could not be satisfied by the sporadic food supply.

With all accounts considered, Covid-19 unveiled the pre-existing issues with campus food insecurity that has yet to be addressed at a federal level. While we have seen many initiatives to reduce campus food insecurity with student-run food pantries, (i.e., U.C. Irvine’s FRESH Basic Hub & Chapman University’s Food Recovery Network), there have not been any nationwide programs established.

Swipe Out Hunger, a student-led organization based at UCLA, has taken charge to introduce the “Hunger Free Campus Bill”. This bill aims to distribute funding to public colleges to reduce campus food insecurity by establishing a Swipe Out Hunger program, food pantries, and a space to assist students with applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The goal of this bill is to provide accessible food resources by establishing a designated food hub for all students to use. Although this bill has a long journey ahead, this initiative attempts to bring awareness towards campus food insecurity at a national level.

Overall, we see that the broke college student trope reflects a reality of financial instability and food insecurity. By understanding the issue of campus food insecurity and the affects it has on students we can create awareness of this national issue and begin to create solutions. We expect a steady increase in college enrollment rates over the next few years and need to take steps to reduce and prevent campus food insecurity from affecting a new generation of incoming students.

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