Closing the hunger gap: Addressing food insecurity on college campuses

Colleges and universities have consistently reported food insecurity, a major public health problem characterized by inconsistent access to sufficient food for a healthy life, among their student populations for over a decade.¹ Unstable access to food is a crucial determinant of health, having significant negative impacts on students’ well-being.

After the latest government shutdown led to a pause on federal food benefits, many highlighted the need to build additional infrastructure to support students when their needs are not met.² A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that, approximately 3.3 million college students were eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which offers food stamps, yet 2.2 million reported not receiving benefits. ³ With the recent pause on SNAP, and the number of eligible students not receiving assistance from the program, it’s clear there is a systemic gap to be addressed.

Food insecurity can manifest in unique and unexpected ways, forcing students to put their physical, mental, social, and academic well-being on the back burner.¹ During uncertain times, it’s essential that college campuses support students’ nutritional needs and ensure students have access to resources necessary to achieve their best possible health.

Diving into the stats

Measuring food insecurity can be challenging, but the data show that college students are a vulnerable population. The GAO report  found that 23% of college students face food insecurity, more than double the 11% food insecurity rate  found for all U.S. households at the time.³

Temple University’s Hope Center for Student Basic Needs Survey found that 41% of students experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days to participation. Low-income students are burdened with higher rates, with over half (52%) of Pell Grant recipients reporting food insecurity.⁵

Federal data found that one in four undergraduates, and one in eight graduates, experienced food insecurity in 2020; a total of 4.3 million students, with an additional 2.3 million facing marginal insecurity.⁴ Compared to the national average, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other types of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) have higher rates of insecurity, with nearly 40% lacking the consistent food access. Racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately higher rates of food-related inequities, as seen in the 22% of Black or African American students experiencing food insecurity, compared to 8.5% of their white counterparts.⁵

Addressing food insecurity

A corresponding student experience survey to the Swipe Out Hunger study found that the top barriers to accessing nutritious food include time constraints, cost of meal plans, anxiety about resource scarcity, elevated cost of diet-specific foods, and living far away from affordable food.⁷

Campus pantries are the most common way colleges address food insecurity, the second being resources to apply to SNAP. A 2024 survey by Swipe Out Hunger of 850 colleges and universities found that 95% of institutions have operating pantries, and over half were able to expand their food security program in 2024.⁷ However, only 1% said they had administrative support, and only 8% reported an increase in funding — the primary challenge to meeting students’ needs. Jaime Hansen, executive director of Swipe Out Hunger, said:

“This severe lack of sustainable funding for antihunger programs is preventing students from accessing the food they need to survive, which in turn affects their ability to stay enrolled. With rising food costs and the lack of government support, campus food pantries and similar resources are becoming the only lifeline for students.”⁷

When students aren’t able to thrive, the campus can’t thrive. Food insecurity has been linked to declining grade point averages and mental health challenges, all of which can lead to low retention and graduation rates.⁸ With the rising tuition fees, rent, and cost of living, evidence suggests that the risk of food insecurity will grow, as will its impact throughout college campuses. Here’s how higher-ed institutions across the nation are helping their students: 

• At Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, students noticed their peers were coming to class hungry. Out of this observation came the Essential Needs Center, available to any student on campus who may be facing financial barriers to acquiring food or other necessary items.⁶
• Students at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland created a cookbook featuring items exclusively from the campus pantry, ensuring realistic, healthy meals are within reach.⁶
• The University of Missouri allows students to pay off their parking citations with pantry donations.⁹
• Pace University offers a monthly mobile market where students can receive free food items that cannot be stored in the campus pantry any longer.⁶
• University of California, Davis, piloted a discounted food truck on campus at lunchtime, providing a pay-what-you-can pricing system.⁶
• Virginia Commonwealth University established mini pantries across campus, modeling the Little Free Library structure.⁶

Where to begin on your campus

• Create a campus pantry: If your campus doesn’t already have a pantry, this might be a good place to start. Advocate with campus leadership to get one started, even if funding is low.
• Increase awareness on campus: Publicize your campus food pantry, and/or any other initiatives in place to address food insecurity. Be sure to market to all communities on campus in a number of ways: posters, emails, social media, integrating the initiative into the classroom, and having conversations with students. Just as important, address the widespread prevalence of food insecurity and its negative impacts on students.
• Understand the barriers: Conduct campus-wide surveys to better understand the prevalence and impact of food insecurity on your campus. Shining a light on the barriers that face your student body will allow you to address them, from bringing campus pantries to off-campus housing, to proposing cutting classes by five minutes to give students more time to eat.
• Partner with local resources: Collaborate and partner with local services and resources, such as food drives, soup kitchens, and community organizations to provide food, meals, necessary items, and support to students in need.

Subscribe to the Campus Health 360 Newsletter for monthly updates and stay informed about student health trends.

References

1. Loofbourrow, B. M., & Scherr, R. E. (2023, May 19). Food Insecurity in Higher Education: A Contemporary Review of Impacts and Explorations of Solutions. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(10), 5884. Accessed on January 9, 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105884.
2. Mattise, J. (2025, October 27). Federal food benefits and preschool aid to run dry starting Saturday if shutdown continues. Accessed on October 30, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-e6176d2683f74b7011d861b48a47d3f1
3. United States Government Accountability Office. (2025, March). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Federal Actions Needed to Help Connect College Students with Benefits. Accessed on December 29, 2025. https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-25-106000.pdf.
4. Mowreader, A. (2025, February 27). Survey: 3 in 5 College Students Experience Food or Housing Insecurity. Accessed on October 30, 2025. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2025/02/27/most-college-students-lack-sufficient-food-housing
5. McKibben, B., Wu, J., et al. (2023, August 3). New Federal Data Confirm that College Students Face Significant—and Unacceptable—Basic Needs Insecurity. Accessed on October 30, 2025. https://hope.temple.edu/npsas
6. Mowreader, A. (2025, September 12). Scaling Up: Expanding Basic Needs Support for Students. Accessed on October 30, 2025. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2025/09/12/mass-college-launches-student-led-basic-needs
7. The Feed. (2025, February 21). What colleges are doing to ensure no student goes hungry. Accessed on October 30, 2025. https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/what-colleges-are-doing-to-ensure-no-student-goes-hungry/
8. Wickline, V.B., Herrinton, J. (2025, May 8). Hungry for knowledge: Food insecurity and how it affects college students. Accessed October 30, 2025. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/food-insecurity
9. Mowreader, A. (2024, November 12). Funding Student Success: Parking Violations and Food Pantry Donations. Accessed on October 30, 2025. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2024/11/12/college-student-parking-violations-help-fill-food

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