Food insecurity among college students in the United States

Studies have examined the demographics of students who may be more likely to be affected by food insecurity. It's been found that students of color are more likely to be affected by food insecurities. Researchers believe that growing rates of food insecurity in college students are due to an increasing population of low-income college students, higher tuition and insufficient financial assistance.[10] According to a correlational study examining the undergraduate student population from universities in Illinois, African American students were more likely to report being very-low food secure compared to other racial groups.[8] Similarly, the aforementioned study from the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that their undergraduate students, who identified as Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and mixed-race, were more likely to be at increased risk of food insecurity compared to Japanese students. In the City University of New York (CUNY), Black and Latino students were 1.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity than White and Asian students.[9] Being a first generation student is another demographic that has been related to increased risk of food insecurity.[11] Other demographics that have been found to increase risk of food insecurity in college students include receiving financial aid, being financially independent, and being employed.[12] Researchers have speculated that students who live at home with their family are less likely to be food insecure, due to spending less on housing expenditures.[8]

College students struggling with access to food are more likely to experience issues with mental health. According to a correlational study examining college freshmen living in residence halls from a large southwestern university, students who were food-insecure, were more likely to self-report higher levels of depression and anxiety, compared to food-secure students.[13]

A 2013 study of Illinois university students found those with food insecurities were more likely to report grade point averages below a 3.0.[14]

Colleges have taken steps to address the issue of food insecurity on their campuses –such as food pantries and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) application assistance –though commentators have suggested more needs to be done.[15][16] [2] The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) policies excludes many college students from receiving benefits.[17] SNAP federal policies disproportionately impacts young people and people of color. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) policies excludes many college students from receiving benefits.  This is because when SNAP was first introduced, college students were not the main focus of the program as they were typically from white, middle-class families, under the care of their parents and were young high school graduates without dependents to provide for.[18][19]  To prevent the system and the benefits from being abused, students were excluded from enrolling in SNAP.

Researchers have suggested that college campuses examine available and accessible food-related resources to help alleviate students’ food insecurity.[12][11] In 2012, the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) identified over 70 campuses where food pantries had been implemented or were under development.[20]

While food pantries can provide urgent, short-term resources, they are not a sustainable, long-term solution for students.  College food pantries are usually managed by volunteers and have limited budgets and resources; as a result, they do not always have nutritious food available.[5]  Furthermore, although many students are aware of these campus pantries, some may be reluctant to actually use this resource because of the stigma attached to them.[6][21] A studied showed that on campuses with food pantries, on average, only about half of the student population know of the pantry and only about one fourth of food-insecure students use the pantry.[6]