Food insecurity among college students has become a growing concern, with reports documenting its prevalence for over a decade. Recent estimates suggest that one in three college students is food insecure, which is significantly higher than the household’s U.S. national average rate of about one in 10.
Joined by nine colleagues from colleges and universities spread across the country, Matthew Landry, PhD, RDN, corresponding author and assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at UC Irvine Program in Public Health, published a call-to-action directed towards university administrators to take immediate steps to dedicate the necessary support and resources to address students’ food and basic needs security.
Their viewpoint, published in the Journal of American College of Health, challenges academic leadership to foster an equitable campus culture and be advocates for policies at the state and federal level.
Despite strides made by more universities addressing this problem, many college and university administrators continue to believe their students are not impacted. Coupled with the changes in student demographics, food insecurity is especially high for first-generation, parents or caregivers, nontraditional in age, and/or who identify as being part of minority groups.
“As food insecurity experts, and as college educators, we have seen first-hand the negative impact of limited food security on student health, well-being, and academic performance,” Landry said. “This is what motivates us to take actionable steps to address food insecurity among students.”
The following recommendations are proposed by Landry and colleagues to institutional administration:
- Dedicate the necessary support and resources: It is essential for institutional administration to prioritize and allocate the necessary resources for sustainable initiatives and programs that aim to improve food security on campus.
- Foster a nurturing and equitable campus culture: Building a campus culture that promotes food security, nutrition equity, and assurance of basic needs must be a collective effort. Institutional leaders must actively listen to the needs of the campus community, translate those insights into actionable plans, and ensure those plans are rigorously evaluated.
- Advocate for funding and policies at the federal and state levels: Institutional administration should advocate for funding at both federal and state levels to sustain and expand campus-based food security and basic needs programs and be champions of expanding financial aid and scholarships for students most at risk.
Once we can achieve the short-term solutions, we can begin on long-term structural changes that prevent food insecurity from occurring.”
Matthew Landry, PhD, RDN, FAND
Reliable access to nutritious and sufficient food is not the only problem students face. Many students also experience a lack of resources and financial stability to fulfill basic needs including safe, secure, and adequate housing; access to healthcare; affordable transportation; resources for personal hygiene; and emergency needs.
Some students use credit cards or loans to buy food or make “ends meet” and sell possessions, such as textbooks, to afford basic needs. All of this can result in the burden of debt that persists even after receiving a college degree, thus continuing the cycle of financial instability.
“One of the biggest roles administrators can play is in securing and allocating financial support for the establishment or continuation of existing food security programs,” Landry explains. “Once we can achieve the short-term solutions, we can begin on long-term structural changes that prevent food insecurity from occurring.”
Additional authors include Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos from Utah State University; Virginia Gray from California State University, Long Beach; Georgianna Mann from University of Mississippi; Zubaida Qamar from San Francisco State University; Rebecca L. Hagedorn-Hatfield from Meredith College; Cara L. Cuite from Rutgers University; Emily Heying from College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University; Lanae B. Hood from Virginia Fresh Match; and Kenda OoNorasak from University of Kentucky.
