Co-Authored by Jaylen Adams, National League of Cities Digital Engagement, Marketing & Communications intern.
Post-secondary students often struggle with food insecurity, lacking access to affordable food and supportive services. The nationally representative 2019-2020 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study found that almost 23 percent of students pursuing undergraduate degrees reported experiencing low or very low food security within the last 30 days. Another 12 percent of undergraduate students reported experiencing marginal food insecurity, meaning they have some anxiety about accessing adequate food and have occasionally faced food shortages. Together, this means that nearly half of all students working towards a degree are facing some level of food insecurity. For local leaders, addressing food insecurity on college campuses requires a comprehensive understanding of its root causes, which are often both complex and interrelated.
BIPOC students are disproportionately affected as a result of historic and systemic inequalities that impact their financial stability and access to resources. Balancing the cost of tuition, housing, and other essential expenses leaves little room for adequate food budgets. This is a struggle for many students and particularly those receiving Pell grants, which are typically awarded based on financial need, are more likely to experience food insecurity due to their limited financial resources.
How Can Municipalities Partner with Post-Secondary Institutions?
Cities and local governments can play a crucial role in reducing the barriers to basic needs faced by their college residents. By collaborating with colleges and universities on innovative solutions, municipalities can expand the funding and range of available support. Some effective strategies may include:
1. Help Increase Enrollment in Federal Assistance Programs
The Government Accountability Office recently estimated that 59% of food-insecure students who were potentially eligible for SNAP didn’t report receiving benefits. Local governments can increase the percentage of eligible student SNAP recipients by organizing dedicated sessions on campus to aid with SNAP applications and other benefits.
Examples
At the Metropolitan State University of Denver, case workers from Hunger Free Colorado hold virtual events to connect with students to screen them for SNAP eligibility and help them apply.
CalFresh, California’s financial aid program, helps students purchase food without affecting their financial aid. It does not require parent tax return information for application. About 2 in 5 students qualify, including part-time workers, parents, and those in job training or work-study programs. Eligible students can receive up to $291 per month, depending on their income and household size.
2. Establish Food Pantries
Set up food pantries on or near campus to alleviate food insecurity for students. Stock these pantries with non-perishable items, fresh produce and other essentials. Partner with local food banks, community organizations and businesses to ensure these pantries are well-supplied and accessible. This model provides students with easy access to nutritious food, fosters community and reduces the stress of food insecurity.
3. Co-Locate Farmers Markets
Establish farmers markets that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and college meal plan cards. Assure they are located on or near campuses and areas frequented by students. Aside from providing students easy lower-cost access to fresh, healthy food, farmers markets bolster local businesses and economies.
4. Provide Emergency Aid
According to a 2016 Hope Center landscape analysis, around 500 colleges maintain small pots of money to provide emergency cash assistance to students. Federal emergency aid programs during COVID-19 infused states with additional dollars to use towards college-based aid programs. While most of those funding streams have ended, one proposed solution to continue the flow of additional money is for Congress to allow the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) program to operate permanently as emergency aid.
Example
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper repurposed $7 million in federal funding from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for the Finish Line Grants program, which provided emergency aid grants of up to $1,000 to community college students. As of June 30, 2022, 8753 students had received $4.8 million in emergency aid through this program, the process to apply has been streamlined, and funding for the program now comes from Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS).
5. Build out Targeted Food Assistance Programs
Enhance support for students by offering targeted food assistance programs like meal vouchers, subsidies for campus dining plans, or partnerships with local restaurants to provide discounted meals. By proactively targeting the most at-risk students, this program helps prevent food insecurity before it begins. Swipe Out Hunger is a nonprofit leading the fight against college student hunger, and created the Hunger Free Campus legislation. States like California and Louisiana passed bills to help fund food assistance programs on college campuses and direct state funding to public colleges tackling student hunger.
6. Act as a Community Convenor
Bring together college/university leaders, non-profits and other interested parties to develop an action plan and new ways to support your community’s residents.
What Has Been the Federal Response?
The federal government is a vital partner in helping local leaders scale solutions to widespread challenges related to food insecurity. For example, Congress stepped in during the COVID-19 pandemic to temporarily expand SNAP eligibility for college students. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 allowed those in work-study programs or with an expected family contribution of zero to also receive benefits. These eligibility changes were temporary and expired in June 2023.
Learn More about NLC’s Priorities
NLC supports access and enhancements to SNAP and other nutrition programs. View NLC’s CitiesSpeak blog post summarizing the farm bill reauthorization programs.
About the Author
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