Improving UC College Campus Resources

There has been plenty of food programs and resources already created to assist college students, but how can they be further improved?

Adverse Outcomes of Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is at the forefront of issues when it comes to the college experience. Not only does food insecurity leave students wondering when their next meal will be, but it leads to an onslaught of issues. Often times food insecurity is associated with depression, stress, decreased nutrition intake, diabetes and overall poor health. With the magnitude of such issues, it is critical that college campuses take action and implement dependable resources for their students.

"Given the reciprocal relationships between education and health, reducing food insecurity may have a synergistic impact on both health and educational outcomes."

Campus Responses to Food Insecurity

There are a handful of resources and programs among various college campuses that can assist students who are struggling with finding a reliable source of food. Below are a couple programs that colleges have thrown together in response to food insecurity.

Food Pantries

Food pantries often provide free produce and groceries for college students. They are the second most common form of emergency assistance in public colleges and they are relatively inexpensive to form.

Meal Vouchers

Meal vouchers provide college students with free or subsidized meals at their dining commons. Vouchers are commonly donated by fellow students when they have unused "swipes" from their meal plans.

Emergency Funds

Emergency funds offer students cash or loans to assist with covering utilities, rent, health care, transportation, and/or food. Emergency funds are the most common aid used among students. They are typically given out to students when their ability to obtain a college degree is being threatened by their life circumstances.

Access to Benefits

Programs such as The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, are available for qualifying students in need of extra support. Programs including Single Stop and The Benefits Bank help guide students when applying for benefits as well as preparing for tax returns.

Less Common Programs

Garden programs, community supported agriculture, farmers market based food boxes, projects associated with diversion of food waste, etc.

Improving Campus Resources

Food pantries are often the first campus resource that food-insecure students go to when they are seeking help. They are extremely helpful when it comes to short term relief but it is evident students need something more reliable. Food pantries are the perfect location to promote further resources such as government aid. These places can offer centers to help screen and enroll students in SNAP as well as other benefit programs. SNAP can play a huge role as one of the main resources providing food-insecure students with support.

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References

Freudenberg, Nicholas, Sara Goldrick-Rab, and Janet Poppendieck. "College students and SNAP: The new face of food insecurity in the United States." American journal of public health 109.12 (2019): 1652-1658.