For Immediate Release From Ed Trust!
DATE: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
TIME: 2:00 p.m., EST
A recent report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed a startling gap in support: despite their eligibility, many college students are being left out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In 2020 alone, 3.8 million college students — nearly 1 in 4 — reported experiencing food insecurity. Alarmingly, over 2.2 million of those students faced very low food security, meaning they frequently had to skip meals or eat less because they couldn’t afford food.
This issue disproportionately affects students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, first-generation students, LGBTQ+ students, and those attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) — many of whom also face housing insecurity.
To tackle these challenges, EdTrust, The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) are hosting a virtual event featuring GAO officials who authored the report. Presenters will discuss policy recommendations that directly address student hunger and share best practices for campuses to support students eligible for SNAP. Students experiencing food insecurity firsthand will share their perspectives. Following the 60-minute webinar, participants can join an optional 30-minute breakout session to discuss reactions and share ideas for next steps.
REGISTER:
https://edtrust.zoom.us/webinar/register/W... ********
More College Students Are Struggling To Get Enough Food. What Schools Are Doing About It
Research shows that college students are going hungry at a higher rate than the U.S. population as a whole. Some campuses are taking alternative approaches to tackling student hunger.
Dozens of raised beds overflow with cherry tomatoes, bok choi and deep purple eggplants. Bees poke into pale purple flowers, while students cut through the garden to get to class on time.
Anyone can pick the fruits and vegetables in this garden nestled next to a residence hall at Northern Illinois University. Student garden worker Emily Larrivee says it’s popular with both students and the surrounding community in DeKalb, Illinois.
“The other day, I went to get tomatoes, and there was a new student moving in with his parents,” Larrivee said. “And his mom was like … can we try the tomatoes? And it's like, absolutely, they're free to take.”
This garden is part of the university’s Edible Campus program, which aims to address food insecurity among students through creating hands-on, sustainable food systems.
Cherry tomatoes grow at NIU's Edible Campus garden. Students and community members are free to pick anything they want.
More than a quarter of college students across the country lack consistent access to food. At some universities, that number is much higher with up to half of the student population struggling to access food at some institutions. By comparison, about 13% of households in the U.S. experience food insecurity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
About 29% of college students at four-year colleges experienced food insecurity in the fall of 2020, according to the Hope Center. At two-year colleges, the problem was even worse with 38% of students reporting concerns about access to food.
At NIU, the free-to-pick gardens are just one part of the university’s attempt to address student hunger. Edible Campus sent thousands of pounds of harvested fruits and vegetables to the campus dining services and NIU’s food pantry. Director Bryan Flower said they also created a free meal prep program after realizing students did not have access to kitchens while living in the dorms.
He said students in the program go home with five meals to pop in their freezer, as well as a suite of new cooking skills.
“I've had students who have said, if I didn't have this, that I could pull out of my freezer, I'd be going from breakfast all the way to dinner not having anything to eat,” Flower said.
Read the full article HERE!:
https://www.wcbu.org/harvest-public-media/... ********
College student hunger: How access to food can impact grades, mental health
This collection of research looks at who on college campuses lacks access to food, especially health foods, and how going hungry can impact students' grades and mental health.
Just a few years ago, the College and University Food Bank Alliance, which helps schools establish food pantries, had 184 members. By early 2019, though, the number had more than tripled to 700-plus members.
As tuition rises and the other costs of college go up, campus administrators are forced to face a troubling reality: Many college students don’t get enough to eat. In response, hundreds of schools — from community colleges to Ivy League universities — have opened food pantries or stores selling subsidized groceries. Many students ages 18 to 49 are not eligible for the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps.
At Cornell University, the student-run Anabel’s Grocery attracted about 2,000 unique customers within the first several months, according to the student newspaper. The store offers “low-cost groceries for all Cornell students and subsidies for those who qualify.” At the Knights Helping Knights Pantry at the University of Central Florida, students can pick up five free food items a day. Portland Community College opened pantries on all four of its campuses and created a co-op with free school supplies, bus passes, clothes and other items.
Academic research shows that a substantial percentage of college students experience “food insecurity,” a lack of access to adequate amounts of food, especially healthy foods. The proportion appears to vary by institution type and among student groups, with racial and ethnic minorities being most likely to skip meals or go hungry. The research also suggests students who don’t have enough food are more likely to have low grades and poor health.
Below is a sampling of academic research on these subjects:
https://journalistsresource.org/environmen...
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, October 7th 2024 at 2:36PM
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