By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

During the virtual 2020 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, food policy and public health experts Alana Davidson and Marsha Spence spoke to the issue of food insecurity among college students in their session “Failing to Make the Grade: Food Insecurity on College Campuses.” The goal of this session was to “educate RDNs about the current literature on food insecurity prevalence and its effects on academics, provide examples of programs on college campuses to improve food security, and explain SNAP rules for students and how to increase SNAP participation among this vulnerable demographic.”

     The speakers began by discussing “Food Insecurity Rates Among College Students in the US” and highlighting the most at-risk groups among college students. “While there are no national data on how many students are food insecure, campuses and states have been publishing shocking research on this issue over the last few years. For example, a recent study of 86,000 students found 48% of students surveyed reported food insecurity,” the speakers explained in their abstract for the session. More specifically, however there are higher rates of food insecurity among students at 2-year colleges than at 4-year colleges. Furthermore, students who are Black, are Latinx, are single parents, have a disability, are part of sexual or gender minorities, are from low income backgrounds, are first generation college students, are at low wage jobs, or are foster kids are more likely to be food insecure.

     According to the speakers, coping strategies for food insecurity such as buying the cheapest food, skipping meals, not paying bills, not purchasing school supplies or medicine, and couch surfing are ineffective ways for college students to address this problem. Instead, the speakers provided several solutions that can be implemented to address food insecurity on college campuses, including food pantries; food apps; gleaning and repackaging food; having edible walkways and campus gardens; educating faculty, staff, and students about food insecurity and available resources; and more.

     Additionally, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is being severely underutilized by college students, argued the speakers, as “the Government Accountability Office also released a 2018 report that estimated two million students were eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) but did not receive benefits.” There are many eligibility requirements that students must meet to qualify for SNAP, which are updated every four years through the Farm Bill. For example, if a student lives on campus and has a meal plan, they are not eligible for SNAP. Students must also attend school more than half-time and have specific living arrangements.

     Davidson and Spence believe that outreach and initiatives to educate students on SNAP and their potential eligibility is critical to solving food instability among college students. This includes working with the Department of Higher Education and Department of Children and Families to destigmatize SNAP and dispel common confusion about SNAP eligibility.

     Unfortunately, the speakers predicted the current pandemic will worsen food insecurity among college students, especially since federal legislation does not really address college food insecurity during the pandemic and many students had their work hours reduced. Despite this, the speakers concluded the session by emphasizing the work still needed to be done to address this national issue and the way that SNAP can help do so.

For vegan SNAP menus and recipes, see

https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/snap-weekly.php
https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/snap-shopping-list.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue2/2020_issue2_vegan_menus.php