Food Insecurity Among College Students

Living on pizza is considered a part of college life, but some students may not be able to afford even that small luxury. Feeling insecure about where your next meal is coming from has psychological and academic effects on college students. Research shows that students who experience food insecurity are less likely to earn As and more likely to earn Bs, Cs, or below. And, college food insecurity is associated with stopping and starting school and taking longer to graduate. It can be tough to concentrate on academics when you’re hungry.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire such food in a socially acceptable manner.” Of course, it exists on a continuum from mild to severe and can be chronic or transitory based on various factors. But one thing is clear, food insecurity is a problem for a large number of undergraduate students.

Statistics on college students facing food insecurity

The 2021 #RealCollege Survey of basic needs insecurity, led by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University, was completed by more than 195,000 students at 202 four-year and two-year colleges and universities in 42 states. It found that 38% experienced food insecurity in the 30 days prior to the survey. One essential item to factor in is that the makeup of college students has changed in recent decades. In fact, less than one-third of students enroll full-time in college directly after high school and remain financially dependent on their parents. Instead, seven out of 10 college students are considered “nontraditional,” meaning they possess the following characteristics:

• Financial independence from parents
• Enrolled part-time
• Work full-time while in school
• Caretakers for dependents
• Didn’t receive a high school diploma

Additionally, college students are entering school later than students in the past. The average age of college students is 26. As such, many students balance school work with parenting, with 22% of students caring for child dependents and 14% doing so as single parents. Overall, the share of college students with low household incomes has increased. When these factors are combined with the rising cost of education, many adult students look to financial aid to help make ends meet.

Sadly, college students of color are more likely to experience food insecurity than white students. Research shows that minority students who receive multiple forms of financial aid or experience housing insecurity are more likely to be food insecure. The association between student food insecurity and financial aid suggests that typical aid packages and work-study programs fail to meet students’ basic needs.

What’s more, the same student groups that struggle to cover the essentials also struggle to make it to graduation, with low-income, Black, and Hispanic students dropping out at steeper rates. And without a degree, these students become more likely to experience food insecurity in the future.

The impact of food insecurity on college students

There are few formal studies that have definitively linked food insecurity to objective outcomes about academic success. However, one study published in the Journal of American College Health is informative. Its insights and data are based on results from an online survey of nearly 14,000 undergraduates at a mid-sized public university, where 48% of respondents said they were food insecure.

In the study, food-insecure respondents reported lower concentration, energy, test scores, and student retention. Results also suggest a relationship between food security and mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, disordered eating, suicide ideation — all of which influence academic performance). And, food insecurity coincides with other factors that hamper student success, like difficulties with housing, transportation, time management, employment, and affording books and supplies.

These results also showed that food insecurity is inversely associated with falling within the upper 10% GPA — meaning that food-secure students are three times more likely than their food-insecure peers to be among the top academic achievers. Students facing food insecurity are two times more likely than their food-secure counterparts to fall in the lowest 10% GPA. According to the data, the association between food insecurity and academic performance is “clear and persistent.”

What higher education leaders can do to support food insecure students

Arguably, college student hunger across America’s university system is a systemic problem. And given the growing economic inequality and diminished funding for higher education, solutions are vital to help those suffering now and to prevent future students from experiencing food insecurity. Here are a few ways educators and administrators can work to reduce the stigma around food insecurity.