Across the country many higher education students experience food insecurity – the limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Increasingly, students rely on campus dining services, and campus food pantries where available, as their only resource for food. Campus closures as a result of COVID-19 have forced policymakers and postsecondary institutions alike to recognize food insecurity as a systemic issue afflicting today’s college students.
This latest report provides an overview of the national postsecondary food insecurity landscape, examines the prevalence and impacts of food insecurity among North Carolina’s postsecondary students, and highlights best practices from other states. In addition to this report, The Hunt Institute completed a scan of North Carolina’s two- and four-year colleges and universities to identify support systems in place for students experiencing food insecurity.
By supporting students’ basic needs, policymakers and education leaders can attend to existing equity gaps and empower students to overcome barriers to completion.
Editor’s note: This brief was originally published by The Hunt Institute. It was published with the author’s permission.
