Covid-19, Stigma, and Money are the leading Causes Food Insecurity in college students

 By Jarrod Murray

College students are facing a variety of reasons for going Hungry and worrying where their next meal comes from.

There are a handful of students that are victims of being food insecure may it be for long or short periods of time. According to Health Affairs 30% of all college students have personally gone through being food insecure at some point. 

A pandemic can change the lives of many and this is especially true when it comes to students across America.The results of the pandemic made it harder for students to consistently eat. A study found by Food Tank discovered that 59% of students reported that they became less food secure as a result of COVID-19. 

during and after the pandemic may jobs were lost this was one of the main reasons for not being able to buy food. According to the Hope Center, “about one in three respondents to the spring 2020 during the pandemic survey indicated they had lost a job because of the pandemic.”

The 2019 survey by the Hope Center gives further evidence money is a top reason for being food insecure. Both two-year and four-year students were struggling similarly in the statistics of not eating, 40% of two year students reported “I can not afford to eat balanced meals.”  Four year students reported the exact same reason as to not eating but came in at a slightly lower percentage at 33%. 

Despite the alarming numbers that support food insecurity being a big issue, simply being silent about it all is also a problem. Students simply do not want to admit to peers and parents that they are struggling to eat. 

According to a student's view reported by Lisa Henry, Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas, “As a college student you are supposed to eat out, drink beer, and spend all your money on all this stuff and then you know, you may not fit in if you can’t afford to do that.”

The feeling of being obligated to get by on their own is another reason for remaining silent on the issue of not eating.  Henry discovered that parents are viewed as a last resort in her data. 

Students at the University of North Texas would only rely on parents only when finances became very tight at 22%. A food insecure student told Henry “ I feel like, I'm 21 now. I should be able to do this on my own. At least feed myself on my own.”

Students who are food insecure tend to be forced into being strategic in where they buy food. In Lisa Henry’s study she finds how and where students acquire food. 

The students reported to Henry in her study the locations where students shop are Walmart, Kroger, Sack N Save, Aldi’s, and Dollar General. 

Why are students shopping at these specific locations? It's cheap. Not only are you getting food for cheap prices, Henry states “When they purchase food they typically bought cheap food in bulk.” 

College students do have the option of a meal plan at their disposal. However it may be time to consider grocery shopping as the better option. According to the Washington Post the cost of a meal plan at colleges averages 563 a month. In comparison to grocery shopping it would be more wise just to go to the supermarket.

At West Texas A&M University the minimum required meal plan is 1,825 dollars. A semester is five months. This leads us to 365 dollars a month if you divide that until the end of the semester. This still is more expensive than what the average Texan spends on groceries which is 276 dollars a month. 

College cafeteria food is not available to students all the time. If they go to the grocery store they can get food whenever they want or need it which is not a luxury cafeterias can give them.  

Minorities were the biggest group to go hungry from being food insecure. Reported by Health Affairs Indigenous students were impacted the hardest at 75%, Blacks at 70%, and just a little over half of White at 54%

Hunger is the reason for students' academic performance falling. In the study conducted by Lisa Henry 30% of participants reported falling in their grades due to being hungry and loss of concentration. 70% of female participants cited loss of energy from not eating as the reason for poor grades. 

Universities are attempting to make an effort in helping food insecurity by developing on campus food pantries. According to the Washington Post there are at least 352 on campus pantries as of 2021. Pantries on campus have been around since 1993 when Michigan State University had its own students turn it into the very first campus with a food pantry.