Food Insecurity on College Campuses

Lack of access to food and resources to fulfill other basic needs is a reality for many college students across the United States and on the University of Mississippi campus.

A 2018 study by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, which surveyed more than 86,000 college students, found that 45 percent of respondents reported food insecurity within the previous month. The Hope Center study also found that basic needs insecurity, including food and housing, is higher among marginalized students, such as students of color and students who identified as LGBTQ.

According to a 2016 study by the College and University Food Bank Alliance , students who experience food insecurity were negatively impacted academically and reported choosing not to purchase a required textbook, missing class and dropping a class as outcomes related to lack of food access and basic needs.

On the University of Mississippi campus, a 2017 Honors thesis by K.L. Halfacre found that 46.1 percent of students were food insecure, with 24.7 percent experiencing low food insecurity.

To learn more about food insecurity on college campuses, click here.

Sources: “College and University Basic Needs Insecurity: A National #RealCollege Survey Report” by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

“Hunger on Campus: The Challenge of Food Insecurity for College Students” by the College and University Food Bank Alliance, the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, the Student Government Resource Center and the Student Public Interest Research Groups.

“Diet Quality and Food Insecurity Among University Students: The Role of Food Preparation Ability,” a 2017 thesis by UM student K.L. Halfacre. Accessed via ProQuest on April 26, 2019.