Food insecurity continues to be a barrier to postsecondary access and student success. Underrepresented, first-generation, non-traditional, and low-income students have food-insecurity rates ranging from 33 percent to 51 percent compared to 10 percent among U.S. adults.
The factors contributing to food insecurity at institutions of higher education are complex, and include the increased cost of higher education, the limited usage of and eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the social stigma associated with being food insecure, the location of an institution within a food desert, and the institutional setting (a two-year or four-year college).
Other barriers linked with food insecurity include ineffective meal plan policies for residential students, limited transportation to and from campus, and whether students come from food-insecure backgrounds.
This report from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation identifies current research around the causes of food insecurity among college students and the different interventions that can provide a solution.