Michigan Hunger Free Campus Initiative

The Challenge

College student food insecurity is a prevalent issue at colleges and universities across the nation. Many institutions lack the commitment, programming, or resources necessary to address the need on their campuses. Many on-campus food assistance programs do not receive enough support from their institution to support student needs and rely on external assistance to stock pantries or provide grants to fund programs. Students are often unable to take advantage of resources outside of their campus due to a variety of structural barriers and are left unsupported by a lack of resources in on-campus solutions. 

The issue of college student hunger is prevalent throughout the nation and within Michigan, and is exacerbated by other forms of basic needs insecurity faced by a majority of students. According to a 2020 survey by the Hope Center at Temple University, around 3 in 5 college students are facing some form of basic needs insecurity. According to that same survey, around 40% of students in 2-year college programs and 30% of students in 4-year college programs are experiencing food insecurity, with 50-60% of those students being classified as highly food insecure. 

According to the 2020 National Health Assessment, 40% of Michigan State University Students reported experiencing food insecurity, with 15% of students reporting that they faced very low food security. Many campus pantries often lack institutional support or funding from the college or university they are a part of. Many campus pantries are not able to pay their staff, including pantry directors, and rely on volunteers to operate the pantry. Many pantries operate without any institutional funding from their college or university, relying on donations or other revenue sources to stock their pantries.

The Impact

Studies have shown a significant correlation between student food insecurity and lowered GPA, missed and dropped classes, decreased social involvement, and lowered graduation rates. Many university, state, and federal basic needs and social welfare programs go underutilized by college students. Students face many different forms of basic needs insecurity, and experience unique challenges to addressing these needs because of their status as college students. Students also often face compounding issues, with basic needs insecurities such as food and housing insecurity going hand-in-hand with high tuition costs and predatory rent practices surrounding universities. 

While many institutions have resources to help students struggling with basic needs, such as pantries, resource centers, nutritional staff, and emergency housing, there are rarely resources for helping students to apply for basic needs programming, leading to many students falling through the cracks and not receiving benefits they are eligible for. This problem is especially prevalent for students, as there is often a stigma and narrative that students are supposed to struggle with their basic needs, leading to many students not seeking out assistance or resources available to them. A survey by the US Government Accountability Office found that less than half of the students eligible to receive SNAP benefits are actually receiving those benefits, with 31% of students under the qualifying household income receiving SNAP. This is much lower than the general population, which has an 85% participation rate among eligible households.

Policy Solution Background

A solution some states have taken on to begin addressing the problem of student food insecurity is the Hunger Free Campus Act. The Hunger Free Campus Act is a policy solution designed by the nonprofit organization Swipe Out Hunger to address college student hunger and food insecurity through on-campus resources and support. The Hunger Free Campus Act is a grant program that provides funding to colleges and universities to meet the needs of their students. The legislation has three primary targets, those being the establishment or expansion of on-campus food pantries, the creation of meal donation or meal voucher programs, and the employment of staff at colleges and universities to assist students in accessing basic needs resources such as SNAP food assistance. As of 2024, the legislation has been passed and implemented in 10 states and introduced in 10 more, including Michigan. 

The Hunger Free Campus Bill (HB 5097) was introduced to the Michigan Higher Education Committee by Representative Jenn Hill in October of 2023 with 26 cosponsors. The bill will be administered through the new Michigan agency of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). The bill will allow public universities, community colleges, and tribal colleges to be eligible for competitive grant funding to address food insecurity on their campuses. To address concerns that community and tribal colleges would be at a disadvantage when applying for funding, the Michigan Hunger Free Campus bill has been specifically drafted to ensure accessibility to smaller institutions. This has been accomplished through broad and easily accessible qualifications to receive funding, as well as additional avenues of funding for institutions that may face barriers to an initial commitment to addressing the issue on their campus.