07/10/2017
College student hunger interest?
>1 in 5 L.A. community college students is homeless, survey finds – LA Times, June 28, 2017
Nearly two-thirds of the Los Angeles Community College District’s 230,000 students cannot afford sufficient food, according to a survey commissioned by the system’s board of trustees. About 6,000 students participated in the online survey, which found that about 65 percent are unable to afford balanced meals, and 60 percent cannot afford additional groceries when their food runs out. A study released last year by the California State University system found that 1 in 5 students had issues with food access.
>The College Students Who Are Starving in Silence – Pacific Standard, July 6, 2017
Hunger among college students can result in lower grade point averages and an almost 10 percent reduction in the likelihood of a student obtaining a degree, according to the 2017 “Hungry and Homeless in College” report from Wisconsin HOPE lab. Many colleges are establishing food pantries to help hungry students, said Clare Cady, director of the College and University Food Bank Alliance, but “more is needed.” SNAP is available, but students without children must work 20 hours a week in order to qualify for benefits.
>UI to host national conference on student hunger – News-Gazette, June 30, 2017
Next March, the University of Illinois will host a national conference on college student hunger, which is expected to draw up to 150 university presidents, chancellors, deans, and at least 200 students. Officials say college student hunger is linked to higher college expenses and a growing number of first-generation college students, who tend to struggle more financially. A 2016 study of hunger on college campuses found 20 to 25 percent of students were food insecure, and 32 percent believed that hunger or housing problems interfered with education.
