As tuition, rent and grocery prices climb, a growing share of college students are struggling with food insecurity.
Swipe Out Hunger, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating college food insecurity, estimates hunger affects more than 20% of students nationwide.
However, the rate of college hunger may be trending higher than that. Feeding Tampa Bay says 42% of local students are food insecure.
According to Lorena Hardwick, chief external affairs officer with Feeding Tampa Bay, the regional food bank gathers data from multiple sources, including internal mapping and a review of census data.
It also uses the United for ALICE report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) to identify financially struggling households.
“But we hear from the universities as well,” Hardwick said recently on WUSF’s “Florida Matters Live & Local.” “They do their own research and reporting out, too,” Hardwick said.
For example, the University of South Florida reports that 40% of its students experience food insecurity.
The impacts of food insecurity
Recent research highlights that the consequences of food insecurity extend far beyond hunger.
A 2024 study in BMC Public Health found that food-insecure college students report higher levels of stress and worse physical health, conditions known to interfere with classroom performance and overall well-being.
Another 2024 analysis in the Journal of American College Health shows that food insecurity can shape students’ academic behaviors and social experiences on campus, potentially undermining engagement and academic progress.
Hardwick described times that students needed to decide between continuing their studies or eating.
“It’s nearly impossible to pass your classes when you’re in that situation,” Hardwick said.
Food assistance programs play an important role in helping students stay focused on their education rather than their next meal. Most Florida campuses have a food pantry to assist.
At USF, students can turn to Feed-A-Bull, which provides free supplemental groceries such as fresh produce and staples, along with nutrition education. The program operates in partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay.
What students really need
“I feel like protein is really an item that a lot of students have problem getting,” said Lyndsey Schuler, food pantry coordinator for the Feed-A-Bull program. “It is very expensive to eat, obviously, and protein is something that every student needs.”
Cereal is another high-demand item.
“A lot of students can't afford cereal. It's $7 a box now,” Schuler said on “Florida Matters Live & Local.” “So, I feel like those are the two main things. But really, everything is a need for students.”
The need fluctuates during semesters, particularly before financial aid disbursements and during exam periods.
“Definitely during midterms and finals and the beginning of the semester, when financial aid hasn't hit yet, I feel like is when a lot of students are coming in not being able to afford their next meal,” Schuler said. “And obviously those are really pivotal times in a student's semester.”
She described food insecurity as “definitely like a fight-or-flight feeling.”
“A lot of students think ‘Well, I'm not really succeeding in my classes right now. What's going on?’ But they don't think about, ‘OK, I've had one meal today,’ ” she said.
Students often juggle heavy workloads to stay afloat.
“A lot of students are basically working 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. just to get by,” Schuler said. “I feel like students should not have to worry about when they're going to eat next.”
Hardwick said food insecurity is not a root cause, but “a symptom of a lot of other issues.”
“In the Tampa Bay area, it's a very high cost of living. You know, food costs go up. Rent prices go up. You know, health care, insurance,” she said.
Even as inflation has slowed, she said wages have not kept pace.
Some college students may qualify for SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but Hardwick said accessing benefits can be challenging.
“A lot of college students may not know, but some of them do qualify for SNAP benefits,” she said, acknowledging that last year’s federal Big Beautiful Bill Act made changes to reduce program funding.
“As you probably know, legislation last summer also impacted SNAP with work requirements or different things that college students and individuals have to jump through a lot of different hoops to now be able to afford some of these benefits.”
