Even before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the economy and disrupted higher education, many students faced food and housing insecurity. And according to a new survey, the situation has only become more acute in the last several months, with a higher rate of students experiencing food insecurity.
More than 1 in 5 college students faced food insecurity in the early months of the ongoing pandemic, according to the survey from the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Consortium.
The survey — which is based on the responses of 31,687 undergraduate students at nine universities and 16,453 graduate and professional students from 10 universities — found students across all levels of study from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds experienced much higher rates of food insecurity compared to their peers.
While the topic of food insecurity on college campuses is not new, the issue takes on greater importance as colleges and universities across the country reopen this fall — whether in person, online, or a hybrid format — and attempt to support students, many of whom are reeling from the ongoing economic impacts catalyzed by COVID-19.