User:Michelleho1100/Hunger in the United States

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College Students
A growing body of literature suggests that food insecurity is an emerging concern in college students. Food insecurity prevalence was found to be 43.5% in a systematic review of food insecurity among US students in higher education. This prevalence of food insecurity is over twice as high as that reported in United States national households. Data have been collected to estimate prevalence both nationally as well as at specific institutions (two and four year colleges). For example, a Oregon university reported that 59% of their college students experienced food insecurity where as in a correlational study conducted at the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that 21-24% of their undergraduate students were food-insecure or at risk of food insecurity. Data from a large southwestern university show that 32% of college freshmen, who lived in residence halls, self-reported inconsistent access to food in the past month. According to a 2011 survey of the City University of New York (CUNY) undergraduates, about two in five students reported being food insecure.

'''When entering college, many students are leaving their homes and managing their own finances for the very first time in their lives. Depending on where they go to school, there may be limited access to affordable and nutritious food, such as in food deserts, making students particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Students are often forced to choose between expensive textbooks and school materials and food, leaving many students hungry. Hunger can distract students from focusing, leading to decreased academic performance, longer time than usual to graduate, and higher rates of depression. Furthermore, familial financial hardship, ever-rising costs of tuition and housing, and lack of sufficient financial aid –which can be attributed to recent major cuts in states’ budgets for public universities and lack of federal aid –have made food insecurity an increasingly common experience among college students. In fact, a study on hunger in US colleges that took data from 2006 to 2016 showed that 40% of students experienced food insecurity. '''

Studies have examined the demographics of students who may be more likely to be affected by food insecurity. It's been found that students of color are more likely to be affected by food insecurities. Researchers believe that growing rates of food insecurity in college students are due to an increasing population of low-income college students, higher tuition and insufficient financial assistance. According to a correlational study examining the undergraduate student population from universities in Illinois, African American students were more likely to report being very-low food secure compared to other racial groups. Similarly, the aforementioned study from the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that their undergraduate students, who identified as Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and mixed-race, were more likely to be at increased risk of food insecurity compared to Japanese students. In the City University of New York (CUNY), Black and Latino students were 1.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity than White and Asian students  Being a first generation student is another demographic that has been related to increased risk of food insecurity. Other demographics that have been found to increase risk of food insecurity in college students include receiving financial aid, being financially independent, and being employed. Researchers have speculated that students who live at home with their family are less likely to be food insecure, due to spending less on housing expenditures.''' '''

Colleges have taken steps to address the issue of food insecurity on their campuses –such as food pantries and SNAP application assistance –though commentators have suggested more needs to be done. In 2012, the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) identified over 70 campuses where food pantries had been implemented or were under development.''' While food pantries can provide urgent, short-term resources, they are not a sustainable, long-term solution for students. College food pantries are usually managed by volunteers and have limited budgets and resources; as a result, they do not always have nutritious food available. Furthermore, although many students are aware of these campus pantries, some may be reluctant to actually use this resource because of the stigma attached to them. A studied showed that on campuses with food pantries, on average, only about half of the student population know of the pantry and only about one fourth of food-insecure students use the pantry .'''

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) policies excludes many college students from receiving benefits. '''This is because when SNAP was first introduced, college students were not the main focus of the program as they were typically from white, middle-class families, under the care of their parents and were young high school graduates without dependents to provide for. To prevent the system and the benefits from being abused, students were excluded from enrolling in SNAP. '''

SNAP federal policies disproportionately impacts young people and people of color. Researchers have suggested that college campuses examine available and accessible food-related resources to help alleviate students’ food insecurity.