Food Security
Food insecurity is defined as having limited access to adequate food due to a lack of money or other resources. Several recent studies suggest that both two-year and four-year college students are more likely to be food insecure than the general U.S. population, with college prevalence ranging from 14% to 59%. Food insecure students were more likely to have lower GPAs than their food secure peers.
In the 2022 CUNY Student Experience Survey, 40% of students reported having low or very low food security—an estimated 110,000 students.
Campus food pantries
Since 2014, Healthy CUNY staff have been working with the CUNY Central Office of Student Affairs, campus Resource Centers, and Food Bank for New York City to increase emergency food access and access to SNAP benefits for students. Through this collaboration most CUNY campuses now have food pantries that provide healthy food and connect students to other sources of emergency food assistance.
Medgar Evers College Transition Academy distributing food during COVID-19 pandemic
Learn More
Ending Food Insecurity at CUNY: A Guide for Faculty and Staff
Hope Center for College Community and Justice Training for CUNY Food Pantry Directors and Staff, Spring 2021.