Food Insecurity among College Students: Background and Policy Options. CRS Report R46817, Version 2

Food insecurity--the condition of having inadequate food due to a lack of resources--affected roughly 1 in 10 Americans in 2019, and this number increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among college students nationwide, the prevalence of food insecurity is unknown; however, studies have shown that food insecurity is a problem for some college students, particularly those attending two-year schools and those from lower-income households. In recent years, Congress has considered and enacted policies aimed at alleviating food insecurity among college students. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260) enacted on December 27, 2020, temporarily expanded the eligibility of certain low-income students for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Additionally, the College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674) included a number of provisions related to college food insecurity such as emergency financial grants to students facing financial challenges (including food insecurity). H.R. 4674 was marked up and ordered to be reported by the House Committee on Education and Labor during the 116th Congress. This report summarizes research on the extent and effects of food insecurity among college students and recent efforts by students, institutions, and governments to reduce food insecurity among this population. It also presents a selection of possible federal policy options to help inform proposals that seek to address food insecurity among college students should Congress continue to consider this topic. These options include ways to target food-insecure college students within existing federal student aid programs, SNAP, and programs that support food donations to campus pantries, as well as the creation of new programs to provide food aid to students.