Hungry Minds: Student Awareness And Use Of Food Pantries At 91 Colleges And Universities

Ninety-one of the 104 colleges and universities who participated in the Fall 2021 Student Financial Wellness Survey had at least one food pantry on campus. Of the 49,946 students attending one of these institutions, 38 percent were aware of the pantry, 53 percent did not know of it, and nine percent indicated, incorrectly, that their campus did not have this resource. Forty-two percent of those who were not aware that their institution offered a food pantry were food insecure — indicating a lack of awareness of this benefit among students who may need this assistance the most. Additionally, 31 percent of those who knew of a pantry offered by their institution and were food insecure did not visit any food pantries, on- or off-campus, since January 1, 2021.