A Look at the Data
To further demonstrate the prevalence of food insecurity on college campuses, the 2022 Hope Survey Report stated that “at four-year colleges, 29% of students reported experiencing food insecurity.” One student from Texas on that survey mentioned that “for students like myself who do not have parents to financially support them, during times like these, it is hard to both balance your finances to make ends meet [and] eat a full day’s meal, let alone a nutritionally balanced meal.” This just gives us one look into the ongoing issue of food insecurity on college campuses at the national level. Therefore, in this article, various studies on the subject are highlighted and provide ways in which the CTB Model and CTB Model schools are committed to facing this challenge and supporting students holistically, along with new policies/programs that the model intends to provide as an effective, long-term solution to food insecurity.

One of the most common issues seen amongst college students is having to handle the costs of a meal plan at their college campus. The Education Data Initiative shared that “a campus meal plan averages $450 a month” in the U.S. (The Education Data Initiative, 2022) Many of them opt out from having a meal plan due to the additional costs. “Meal plans, alongside tuition and housing, are considered part of the total cost of attendance at a university or college. These fees can be significantly reduced or covered under financial aid.” (Wood, 2022)

Moreover, an article by Feeding America provides and explains the data collected from a project that centered around highlighting the students’ voices of those who utilize campus-based services to face food insecurity. Additionally, this article states the importance of providing students with a support system. “On the survey, students reported that they relied heavily on their family, friends, and co-workers to support their academic goals, particularly for practical and emotional support. Students also accessed several support systems located on their campuses [...].” 

Additionally, an article by Health Affairs Forefront described the various elements that involve food insecurity on college campuses and provided systemic recommendations that need to be implemented to face this epidemic, such as a permanent expansion of SNAP benefits, and “expansion of the National School Lunch Plan to two- and four-year institutions.” Ultimately, it's mentioned in this article that the disparities amongst demographics when regarding the food insecurity issue. “The report also highlighted significant racial and ethnic disparities: 75 percent of Indigenous, 70 percent Black, and 70 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native students experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity or homelessness, compared to 54 percent of White students.”

Finally, an article by The Hope Center shares the lessons learned regarding the organization’s pilot intervention at Compton College, along with a review of the findings from various focus groups with different community colleges in California along with providing resources for combating food insecurity. This intervention consisted of surveying “a subset of 49 study participants. All students surveyed used at least one campus-based resource such as emergency aid, wi-fi hotspots, counseling services, or meal vouchers.” (The Hope Center, 2022) Moreover, it outlines that “Student affairs staff, especially those in direct contact with students and responsible for managing non-academic support programs [...] These practitioners are the catalysts of institutional transformation toward increasing student success and require support from their leaders to establish successful partnerships on and off campus that properly support and serve students.”