For the millions of college students who struggle to pay for food, help is available.
For the millions of college students who struggle to pay for food, help is available.
Resources:
FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid
Public Benefit Finder for California Students
Hi Monica Reinagel the Nutrition Diva here with a bonus episode to share some feedback I received from listeners about my recent episode on Nutrition Tips for College Kids.
The first email I received about it was a very nice note from Jason, who is a faculty member as well as Head Track & Field Coach at a community college in Oregon.
He wrote: “Your latest episode is so similar to the message I have been sharing with my Health, Wellness, and PE students for over 20 years. Did you get a peak at my lecture notes?
I see students drinking fancy coffees rather than brewing at home, sports drinks in place of water (while they sit in a classroom for an hour or more), complain about the cost of vegetables, argue that preparing a chicken meal at home with mashed potatoes and a side vegetable or salad is more expensive than simply going to KFC. It's a real battle to win the hearts and minds, but it is 100% worth the effort. Keep up the good work”
But I didn’t get to pat myself on the back for very long. Because the next email I received about that episode was not as complimentary. But, you know what? The criticism was completely justified.
This one was from Darcie, who identifies herself as a Higher Education Researcher. She shared some information that puts the subject of nutrition for college kids in a very different light–one that was not adequately addressed in my episode–and which I’d like to take this opportunity to rectify.
I actually don’t think I can say it any better than Darcie did, so let me read to you the email she sent:
Dear Ms. Reinagel, she began. (Happy listeners generally don’t address me as Ms. Reinagel, so I knew right away something was up.)
“I am usually a fan of your podcast,” she wrote, “but was quite offended by your recent episode on nutrition and college students. The episode starts from the premise that most college students are 18-22 year olds who do not eat healthily because they spend their money unwisely on expensive coffee and beer or because they do not know how to cook.
“In reality, food insecurity on college campuses is a serious and growing problem. A recent GAO [Govt. Accountability Office] report found that 3.8 million college students (23%) experience food insecurity, many reporting skipping meals because they did not have adequate resources. Additionally, about one quarter of students are student parents and many are working learners (69% of students over the age of 25 are employed).
“Instead of telling students how to cook eggs in a microwave I wish you would have noted that many colleges now have Basic Needs offices and food pantries. Some colleges allow for the use of EBT [Electronic Benefits Transfer] cards on campus. College students also under-enroll in SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] because of either the stigma around public benefits programs, lack of awareness, or the onerous application process; the GAO report noted that 59% of students who would have qualified for SNAP benefits did not receive those benefits
“It is time to stop perpetuating the myth that college students are spending their money on frappuccinos instead of salads and face the reality that for the many students who are balancing academics, work, and caregiving responsibilities food insecurity is a major challenge.”
After getting Darcie’s email I looked up the GAO report she referenced and learned that the barriers for college students accessing SNAP benefits are also complicated by Complex eligibility rules, such as work requirements that can interfere with class schedules and reduce their chances of graduating.
As Jason’s email demonstrates, a lot of college students (and their teachers and professors) may have recognized the scenarios I described and found the tips I offered useful. But as Darcie’s email points out, many other college students are having a very different experience. I missed an opportunity in my original episode to highlight that fact and include them in the conversation. I hope that this bonus episode can go some way towards repairing that failure.
For students who may be experiencing food I security, here are some additional tips and resources that Darcie shared with me.
Students at risk of food insecurity should be sure that they apply for all forms of federal, state, private, and institutional financial aid. The application for federal financial aid (the dreaded FAFSA form) also unlocks many other types of aid and can be found at studentaid.gov:
If you happen to live in California, the non-profit organization California Competes website has created a public benefits finder that helps college students determine which public benefit programs they may be able to qualify for. You can find that in the resources section of their website at californiacompetes.org
And finally, a nonprofit organization called Swipe Out Hunger allows college students to donate extra meal card "swipes" to other students in need. You can learn more about donating at swipehunger.org.
(Links to all of these are in the shownotes)
Thanks to Darcie as well as Jason and all the other listeners who regularly write to tell me what they appreciate about the podcast and also where there’s room for improvement. Both are valued feedback that I take equally to heart.