By Daniel.
Washington Senator Patty Murray has decried rising student food insecurity following the publication of a Government Accountability Office Report she commissioned.
“Being able to afford food is not an issue that affects few,” said Murray on a recent conference call. “It’s clear from this study, federal action needs to be taken to address college hunger.”
The report focused on students who are eligible for SNAP benefits but don’t participate. “Almost two million students are able to receive SNAP benefits but aren’t,” said Murray. The report recommends campuses provide more information to students about their eligibility, especially through their financial aid office.
A co-author to many of the studies cited in the GAO report, Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, echoed these concerns. “This really is a problem, that a lot of people think they’re non-eligible,” said Goldrick-Rab, which in part comes from “the small American bureaucratic tragedy known as the FAFSA.”
“A big part of people not using their SNAP benefits — seniors, or working people, whatever the population is — usually it’s how difficult the application process is,” said Samuel Chu, National Synagogue Organizer for MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.
Evergreen graduate student Pamela Ronson argued that increasing student access to EBT would do little to solve on-campus hunger. “Every time I come to campus I cannot buy food with my EBT card,” said Ronson. “I have to leave campus to buy food with my EBT card.”
The GAO report lauded the spread of on-campus food pantries, of which there are now 650 in the United States.
“Our satellite food system typically closes down during breaks,” said Ronson. “Students are extremely food insecure during breaks.”
Ronson chairs the Food System Working Group under Evergreen’s chapter of WashPIRG, which is circulating “a petition for EBT cards to be accepted on campus,” said Ronson. “I’m trying to eat and go to school.”
Goldrick-Rab also pushed against the “starving artist” stereotype imposed on college students. “Starving during college is treated like a normal thing. Eating ramen everyday is treated like a normal activity,” said Goldrick-Rab.
“Students today are not the same students we think of 20 years ago,” said Chu, who stated that 71% of college students today would be categorized as “non-traditional.”
Chu said the US currently spends $122 billion a year on financial support for students. ”If those students are unable to complete their credentials, then we’re wasting that investment,” said Chu.
Goldrick-Rab highlighted three main findings of the GAO report: (1) Previous on-campus food insecurity reports have only studied local sites, and the report affirms that the issue is widespread; (2) Food insecurity most directly affects student parents, students of color, and foster children; (3) It is increasingly an issue for students classified as “middle class,” indicating a general decrease in wealth.
“College right now is not affordable for many people, and it’s causing them to make significant compromises,” said Goldrick-Rab.
Chu and Goldrick-Rab both recommended more initiative from college administrations. In particular, Chu said Financial Aid offices should automatically notify students about their eligibility.
“There are many administrative staff on campus that are a critical point of campus that can be trained and take up this role to connect students and benefits,” said Chu. “Starting a food pantry is a great first step.”
Goldrick-Rab argued that student action was the best method for students to decrease food insecurity on campuses.
“One of the things we’ve seen in many cases is that administrators have been inspired to action by students.” She cited two historically-black colleges in Atlanta, Spelman & Morehouse, whose students successfully leveraged hunger strikes to force their on-campus food provider (Aramark) to implement meal-swipe sharing programs.
