Report: College Students Are Hungry And Government Programs Could Do More To Help

College students across the country struggle with food insecurity.

Tuition and books, plus many hours away from a job, can be a huge financial burden on students — and for many, skipping meals can be a last-minute solution to a bad financial situation.

A new government report finds that millions of college students are very likely struggling. And the report — which is from the Government Accountability Office — concludes that the federal systems in place could do a better job of helping them.

There isn't federal data on food insecurity among college students nationally, so the GAO reviewed 31 studies on the topic, showing that most concluded that over a third of college students don't always have enough to eat.

"This is a major, major moment and a major victory in the fight against campus hunger," Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at Temple University, said at a briefing Wednesday. The GAO cited her research on food insecurity throughout the report.

GAO's report points out that just 29 percent of college students today are "traditional students" — those who enroll immediately after high school and depend on their parents for financial support. The vast majority — 71 percent — don't follow the narrative of the "typical" college student. They might be financially independent, have kids of their own or fit any one of a number of characteristics that the report lays out.

And that's important to remember: While middle-class students may joke about being "broke college students" who eat ramen for a week, many students are truly hungry, says Carrie Welton, a policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy.

"Low-income students, first-generation students and students of color have a very different experience," Welton says.

The report focuses on ways that the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could better help students struggling with hunger. SNAP — which operates under the Food and Nutrition Service of the federal government — provides low-income Americans with assistance for food. - Read More

Report: College Students Are Hungry And Government Programs Could Do More To Help