GAO Finds Nearly a Quarter of College Students Experience Food Insecurity

Robert C. “Bobby” ScottAn estimated 3.8 million college students experienced food insecurity in 2020, according to student data analysis from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The analysis — in a new report on how many college students experiencing hunger apply for and receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — is based on food insecurity data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Postsecondary Student Aid Study as requested by U.S. congressmen, House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott of Virginia and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott of Georgia.

The Government Accountability Office found that an estimated 23% of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020.Government Accountability Office“Unfortunately, today’s GAO report affirms that too many college students are unable to escape hunger as they pursue their educational goals,” said Bobby Scott.

GAO found that an estimated 23% of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020, most of them reporting multiple instances of eating less, or skipping a meal because they could not afford enough food. GAO estimated that fewer than two-in-five food-insecure students were potentially eligible for SNAP benefits in 2020; 59% of those students did not report receiving benefits.

“Congress must ensure that students who are eligible for SNAP benefits have access to these benefits and that colleges are proactively informing students of the benefits available to them,” said Bobby Scott. “As the cost of attending college continues to rise, Congress can and should do more to support food insecure students and provide them with the resources they need to graduate.”