Learn More About Food Insecurity at Baylor University
Student hunger or college food insecurity can be detrimental to a student's physical and mental health, academic performance, and social life on campus.
Food Insecurity is a socio-economic condition that leads to hunger.
It is when a person or family does not have enough consistent access to enough food to stay healthy and reach their potential.
It is caused by financial scarcity and dysfunctional food systems.
Food insecurity can be long or short-term.
Food insecurity can be experienced on a spectrum.
If you regularly skip meals, eat smaller quantities of food, choose less healthy food than you'd like or have to make choices between food and textbooks, rent, medical bills or other financial costs then you may be experiencing food insecurity.
To find out more, please feel free to take this Student Hunger & Food Insecurity Self-Assessment (7 simple questions).
Food Insecurity among college students is 2-4 times the national average (12.7%), which means that a person is most at risk for being food insecure while they are at college.
College Food Insecurity is not a "rite of passage" but a traumatic and harmful life experience that can be avoided.
Most people assume that when students are employed, have sufficient financial aid or meal plans, they will not experience food insecurity. The truth however, is that:
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46% of college students experiencing food insecurity DO have meal plans.
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56% of college students experiencing food insecurity ARE employed.
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75% of college students experiencing food insecurity DO have financial aid.
It is estimated that at least 2150 Baylor students are currently experiencing some form of Food Insecurity.
Food Insecurity is considered a potentially traumatic life experience and can have serious short- and long-term ramifications. Not only does it negatively affect a student's physical health, it can also negatively affect a student's academic performance and mental health, and is associated with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Food Insecurity also impacts a student's ability to fully participate in the social life and networking opportunities on campus, creating both emotional, interpersonal and practical barriers to them doing so.
Here are just some our students share their experiences in their own words:
"When I have to make the choice between groceries & books, I choose books."
"I passed out right at the end of class because I hadn't had enough to eat"
"It has really impacted my social life... food is how people bond and I just can't afford to do that. I don't have the time or money"
"You feel invisible, I feel invisible."
If you are a student experiencing hunger and want help, you can view our student resources, request help and sign up for The Store by clicking the link below.
If you are a student, staff member, alumni, parent, or member of the Waco community who wants to support the work of The Store or get involved in other food insecurity initiatives on campus, click the link below.
If you would like to stay up-to-date about what The Store is up to, the current needs of our students and how we're impacting our campus community sign up to receive our newsletter below.
To learn more about Food Insecurity on nationally, on college campuses or even at Baylor you can get started with the source material for the information on this page:
- Food Insecurity On College Campuses: The Invisible Epidemic | Health Affairs
- Project MUSE - A Private Struggle at a Private Institution: Effects of Student Hunger on Social and Academic Experiences (jhu.edu)
- Report: Hunger On Campus | National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness (studentsagainsthunger.org)
- U.S. Adult Food Security Survey Module (usda.gov)