Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations

Virginia lawmakers look to fund solutions to campus food insecurity

A person weating a hat looks on as the House Education commettee meets
Shaban Athuman
/
VPM News
Advocates for HB2240, which would create a grant program to fund food pantries on university campuses, listen during a House Education committee in a General Assembly session on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at the General Assembly Building in Richmond, Virginia.

Up to half of students at some colleges report not having enough food.

Food insecurity on college campuses is a growing national problem. Surveys and studies have found that 30–50% of students on campuses across the country either have to skip meals because they can’t afford them, or can’t afford a well-balanced diet.

Research has found similar percentages at Virginia colleges like Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and Virginia’s Community Colleges, where patchwork systems of on-campus food pantries are often ill-equipped to help students deal with this issue.

That’s why some Virginia lawmakers are trying to do something about the issue during the General Assembly session — by establishing legislation and funding for these pantries.

The Hunger-Free Campus Act would allow Virginia colleges and universities to seek state grant funding to support on-campus food pantries. And an accompanying budget amendment would make $500,000 available in the FY26 budget for this purpose.

“Not every person who goes to college has a silver spoon,” said state Sen. Danica Roem (D–Prince William), who sponsored the legislation in the Senate. “Not every person who goes to college is relying on a two-parent household who's paying their way through.”

While the majority of Virginia’s colleges and universities have some sort of on-campus food pantry, funding levels vary widely across the state. Campus pantries are often reliant on donations rather than institutional support.

According to a recent report from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, about half of responding colleges and universities said they don’t have a budget allocation to address food insecurity.

“For too many of our students, critical elements of their college experience are threatened by food insecurity, including their ability to focus in class,” said Del. Rae Cousins (D–Richmond), who introduced the bill in the House of Delegates.

Del Cousins chats with advocates
Shaban Athuman
/
VPM News
Del. Rae Cousins, D-Richmond, chats with advocate for HB2240, which would create a grant program to fund food pantries on universities campuses, following a press conference during a General Assembly session on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at the General Assembly Building in Richmond, Virginia.

Some campus pantries, like the ones at William & Mary, are student-run. Allisyn Lam, with Food for All at William & Mary, spoke about the issue during a press conference Wednesday. She said she’s heard from some students that they sometimes don’t have the energy to go to class or take exams because they can’t afford food — and worry other students will hear their rumbling stomachs.

She said food insecurity presents a “daunting and often invisible” challenge that’s also led some to experience disordered eating, become anemic or underweight. Research has found food insecurity can harm students’ academic outcomes — as well as their physical and mental health.

“The most profound changes can begin at the state level,” Lam said. “It's not just about alleviating hunger, it's about unlocking students' full potential. Nourishment isn't just a meal, and combating food insecurity is a catalyst for success.”

Lam added that demand for the two student-run pantries at William & Mary has grown significantly, to the point where organizers worry about keeping them stocked.

John Jones, a VCU professor and researcher, established a network of Little Ram Pantries across campus that he’s working to expand alongside the school’s existing Ram Pantry. His pantries have been limited to canned goods — but he wants students to also have access to fresh produce and other perishable items.

Jones told lawmakers recently that the grant program “would dramatically improve the ability of campus food pantries to acquire food that they need to support this vulnerable student population.”

Megan Pauly reports on early childhood and higher education news in Virginia