COLLEGE FOOD PANTRIES ADDRESS GROWING PROBLEM

For many students, the abundant all-you-can-eat smorgasbord in the college cafeteria is far from reality. As tuition has increased, and with more low-income students attending college, food pantries like one at Brooklyn College have sprung up at more than 300 colleges across the country. University of Maryland officials decided one was needed after realizing several years ago that a greater percentage of students, many from low-income families, were struggling. A decade ago, they might have entered the workforce right after high school, but now they realize that a college degree is practically a necessity. The pantry served 170 people in the fall 2015 semester. About half of them were students, and the rest were university employees. Some colleges permit students to donate “swipes” from their dining plans to others who can’t afford to eat.  Columbia University unveiled a plan last year to permit students to donate up to six unused meals a semester through an emergency meal fund, and students who need food can receive up to six vouchers a semester.

Source: New York Times, 6/22/16, College Food Pantries