College students are increasingly facing food insecurity, yet many struggle to access programs like SNAP. In a state that is the most food insecure in the nation, options like the University of Arkansas Food Pantry are helping students navigate the gap.
Emma Jamieson has this report.
Food is everywhere on a college campus — in the dining halls, coffee shops and even late-night snacks. But for some students, easy access to food isn't guaranteed. University of Arkansas student and food pantry leader Madeline Crisp says food insecurity on campus is more real than people think.
"We have around 400 client visits monthly, and most of those are students. Around 70% of those visits are students. Most of them are graduate students. But we also have undergraduate students visiting. I think around 10% of our population is undergraduate students and maybe 60% is graduate students. So there is definitely a huge need here on campus for food resources by students."
Crisp says college students are facing not only academic pressure but also rising costs, making it difficult to properly feed themselves.
"Everything's expensive. The housing is very expensive here in Fayetteville, especially for students. A lot of undergraduate students don't have a full stipend that they're working on, and graduate students might have a stipend, but it's not very large. And gas prices and grocery prices are very expensive. So there's just a need all around for just making ends meet a little bit."
She says food insecurity among college students can be overlooked, and for many students, asking for help isn't easy.
"I think that there is a lot of stigma with the way that it's viewed. People don't maybe want others to see them or to know that they are getting help. There's a lot of stigma around poverty in general, and so people being afraid that they're going to be viewed as needing additional resources and social services, whenever there's nothing actually wrong with accessing them in reality."
And there aren't many other resources besides the food pantry for college students who are seeking help. Programs like SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are designed to help people afford groceries, but it doesn't easily extend to college students. Christin Harper is a policy director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She says it can get complicated for students who are working seasonally or through gig work.
"Because your hours — you don't have a set number of hours each week, for example. And so that can be a complication when determining what they are eligible for in terms of the amount of SNAP benefits."
The many challenges college students have applying for benefits isn't the only problem SNAP is facing. Harper says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law last summer, could cause Arkansas to lose SNAP benefits altogether. And since Arkansas is the most food insecure state in the nation, Harper says it's important to hold on to programs like these.
"Before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed, SNAP administrative costs were split 50-50, state-federal. Beginning in October of this year, states are now going to be responsible for 75% of the administrative cost shift. And what that means in terms of dollar amount is, for this first year, Arkansas will owe about $18 million. And then from there on after, we'll owe about $25 million annually to make up these administrative cost shifts."
She says losing SNAP could put not only college students at risk, but everyone who needs help accessing food.
"Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario, if we don't make these investments into these programs, is that we could stand to lose SNAP in our state altogether. And there's no federal requirement for states to have a SNAP program, and some states have already actively talked about this."
Harper says she still has hope for SNAP and student hunger in Arkansas.
"There can be challenges in place. But hopefully with some of the resources we have in the state, they can overcome those. It's the most powerful anti-hunger program that we have. And so I think as we're trying to collectively work as a state to figure out how we fight hunger, I think people recognize that we wouldn't be able to afford to lose SNAP."
Regardless of the future of SNAP benefits policy, students still have to eat. And if you're a student on a budget, knowing how to best spend your dollar to keep yourself well fed is critical. Sophia Moes is a sports dietitian at the University of Arkansas. She says having access to food is just as important as having knowledge about nutrition, and there can be many tips and tricks to making sure you're well fed on a budget.
"I think my favorite point of my education was learning that fresh is not always better compared to canned and frozen vegetables. So you can have a frozen vegetable that was picked and frozen at its peak time, which is the most nutrient-dense it could be. And if a fresh red bell pepper on the shelf is out of season, it may actually not have as many nutrients as the frozen version has. And usually frozen, you can keep for longer. You don't have to cook it right away. It doesn't spoil fast. So things like canned and frozen I reach for, because I don't always go through my groceries that quickly. They're very quick, they're accessible, most stores have them."
She says that students can feel pressure to cook or eat a certain way, and what you consume online is just as important as what you eat.
"I think it really predicts what role you have in your relationship with self and body and food. If you're consuming a lot of TikTok videos that are very geared towards having an ideal body, or only picking X, Y, Z foods, leaving out whole food groups, I think that should be your first red flag that maybe we shouldn't be listening to this person. I think always looking for credible people — there are great sources that are free and credible.”
Without consistent access to food, the impact can go beyond just hunger. Moes says that hunger won't just affect you physically.
"Maybe the last thing you want to worry about is food, and you come to college wanting to learn, wanting to get a great education. And if you're pulled in a different direction of having to worry about being able to feed yourself or have three meals a day, I do think that can have an effect on how you study. If you're trying to stay up late at night and trying to get things done, and you're just so exhausted because you haven't been able to eat enough throughout the day, I do think it can take a mental toll."
While nutrition and awareness can help, access remains the biggest challenge for many students. Back at the University of Arkansas Food Pantry, that support is already making a difference, giving students a place to turn when they need it most. Crisp says for some, it's a short-term solution, but for others it's something they rely on week to week. And for all of them, it's a reminder that they're not alone.
"Everyone is going through something very similar, and you're able to find community. And you shouldn't feel bad for wanting to access resources or reach out for help in any form, even if it's not just food resources — no matter what it is, there are tons of other people going through it. And you should always get the help that you need."
Through resources like the food pantry and the people working behind it, students are finding a way to get by and move forward.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline and edited for length and clarity. Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
