UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With the cost of education and student debt rising, Penn State has made affordability and accessibility a priority for its students. A multitude of resources are available for all students, including additional resources for historically underserved populations. But even in the happiest of valleys, many students don’t know where their next meal will come from.
Food insecurity is a problem that is not often associated with U.S. college students. The USDA reports that an estimated 14.3 percent of American households were food insecure – lacking access to enough food to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle – for all household members in 2013. A University of Oregon survey this year found that 59 percent of students at Western Oregon University had recently experienced food insecurity. Unfortunately, food insecurity also is an issue for many students at Penn State.