Texas colleges are opening food pantries to serve their students in need

At least 14 schools across Texas have opened food pantry programs

Student Association/Flickr

College campuses across Texas have begun opening food pantries for students whose earnings fall and tuitions soar - keeping them from affording bare necessities, like a bite to eat.

The College & University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) shows that 14 schools in Texas have opened such food pantries - including private and public universities. Many administrators realised food insecurity was a growing concern on their campuses, the Texas Tribune reported, and thus set up the programs.

“A lot of students are pretty much just one step away from being food insecure because there is not much of a cushion there,” Texas Tech professor of nutritional sciences, Debra Reed, told the Tribune.

Figures from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board say that the cost of tuition at college across the state have increased 95 per cent since 2004. Alongside the rise in costs, more students from low-income backgrounds are getting accepted into higher learning institutes. Some simply do not have additional financial support from their families, despite receiving financial aid.

The University of North Texas, University of Texas at El Paso, and Texas Tech are among the schools offering food pantry programs. According to the Tribune, school administration noticed “a number of students” had been skipping meals. Others were homeless.

“Our stance here at UNT is that, with all of our students, we want to address all their needs,” Associate Dean of Students Rodney Mitchell said.

Mr Mitchell said that roughly 500 students have visited the UNT pantry in the 2015-2016 academic year.

The pantry is made available to UNT students in the student union building. Students can make an appointment and choose from canned foods and other necessities, like toiletries and water.

Some students may feel some embarrassment when it comes to visiting the pantries, the UT El Paso dean of students, Catie McCorry-Andalis said, but she encouraged those who need the service to use them in order to get the most out of their college experience.

“We need to make sure that there are virtually no obstacles and barriers to a student pursuing their education,” said Ms McCorry-Andalis.

There are currently 298 college and universities in the US participating in food pantry programs for their students, according to CUFBA. The organisation was founded to help established and emerging food banks on college campuses.

“We believe that access to adequate and nutritious food is a basic human right,” the CUFBA website says, “and that attendance of a college or university does not mean that this right is forfeited.”