Campus Food Insecurity Is a Serious Problem for Financial Aid Scholarship Recipients

To understand our student scholarship recipients’ realities watch a short revealing, eye-opening presentation from our Celebration of Achievements event. Andy Sonn, Faculty Advisor for The Store (GW University student run food pantry), speaks about campus food insecurity and other challenges students with limited financial resources face.

 And listen to a recent NPR Takeaway about hunger on college campuses
"Numerous reports over the years show that food insecurity among college students is as widespread as ever. According to the latest data from The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, in the fall of 2020, nearly three in five students lacked adequate access to “basic needs” like food or housing. And across both two-and-four year colleges, 1 in 3 students experienced food insecurity.” The Takeaway, October 26, 2022

Imagine Living in a Dorm Room, No Meal Plan

Most of our 33 students don’t have full ride scholarships, and so don’t have room and board covered, and deal with getting along somehow without. Their spring semester Supplemental Scholarship awards will be funded through Giving Tuesday and our year end campaigns. Student Fall semester expense tracking reports reveal: fast food meals at healthier chains as a way to pick up affordable, nutritious, generous amounts of food with their AMEX gift cards. Additionally, we see charges for: public transportation, ride share, electric scooters to and from school; textbooks; dorm and school supplies.

Their Conundrum In His Words

I just emailed an award recipient, "Do you have a full scholarship that covers tuition, room and board? Are you on a meal plan?” What a conundrum many students face en route to degrees and careers:

"...At the moment, I've been using the AMEX Gift Card for mostly academic books and school supplies. Recently, I have some scholarships for this semester, including "George Mason Honor College Scholarship" and "DC TAG". However, I noticed it doesn't cover the entire student tuition. ​

Yes- I'm currently using a meal plan, however, I'm still paying more than $1,000. It's not a full-cover scholarship. Therefore, I'm wondering if there's more scholarships that I can register for, so I can be all set for next semester? At this point, I'm mostly relying on scholarships and grants, since my family is low income, and therefore I have to find other ways to pay my tuition….”   DCI grad 2022, studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at George Mason University

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