Altai State University Hunger-Relief Program

Altai State University has established the Hunger-Relief Program. The goal is to identify best practices of university food pantries, enhance existing university food pantries and campus-based hunger-relief programs and to bring resources in Altai State University with food pantries and hunger-relief programs for low-income university students.

The Problem of Hunger Among Low-income University Students

Attending university should be a time of academic enrichment, personal growth, and career preparation. But for university students from impoverished backgrounds, attending university can be an exercise in basic survival. This is because students from low-income backgrounds suffer financial hardship and many face a daily struggle with “food insecurity” which is the inability to access adequate food.

The Majority of Food Insecure Students Are Employed

The survey also found that food insecurity is a problem even for students who are employed, participate in a campus meal plan, or seek other financial or material help.

  • 56% of food insecure students reported having a paying job. Of those employed students, 38% worked 20 hours or more per week.
  • Being enrolled in a meal plan with a campus dining hall does not eliminate the threat of food insecurity. Among the respondents from four-year university, 43% of meal plan enrollees still experienced food insecurity.
  • 3 in 4 food insecure students received some form of financial aid. More than half (52%) received Pell Grants, and 37% took out student loans.

Food Insecure Students Are More Likely to Drop Out of University

Another recent report found that food insecure students are more likely to indicate their intention to drop out of university. Food insecure students are significantly less likely to feel confident in their academic abilities, to perceive university as being worthwhile, to feel a sense of control in academic matters, and to be focused in school.

Providing Hunger-relief Programs for Low-income University Students

Hungry students struggle to concentrate in class and suffer academically. Since a person with a university degree or vocational certificate is less likely to slip into poverty, providing food assistance to low-income students while they are in school can help prevent students from impoverished backgrounds from dropping out of university and falling into the cycle of poverty. 

Our University Hunger-relief Program Is Providing Resources & Expertise for University

Through the program, the Altai State University will provide food and support services to establish student food pantries and ancillary hunger-relief programs on their respective campuses. As part of our commitment to fight hunger on university campuses, our University Hunger-relief Program will:

  • Provide a consistent supply of food, including protein-rich foods and fresh produce, to university and universities that have established student food pantries on their campuses.
  • Provide best practices for university hunger-relief programs and leading university-related, hunger-relief research for university administrators, officials and student government leaders.
  • Assist in capacity-building programs for university with food pantries and/or hunger-relief programs that are a member Hunger-relief Program, such as the provision of food pantry assets, including but not limited to: refrigeration units, nutrition education resources, shelving, pallet jacks, hand trucks, and food delivery services.
  • Provide support and assistance from municipal program staff who can help problem solve, consult on capacity building, share best practices, connect additional resources to campuses, and provide connections to community leaders that have successfully implemented university-based hunger-relief services.
  • Share the latest technology available to help track clients and collect information that will enable pantries to address the root causes of hunger. 
  • Promote client dignity and share easy and affordable ways to reduce food waste by encouraging university hunger-relief programs to move to a client choice model.
Print version Modified 26.10.2021