Will Virginia fund college food pantries or leave students struggling?

A half-million-dollar budget proposal could be a game-changer for Virginia college students struggling with food insecurity. Advocates are urging House lawmakers and Gov. Glenn Youngkin to follow the Senate’s lead and support the funding, which would establish a food pantry grant program to help students in need.

“This is a budget amendment where, if D.C. rips public benefits away and Virginia legislators are not funding basic needs works on their campuses, we’re going to have an exponential growth in the number of Virginia students who are dropping out of school,” said Robb Friedlander, director of advocacy at Swipe Out Hunger, a nonprofit tackling student food insecurity.

Friedlander pushed back against the perception that college students are mostly middle- to high-income and white. The reality, he said, is that today’s student body is far more diverse. Many are first-generation students, over half are financially independent from their parents, and the majority juggle part-time jobs while pursuing their degrees.

A quarter of college students in Virginia are also parents.

Campus food pantries are seeing greater demand — and more state dollars

“This is who our college students are today,” said Friedlander, adding that as tuition, housing, and grocery costs continue to skyrocket, students are fighting through relentless barriers just to stay in school and improve their economic future.

But just how widespread food insecurity is among Virginia’s college students remains unclear. Many public colleges and universities don’t track the issue, and the social stigma surrounding hunger often keeps students from seeking help, according to a November report by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). 

The council surveyed 35 out of 39 institutions, representing 343,797 students. Of those, only eight schools had conducted research on student food insecurity, while 19 had not, and another eight either didn’t know or chose not to disclose their findings.

On Feb. 2, the Senate passed a budget bill allocating $500,000 to support food pantries at public and nonprofit private colleges participating in the tuition assistance grant program. The proposal outlines that SCHEV will award grants to schools that establish an on-campus food pantry or partner with local food banks to connect students with resources in the area. 

The program ensures that food will be free of charge, and students will not be required to prove food insecurity to access pantry services. Institutions that meet the criteria will earn the “Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry” designation, with funds available to support on-campus hunger initiatives. Any unused funds will roll over into the next fiscal year. 

SCHEV is set to report on the program’s progress by July 1, 2026.

Meanwhile, House Bill 2240 and Senate Bill 1016, sponsored by Del. Rae Cousins, D-Richmond, and Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, have successfully advanced to their opposite chambers. If passed, they will head to the governor’s desk for approval.

Roem, a longtime advocate for free meals in Virginia’s schools and colleges, said the urgency of the issue cannot be ignored.

“Now’s the time to do it, especially at a time of so much uncertainty coming into the federal government,” Roem said. “Virginia needs to step up and Virginia needs to lead.”

Cousins echoed that concern, pointing to federal funding cuts made during Donald Trump’s administration, which she said weakened programs that provided essential food access. She warned that a recent executive order could further jeopardize programs like SNAP.

“In this national landscape, it is extremely critical that we do everything we can here in Virginia to invest in programs that fight food insecurity, including funding on-campus food pantries,” Cousins said. “Addressing food insecurity is important to ensure that all of our students, regardless of their socio-economic background, have the opportunity to succeed.”

With bipartisan support in the Senate, all eyes are now on the House and Youngkin as advocates push to ensure Virginia’s college students don’t have to choose between paying tuition and affording their next meal.