Giving Compass Take:

· Joe McCarthy at Global Citizen discusses how millions of college students are going without meals which in turn affects a students ability to learn. 

· How can colleges make sure these students have meals?  What is causing this crisis?

· Read more about college students going hungry.

A hidden hunger crisis is playing out across college campuses throughout the United States, according to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The nonpartisan organization looked at 31 studies on hunger among university students and calculated that up to 30% don’t have enough food to eat, a problem that both impairs their ability to effectively learn, and deprives them of an essential human right.

The problem is fueled by the escalating cost of higher education, low-paying jobs, barriers to welfare programs, and a lack of awareness, according to the report.

And it could get even worse as the government shutdown in the US approaches its fourth week, the Atlantic reports. If the government isn’t reopened by the end of February, food stamp benefits are expected to be suspended.

College students are often generalized as having access to their parent’s bank accounts and to food courts teeming with meal options, but the reality is more nuanced. Around 40% of undergraduates and 76% of graduate students work at least 30 hours per week, and nearly 20% have children that they have to support, the Atlantic reports.

“Improving college access, equity, and completion requires addressing the circumstances and needs of independent students, who are the new college majority,” said Barbara Gault, executive director of Institute of Women’s Policy Institute, in a press release. “Independent students’ complex schedules, and their serious financial and family responsibilities, require us to rethink student supports, financial aid, and higher education policy to ensure their success,”

Read the full article about hungry college students by Joe McCarthy at Global Citizen