Cuyahoga County state Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan helps advocate for passage of Hunger-Free Campus Act

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Advocates recently spoke out in favor of a bill that would help Ohio college students dealing with food insecurity. 
A bill that would require the Chancellor of Higher Education to create the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program had supporter testimony last week in the Ohio House Workforce and Higher Education Committee meeting.
 
The program would award hunger-free campus grants which could, for example, create an on-campus food pantry or a partnership with a local bank, provide students information about SNAP, have an emergency assistance grant available to students, or have a student meal plan credit donation program.
Ohio House Reps. Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) and Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon) introduced Ohio House Bill 157, which had 15 people submit supporter testimony. H.B. 157 would appropriate $625,000 for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 for the program. 

"The Hunger Free Campus Act would incentivize colleges and universities to establish basic needs programs, like an on-site food pantry or emergency assistance grant program as well as connecting students to resources," said Sarah Kuhns, external affairs manager of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.  
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks has worked with more than 30 Ohio colleges and universities to create food pantries or distribute food to students struggling with food insecurity, she said. 

"Throughout our network’s engagement on the issue of college student hunger, it has been clear that the approach has been patchwork, leading institutions to establish basic needs programs only if they have the connections, the will and the funds to do so," Kuhns said. 
Students who are unable to meet their basic needs are more likely to have a hard time in class, take longer to finish their degree or drop out, Kuhns said. 

Some food pantries on Ohio's college campuses said they are interested in providing microwaves and stoves near the pantry, so commuter students or those with limited access to a kitchen can cook the items they receive from the pantry, she said. 
State Rep. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) was surprised that food insecurity on college campuses is an issue. 
 
"I don't have anyone coming up and saying, 'We have students starving on campus and things like that.' I just can't get my head around it," he said. "Why is this such a big issue that no one knows anything about?"
In response, Kuhns said food insecurity is often an invisible problem. 
About 23% of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020 and 59% of food-insecure students potentially eligible for SNAP did not report receiving benefits, according to a report released last summer by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
State Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) asked what population of students are experiencing food insecurity and Kuhns said this affects all demographics of students — commuter, non-traditional, and those living on campus. 
Deacon Nick Bates, director of the Hunger Network in Ohio, said he regularly hears from campus ministries about the growing need to help food insecure students across Ohio. "Students cannot learn hungry," Bates said. "Food insecurity on college campuses leads to lower GPA's and lower completion rates."
Sophie Gephardt, a graduate social work student at Ohio State University, talked to students facing food insecurity last year when she did her undergraduate thesis on food insecurity experiences of Ohio State social worker students. 
"Some common themes included poor diet quality impacting energy and health, concerns about rising food costs, and overall constant stress and mental health concerns due to food insecurity," she said. "The Enact the Hunger-Free Campus Act would be incredibly beneficial to getting students connected to resources that they so desperately need."
Meeting students' basic needs leads to higher retention and graduation rates, said Stephanie Dodd, executive director at Community Campus Coalition. 
 
"These outcomes contribute directly to Ohio's workforce development priorities and long-term economic growth," she said.
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