Have you ever had to choose between feeding yourself or applying for classes? College students might be strapped for cash, but options like the CSUN Food Pantry can give students both. Through monetary donations, the Pantry buys food items to give to students at no charge. How important is it for the Pantry to offer food to students?

 According to the National Institute of Health, “More than one third of college students are food insecure nationwide.” Financially under-resourced students, especially ones who
receive the Pell Grant, are more likely to be food insecure. The CSUN Food Pantry offers food items in large bags at no cost to the student. Students are only allowed one bag per week, but items included are a wide variety of prepared foods like cereal and soups. Veggies are also included based on
availability. Even if the Pantry is closed for some time, they still offer gift cards for grocery stores in emergency cases.

A survey by the California Student Aid Comission found, “35 percent of students were classifies as food insecure.” This is also the same percentage of students who can afford tuition. Almost 1 in 3 students have to face the possibility of whether education or food is more important to them. CalFresh supports CSUN Pantry to allow students a free of charge group of meals that can sustain them for possibly a whole week. Pantry members even make sure a students’ dietary restrictions don’t impede the food given to them.

 CSUN Pantry makes sure students don’t have to choose between their classes and their food. You can find the Pantry at https://www.csun.edu/heart/foodpantry.