College Stigmas

There are many social stigmas surrounding government or community programs such as SNAP or food pantries that prevents many of those who are in need from seeking or accepting aid. This is also true in colleges. The common idea of a starving college student "conjures a romanticized image of young people away from home for the first time, temporarily making do with ramen noodles on their way to a degree and the good life.”¹ However, jokes about starving students can make it difficult for college students to pursue assistance when the truly have too little money to adequately feed themselves.

Antonia Sandaval, who heads UCLA’s Community Programs Office, gives one of many reasons for students’ reluctance to get aid: “Students who come to UCLA want to fit the norm here, so they're not going to tell you they're homeless, or they're not going to tell you they're hungry.”²

However, just because many students don’t ask for help, doesn’t mean there aren’t still many college students who could use it.

Matt Armento, a college student, knows this well. As an honors student, he assisted in staffing the campus food pantry for a student project. But at twenty one years of age, he was facing the same financial stresses than many other students refuse to admit to.

“I lost my dad to cancer, and me and my mom lost a huge part of our income,” he said. The pantry helped him with just the basics when he later came back as a recipient rather than a staff member.¹

Colleges are starting to wake up to the issue that is being presented, and are starting to increase their efforts to help those in need.

1. Shackner, B. (2016, March 7). Colleges beginning to address the issue of student hunger. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2016/03/07/Colleges-beginning-to-address-the-issue-of-hunger/stories/201603040052)

2. Hillard, G. (2010, July 27). College Students Hide Hunger, Homelessness. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128778321.