South Carolina College Food Insecurity

Team members: Amy Armstrong, Kelsey Barlow, Luke Clamp, Shannon Detzler, Alexia Niketas, Aaron Polkey, Joshua Shumak, Tamika Williams Obeng

A significant number of students arrive on South Carolina College campuses ready to work hard, build a future, and invest in their education. Yet many of them face a daily, invisible barrier: not knowing where their next meal will come from. Rising tuition, housing costs, transportation, and textbooks often force students to make difficult trade-offs, and food is often the first thing they sacrifice.

Food insecurity doesn’t just affect hunger—it affects academic performance, mental health, and a student’s overall college experience. Students experiencing food insecurity are more likely to struggle in class, skip coursework, or even consider dropping out. When basic needs aren’t met, success becomes an uphill battle.

South Carolina College campuses report that 23% of college undergraduate students are food insecure – much higher than the general population at 13.5%. Additionally, 59% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligible students were not receiving the food assistance benefits they are legally entitled to receive.

This project aims to decrease food insecurity among SC colleges students and improve college campus efforts via an in-depth case study at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.  The project includes a marketing plan and resources for colleges and universities to advocate and address food insecurities on their campuses.

Objectives:

• Increase students’ awareness of the food pantry’s availability

• Reduce stigma around using the food pantry

• Boost donations

• Build partnerships with local business and community organizations

• Integrate the food pantry into the school’s student success and retention messaging

• Advocate at the state level for support

Additional Benefits:

• Increased usage of available resources

• Higher graduation rates

• Improved mental mealth