Food insecurity among postsecondary students: a policy appraisal

Abstract

Food insecurity among postsecondary students is a trending issue in high income countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia due to its documented implications for low-income student success. The absence of pertinent research in the U.K. highlights the urgent need for exploration into both the scope of food insecurity, as well as potent policy solutions. The purpose of this paper is to use social exclusion theoretical frameworks to introduce the issue as an emergent social problem among university students and to map the efficacy of various U.S. policy actions for a pre-emptive U.K. context. Using an ex ante appraisal methodology, the paper critically appraised income support, food provision, and meal sharing funds as actionable interventions which were evaluated against criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. Findings indicated that extant funding systems are contributing to a public health crisis on U.S. university campuses, suggesting a similar incidence in the U.K., despite the evident lack of formal investigation. The subsequent qualitative content analysis revealed that effective policy responses featured strong intersectoral working and directly engaged with the underlying causes of poverty in redressing student hunger. Recommendations for further research in the U.K. and revision of tertiary funding systems are discussed.