Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

With growing income inequality, food insecurity in higher education has gained greater attention in recent years. However, it remains an under-researched are of inquiry on a national basis. This exploratory study includes a systematic review of the literature in which six themes emerged, providing a thorough exploration on the topic of food insecurity in higher education settings. The six themes that will be presented are: (1) prevalence of food insecurity, (2) risk factors of food insecurity, (3) consequences associated with food insecurity, (4) coping strategies used to survive food insecurity, (5) the perception of food insecurity by students and administration and (5) supports and services in place to assist food insecure students. The author concludes with recommendations for more investigation on food insecurity in higher education, specifically in the arena of health and human services programs, with an orientation to social work, to inform future program development to address the problems and ultimately support student success.