More than half of students at the University of Hawaiʻi face at least one form of severe food insecurity, with many skipping meals because they cannot afford food, according to a new assessment of basic needs in the statewide system’s 10 campuses.
Four out of 10 UH students went without food due to lack of money at least once in the past 12 months, reflecting a broader trend. Students are struggling to get by, with ramifications for both their well-being and educational success, according to the study by Konstantinos Zougris and Albie Miles of UH West O‘ahu.
Student food insecurity is just one of the findings in the assessment, released Tuesday, which surveyed more than 2,700 students — just over 6% — on everything from food and housing security to health and safety needs. The assessment, conducted from February to March, found UH has fostered a strong sense of belonging but off-campus life is mired in financial stresses, leading to one in four having unstable living arrangements and uncertainty over health care.
Those results have led researchers to recommend the university reform financial aid and advocate for political reform to strengthen the students’ safety net, as the university continues established work to improve student livelihoods…