WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44) in introducing the Food for Thought Act, bicameral legislation to create a grant program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide free meals to low-income college students, including those at minority-serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

“Students from underserved communities face enough challenges in higher education without the added burden of wondering where their next meal is coming from. We should do all we can to provide the resources necessary to give a helping hand to students facing food insecurity on campus,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join Senator Schiff and Rep. Barragán in leading the Food for Thought Act to ensure students from Vermont to California never have to decide between their next meal or pursuing their future.”  

“College students should never have to worry about where their next meal will come from or have to drop out because they can’t afford food and tuition. This bill is a commonsense approach to addressing student hunger and strengthening higher education,” said Senator Schiff. 

“Students should never have to choose between putting food on the table and earning a college degree,” said Rep. Barragán. “For too many students, especially those from low-income families, hunger is another barrier standing between them and their education. The Food for Thought Act will help colleges provide free meals, strengthen campus food resources, and connect students with the assistance they need to succeed. When we invest in a student’s basic needs, we are investing in their ability to stay in school, graduate, and build a better future. No student should have to go hungry while working toward their education.” 

The Food for Thought Act would amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to institutions of higher education to provide free meals to low-income students. The bill would authorize funds that schools may use to conduct campus outreach on student eligibility for federal food assistance programs, operate on-campus food pantries, and update or purchase critical food infrastructure such as refrigerators and microwaves for student use. Additionally, the legislation would ensure grantees will collect and report data on the prevalence of food insecurity on their campuses to inform and expand national anti-hunger programming.    

The Food for Thought Act is endorsed by 60 organizations and community colleges, including Hunger Free Vermont and the Congressional Hunger Center, Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), National Urban League, SwipeOut Hunger, UAW 4811, UnidosUS, and more. Read the full list here. 

“Earning a college degree is challenging, especially for low-income students who balance school, jobs and family while working to put food on the table. National studies show time and again that students attending community colleges are more likely to face challenges when it comes to getting enough food for themselves and their families. In fact, nearly one in four students at community colleges struggle to afford groceries,” said Ivy Enoch, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Hunger Free Vermont. “We celebrate Senator Welch and his colleagues for introducing this important legislation. Senator Welch recognizes the power of education to change lives, and that being able to afford food to stay healthy and nourished while pursuing a degree is a must. The Food For Thought Act would allow institutions and individual students alike to be better positioned to thrive. No one should ever have to choose between food or books for class, and we thank Senator Welch for leading on legislation that relieves that impossible choice for students.” 

“As the educators who do the majority of frontline teaching at UC, UAW 4811 members know that no student should face hunger or food insecurity while pursuing their degree. UAW 4811 members back the Food for Thought Act because our students deserve to focus on their studies, not on where their next meal will come from,” said Rafael Jaime, President of UAW 4811.  

“Millions of students across the country struggle to access and afford sufficient and nutritious food, forcing them to work long hours, take on unmanageable debt, or stop out. Recent SNAP cuts have only made the problem worse. The Food for Thought Act is a necessary and sensible bill that would provide meals to students who too often go hungry, allowing them to focus on what really matters: thriving in their studies and fulfilling their potential,” said Mark Huelsman, Director of Policy & Advocacy, The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs.  

“As college food insecurity worsens and resources for on-campus food programs become more scarce, the Food for Thought Act shows how policy can provide much-needed solutions today. With this legislation, more students will be able to access the meals they need to be successful in school, and more schools will be able to support their students all the way to graduation day,” said Zoe Duffield, Director of Advocacy at SwipeOut Hunger.  

“Roughly 1 in 4 college students experience food insecurity, and the OBBBA’s historic cuts to SNAP will make it harder for students at or near poverty to access federal food assistance. We must invest in policies to fill this gap so that students can focus on their studies, not on affording their next meal,” said Valerie Crespin-Trujillo, Senior Director of College Completion & Basic Needs, The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS). “The Food for Thought Act pilots new approaches to addressing food insecurity among low-income students, which can in turn increase student success.”  

Learn more about the Food for Thought Act. 

Read and download the full text of the bill. 

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