Sustenance for Success: Connections between Community College Students and Food Insecurity

To assess the connections between student success and food insecurity of community college students the authors present the results of three studies conducted between fall 2017 and spring 2020. Using a cross-sectional design and the intercept method, 858 participants completed the Household Food Security Survey Module. The three hypotheses for the studies were: there is a relationship between food insecurity and (a) GPA, (b) concentration, and (c) energy levels. Food insecurity levels for the participants varied-Monroe, 99%; Spaid and Gillett-Karam, 52%; and Liburd, 30%. Liburd found a significant relationship for all three hypotheses. Monroe's 2020 findings that 99% of her sample was food insecure presents challenges for addressing unmet needs for African American/Black students. Spaid and Gillett-Karam's 2018 findings showed that minority women with Pell Grants had food insecurity levels three times higher than other groups. Traditional student support services should include supplemental services for food-insecure student populations.