A ¡°web of solutions¡± is needed to tackle the widespread problem of students at top US universities going hungry, it has been warned.

¡°Food insecurity¡± has long been an issue at leading institutions, but it has been exacerbated by?financial aid to disadvantaged students?falling?behind rising tuition fees, according to authors of a new book.

In??researchers examine how low-income students struggle without the time or money needed to eat well while trying to participate fully in college.

¡°The sensible solution would be to work more or go to a community college where it¡¯s cheaper but they recognise that this kind of institution is an opportunity cost,¡± co-author Nathan Alleman, an associate professor of higher education at Baylor University told?Times Higher Education.

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¡°Not eating is part of that opportunity cost, which can seem insane, but this is the bargain that they¡¯ve made.¡±

The book reveals that has become common for many students to ¡°scavenge¡± for free food given out at events or social clubs. They also spend money on important college supplies instead of eating and often opt to go hungry while studying.

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Alleman said the most?effective response to food insecurity?has come at institutions that admit there is a problem, rather than those?that pretend not to see it.

¡°I think there are still certainly places that are not sure they want to own up to it or corners of the university that are a little less comfortable with it than others,¡± he added.

With students from around the world living under vastly contrasting circumstances across different campuses, Cara Cliburn Allen,?another of the authors and a research scientist at the Centre for Nutrition and Health Impact, said that college student food insecurity is ¡°not a monolith¡±.

She said administrators need to offer flexible solutions, including helping students apply for financial aid, helping with meal plans, expanding the types of places that food is available and normalising giving out free food.

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¡°A web of solutions is required to actually address the need of food insecurity on campus, because the ways that students live results in food insecurity at times.

¡°Students need food just like they need mental health resources or physical health spaces to exercise or academic support.¡±

Sarah Madsen, a postdoctoral research associate at Baylor University, said that many university leaders are aware of the problem but are not always meeting student needs ¨C for example those that provide food pantries only during set hours on the edge of campus.

¡°For students, if food resources are inconvenient, they¡¯ll just go without. The pressure of wanting to have the full college experience, to be engaged, to be involved, to have to work to pay for things, all of that creates so much busyness that they¡¯ll just go without.¡±

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The book shows that the academic costs of running out of food can be significant but that many food-insecure students are very resourceful and determined despite their limited finances.

¡°It¡¯s not that low-income students shouldn¡¯t go to selective, affluent, opportunity-rich institutions¡­it¡¯s that if these institutions are truly excellent, prestige oriented, they should be measured by how well they serve students who are struggling to afford food,¡± said Madsen.

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patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com