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COVID-19 and the unexpected switch to remote learning have negatively impacted college students’ academic performance, mental health, and food security. Even before the pandemic, food insecurity was widespread across the most well-resourced campuses.
Food insecurity has historically and disproportionately affected students of color, older students, former foster youth, parenting students, students who experienced childhood food insecurity, and first-generation college students.

Before school districts across the country were forced to close their doors in the spring due to COVID-19, the School Breakfast Program was providing much-needed nutrition to just over 12.6 million low-income children on an average school day. from September through February of the 2019–2020 school year, according to FRAC’s annual School Breakfast Scorecard, released yesterday.

Recently released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program provided a total of $10.7 billion in nutritional assistance to eligible families with school-age children between April and September 2020. When schools shuttered last spring in response to the pandemic, 30 million children lost access to free and reduced-price school meals. In response, Congress created P-EBT through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  

During the holidays and all year long, millions of individuals and families who struggle against hunger are able to access healthy food with support from the federal nutrition programs. To celebrate the nation’s nutrition safety net, FRAC is releasing a seven-part “Remember This December” series that will highlight the impact of seven important federal nutrition programs. This year, the federal nutrition programs have played a critical role in ensuring people can continue to put food on the table during the twin COVID-19 public health and economic crises.

This is the seventh installment of the series, which focuses on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

During the holidays and all year long, millions of individuals and families who struggle against hunger are able to access healthy food with support from the federal nutrition programs. This year, the federal nutrition programs have played a critical role in ensuring people can continue to put food on the table during the twin COVID-19 public health and economic crises.

To celebrate the nation’s nutrition safety net, FRAC is releasing a seven-part “Remember This December” series that will highlight the impact of seven important federal nutrition programs.

This is the sixth installment of the series, which focuses on school breakfast. Read the previous installment on summer meals.