Colleges around Minnesota awarded Food Insecurity Grants
Saint Paul, MN – In an effort to address food insecurity at Minnesota colleges, the Office of Higher Education (OHE) has awarded 24 campuses with Hunger Free Campus grants, totaling over $400,000. Grants were awarded to both public and private schools across the state.
“For too many students, food insecurity is a daily concern,” OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “This initiative is providing those students with the nutrition they need to focus on their studies and finish their program. I look forward to a day when every campus in the state is hunger free.”
Established in 2021, the Hunger Free Campus initiative has three components:
- A Hunger Free Campus designation for schools actively taking strides to reduce food insecurity,
- Grants to support those institutions in sustaining their efforts, and
- Grants to support institutions working toward achieving the Hunger Free Campus designation.
For this round of funding, colleges were able to apply for three different grants:
- Sustaining Designation Grant: These grants support colleges and universities who have already received a Hunger Free Campus designation and are requesting funds to sustain and continue their work.
- Pathways to Designation Grant: These grants support colleges and universities who have not received a Hunger Free Campus designation and will be seeking designation within the next year.
- Equipment Grant: These grants support colleges and universities in purchasing the equipment necessary to operate an on-campus food pantry. Institutions may apply for this grant alone or in addition to a Sustaining or Pathways grant.
Colleges that received 2024 Hunger Free Campus grants are:
- Alexandria Technical & Community College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $11,000
- Augsburg University
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $14,684
- Bemidji State University
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $10,050
- Central Lakes College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Equipment Grant: $10,000
- College of St. Scholastica
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $10,659
- Concordia College, Moorhead
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $14,750
- Concordia University, Saint Paul
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $14,730
- Inver Hills Community College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Equipment Grant: $7,684
- Macalester College
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $14,684
- Metropolitan State University
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Minnesota State College Southeast
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $25,000
- North Hennepin Community College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Northwestern Health Sciences University
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $4,425
- Pine Technical & Community College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $8,000
- Riverland Community College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $14,998
- Rochester Community and Technical College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Equipment Grant: $11,323
- St. Cloud State University
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $25,000
- Equipment Grant: $25,000
- Saint Paul College
- Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
- Saint Olaf College
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $11,800
- Equipment Grant: $2,714
- Southwest Minnesota State University
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $25,000
- Equipment Grant: $16,892
- University of Minnesota Duluth
- Equipment Grant: $14,103
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- Equipment Grant: $24,755
- Winona State University
- Pathways to Designation Grant: $25,000
The total amount awarded for all three Hunger Free Campus Grants is $447,251.
- Pathways to Designation Grants awarded: $185,732
- Sustaining Designation Grants awarded: $149,048
- Equipment Grants awarded: $112,471
