New Jersey awarded $1.2 million in grants to 36 institutions of higher education to combat food insecurity on their campuses. The grants will support campus-based resources, including food pantries and outreach connecting students with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The grants were awarded through the Hunger-Free Campus Act. Through the program, institutions achieve a Hunger-Free designation and work to address student hunger through a Campus Hunger Task Force, a physical campus food pantry, and awareness raising initiatives, the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education said in a press release.
This round of awardees reflects the grant’s widest reach since being created in 2019, with 90% of all public colleges and universities and 57% of eligible independent public-mission institutions receiving funding. In total, the state has invested $6.4 million over the last six years to address food insecurity among college students under the Act.
“These awards are the latest example of New Jersey’s investment in making food security a reality for everyone, everywhere. For college students to get help completing school meal applications for their children or applying for SNAP, being welcomed to use donated meal credits or shop for their households, means alleviating the stress that can derail their studies,” said Mark Dinglasan, executive director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate.
Grant awards for fiscal year 2026 are:
| Atlantic Cape Community College | $52,500 |
| Bergen Community College | $27,500 |
| Brookdale Community College | $17,500 |
| Camden County College | $27,500 |
| Centenary University | $27,500 |
| County College of Morris | $17,500 |
| Drew University | $17,500 |
| Essex County College | $52,500 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | $17,500 |
| Felician University | $52,500 |
| Georgian Court University | $27,500 |
| Hudson County Community College | $52,500 |
| Kean University | $52,500 |
| Mercer County Community College | $27,500 |
| Middlesex College | $27,500 |
| Monmouth University | $27,500 |
| Montclair State University | $52,500 |
| New Jersey City University | $52,500 |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | $52,500 |
| Ocean County College | $17,500 |
| Ramapo College | $17,500 |
| Raritan Valley Community College | $27,500 |
| Rowan College at Burlington County | $27,500 |
| Rowan College of South Jersey | $27,500 |
| Rowan University | $27,500 |
| Rutgers University, Camden | $52,500 |
| Rutgers University, New Brunswick | $17,496 |
| Rutgers University, Newark | $52,500 |
| Saint Peters University | $52,500 |
| Salem Community College | $27,500 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | $17,500 |
| Stockton University | $27,500 |
| Sussex County Community College | $27,500 |
| The College of New Jersey | $17,500 |
| Union College of Union County, New Jersey | $27,500 |
| William Paterson University | $52,504 |
OSHE applied a new equity-focused distribution model that considered each institution’s percentage of eligible students to reach those experiencing the greatest need and to respond following disruptions to those students receiving SNAP benefits. Findings from OSHE’s Spring 2025 Student Food Security Survey of 11,877 students show that half of Pell Grant-receiving respondents were food insecure. The survey also found:
- Food insecurity among college students persists, affecting 36% of all student respondents and 50% of first-generation students.
- Nearly half (45%) of students had difficulty affording balanced meals.
- Even with lifeline federal assistance programs, 65% of students receiving SNAP and other federal assistance (TANF, WIC) reported experiencing food insecurity.
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