Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today announced $1 million in PA Hunger-Free Campus grants to 30 institutions of higher education and private licensed schools to combat student hunger on college campuses across the Commonwealth. Grants are awarded to help schools address food insecurity on campus and expand access to food options, create awareness initiatives, and upgrade facilities.
“Sometimes, hunger is an invisible affliction—an isolating barrier to growth and learning that can, unfortunately, go undetected by peers, educators, and mentors,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “When college campuses offer assistance to students at risk of hunger, they’re helping vulnerable learners feel seen, valued, and supported.”
Awardees can be found on PDE’s website.
Schools will use the funding to create or expand food pantries, provide food to students who remain on campus during scheduled breaks, arrange trips to a local grocery store and provide gift cards, plant gardens for fresh produce, host cooking lessons on a budget, and more.
Fighting hunger for students at every age is a priority for the Shapiro Administration. In addition to securing a total of $3 million for Hunger-Free Campus grants in his past three budgets, Governor Shapiro also delivered funding to provide universal free breakfast to 1.7 million K-12 Pennsylvania students. Since 2023, the Administration has provided funding to 92 postsecondary institutions to fight hunger on their campuses.
Grant recipients developed innovative and flexible initiatives to meet the unique needs of college students, some of which include offering a variety of meal plans including an option that complies with SNAP eligibility, creating or implementing meal-sharing programs, educating student leaders on campus to develop student-centered programs, or facilitating innovative community partnerships.
All grant recipients are members of the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative, a coalition of Pennsylvania institutions of higher education focused on addressing hunger and other basic needs for their students, creating opportunities for connection among student hunger advocates, providing resources and strategies for campuses, and supporting opportunities to apply for grants related to addressing food insecurity.
Governor Shapiro has championed strategic investments that uplift all Pennsylvanians and break down barriers to opportunity – helping Pennsylvanians of all ages and backgrounds to chart their own course and succeed. Under the Governor's leadership, Pennsylvania has increased funding for public education by almost $3 billion in just three years, and in nearly all facets of public education. This includes nearly $2 billion more for Basic Education Funding and the Ready to Learn Block Grant, $190 million more for Special Education, $65 million more for Career and Technical Education, and $52 million more for higher education.
The Shapiro Administration initiated the first significant reforms to Pennsylvania’s higher education system in nearly three decades, ultimately creating the State Board of Higher Education.
The State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) recently unveiled a strategic plan for higher education in Pennsylvania – the Commonwealth’s first in more than two decades. Driving a Prosperous Pennsylvania: A Statewide Agenda for Higher Education, adopted unanimously by the Board last week, was designed with six main goals in mind, including: increasing postsecondary attainment, creating affordable pathways to postsecondary credentials, supporting the economic and workforce development needs of the Commonwealth, ensuring accountability and the efficient, effective use of state funds, and strengthening the fiscal health and stability of the postsecondary education sector in Pennsylvania. By investing in higher education, Pennsylvania is setting learners and itself up for continued and future economic and career success.
Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has made strides toward improving higher education in Pennsylvania, giving all learners the opportunities they need to chart their own course to succeed, including:
- $54 million in his 2026-27 budget proposal to improve facilities and equipment at Pennsylvania’s community colleges.
- More than $111 million awarded over the past three years to fund 44 projects on community college campuses across the Commonwealth.
- Cutting the red tape and implementing a one-stop-shop for students preparing to transfer between Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities.
- Recognizing postsecondary institutions across the Commonwealth for their commitment to promoting mental health resources to learners through PA CARES.
The PA Hunger-Free Campus program is part of PDE’s PA EmpowerU, a statewide student-success and basic needs initiative built around eight keystones that represent the full spectrum of what students need to succeed, including financial stability, housing security, food access, transportation support, mental health and wellness, digital connectivity, safety and belonging, and adult and family support.