The New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) on Thursday announced it awarded $1.2 million in Hunger-Free Campus Act grants to 34 institutions of higher education across the state.
Applications increased by 150 percent this cycle amid OSHE estimates from a spring 2024 survey suggesting more than one in three New Jersey students lack consistent access to adequate food resources.
“The Hunger-Free Campus grants reflect New Jersey’s continued commitment to supporting students and fighting hunger,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “We want every college student to have the support they need to reach their full potential, and addressing food insecurity is essential to achieving that goal. I am proud of New Jersey’s leadership in creating a model that serves our diverse campuses and builds on the foundation laid by New Jersey’s Hunger-Free Campus Act.”
“Food insecurity is a reality for far too many students all across New Jersey and it is an issue that, with the help of state leaders like Speaker Coughlin, the Murphy Administration has been determined to address,” Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges, said.“We know college students facing food insecurity are significantly less likely to graduate than their food-secure peers. By ensuring the availability of resources for students attending our state’s institutions, we are working so that hunger is never a barrier to their success.”
To maximize the impact and reach of available funding, OSHE employed an equity-focused distribution model to support all 34 institutions that met the Hunger-Free Campus designation requirements under the Hunger-Free Campus Act (P.L. 2019, C.89). Funding was awarded across three tiers, taking into account each institution’s unique efforts to address student hunger, implement sustainable solutions, raise awareness of available resources, and connect students with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), among other initiatives.
The Hunger-Free Campus grants reaffirm New Jersey’s unwavering commitment to making college more affordable, empowering student success, and creating safe, supportive, and inclusive campus communities across the state. Grant awards for FY2025 are as follows:
|
Institution |
Total Award |
|
Atlantic Cape Community College |
$ 37,500.00 |
|
Bergen Community College |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
Brookdale Community College |
$ 56,000.00 |
|
Camden County College |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
Centenary University |
$ 37,500.00 |
|
County College of Morris |
$ 28,000.00 |
|
Essex County College |
$ 56,250.00 |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson University |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
Felician University |
$ 10,000.00 |
|
Georgian Court University |
$ 22,000.00 |
|
Hudson County Community College |
$ 56,250.00 |
|
Kean University |
$ 75,000.00 |
|
Mercer County Community College |
$ 56,000.00 |
|
Middlesex College |
$ 71,500.00 |
|
Montclair State University |
$ 75,000.00 |
|
New Jersey City University |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
New Jersey Institute of Technology |
$ 44,000.00 |
|
Ocean County College |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
Ramapo College of New Jersey |
$ 14,500.00 |
|
Raritan Valley Community College |
$ 15,000.00 |
|
Rowan College at Burlington County |
$ 15,000.00 |
|
Rowan College of South Jersey |
$ 56,250.00 |
|
Rowan University |
$ 15,000.00 |
|
Rutgers University – Camden |
$ 10,000.00 |
|
Rutgers University – New Brunswick |
$ 15,000.00 |
|
Rutgers University – Newark |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
Saint Peters University |
$ 10,000.00 |
|
Salem Community College |
$ 10,000.00 |
|
Stevens Institute of Technology |
$ 25,000.00 |
|
Stockton University |
$ 15,000.00 |
|
Sussex County Community College |
$ 10,000.00 |
|
The College Of New Jersey |
$ 37,000.00 |
|
Union College Of Union County, NJ |
$ 49,000.00 |
|
William Paterson University |
$ 56,250.00 |
|
Total: |
$ 1,200,000.00 |
“Food insecurity is a quiet crisis that afflicts an alarming number of people – including college students,” Senate President Nick Scutari said. “When students struggle to put food on the table it affects their health and undermines their ability to learn. These grants will help prevent hunger on college campuses so that they can focus on classroom learning and make the most of their education.”
