VT Student Food Access & Wellbeing Infographic & Report

We are pleased to release an infographic and report of the main findings from the 2023 Virginia Tech Student Food Access and Wellbeing Survey. This research was made possible by the 2023 CALS Strategic Plan Advancement Integrated Internal Competitive Grants Program.

Main Findings

  • A little over a third (34.51%) of student respondents can be classified as being food insecure (having a low or very low food security status).
  • Around 2 out of 10 respondents (22.63%) were found to be experiencing transient or chronic reductions in food intake and disrupted eating patterns.
  • Both undergraduate and graduate students had comparable levels of food insecurity (33.81% vs. 35.71%, respectively).
  • Those students most at risk of having a low or very low food security status include international students and Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students.
If you are a Virginia Tech student and are in need of food assistance, please consider the following two options.

Option 1: If you find it difficult, for whatever reason, to obtain a sufficient quantity of healthy food each week, please complete this food assistance form in the Dean of Students’ office

Option 2: If you find yourself in a moment of need, please consider visiting The Market of Virginia Tech during the following open hours to access a variety of non-perishable items. No prior intake or registration is required.

  • Tuesdays: 9:30–11:30 a.m.
  • Thursdays: 4:30–7 p.m.
  • Fridays: 9–11:30 a.m.

This past spring semester, Dr. Chanit’a Holmes, Dr. Sarah Misyak, and I ran the first ever Virginia Tech Employee Food Access and Wellbeing Survey. We are currently analyzing the survey responses and plan to release our preliminary findings later this semester.

Recording of VT Food, Housing, and Well-being Presentation

The recording of our presentation on Addressing Food, Housing, and Well-being at Virginia Tech: Results from the 2019 & 2021 Survey to the VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, can now be accessed here.

Food, Housing, and Well-bing at Virginia Tech

On Wednesday, April 26, at 3:30pm, please join Dr. Jessica Agnew and I to learn about the results from our 2019 and 2021 food access and well-being studies at Virginia Tech. The report from our 2019 study can be accessed here. We will provide a brief summary of the 2019 results and then share the findings from the 2021 study. We will also discuss the events that led to the creation of The Market of Virginia Tech and will outline the future research that is underway.