Board staff presented results of a needs assessment under the Hunger Free Campus initiative (Act 719, 2022). The survey found wide variation in campus supports: some institutions maintain modest pantries open limited hours while others operate larger student support centers with gardens, cooking classes and SNAP assistance. The first round of awards ($8,000 each) went to six campuses; institutions used funds to buy commercial refrigeration, market pantry locations, distribute "go bags" at satellite campuses and cover basic needs supplies.

Staff emphasized the need to increase SNAP/Electronic Benefit Transfer enrollment among eligible students and recommended partnering with the Department of Children and Family Services for on‑campus sign‑up events each semester. Other near‑term proposals included a tiered hunger‑free designation (gold/silver/bronze), meetings of campus hunger task forces and outreach to student governments to gauge interest in a modest student fee to sustain pantries.

Board members and staff noted that many campus pantries rely heavily on community volunteers and that funding and space constraints are common. A student beneficiary offered a short statement thanking campus pantry staff for food, laundry supplies and other basics that she said removed survival concerns and enabled her to focus on school.

Senior staff recommended that the board receive the report and authorize submission of the legislative report on behalf of the board.