Final Call for CalFood: Essential Funding Fuels Student Success in Higher Education

Across California’s college and university campuses, food banks play a critical role in helping students succeed. From UC and CSU campuses to community colleges, food banks stock campus pantries with fresh, nutritious groceries—often the only reliable source of food for students juggling coursework, jobs and rising living costs.

An estimated 1.3 million students across California’s higher education systems face food insecurity, turning to campus food pantries and distribution sites to meet their basic needs. These students are working toward a better future, many striving to end generational poverty, but many lack consistent access to nutritious food that is also relevant to their cultures.

To underscore just how vital this support is, the presidents of the UC Student Association, California State Student Association, and Student Senate for California Community Colleges came together to send a joint letter to state budget leaders. Their message was clear: CalFood funding is essential to student well-being and academic success.

CalFood provides essential funding in keeping campus food pantries stocked. It enables food banks to purchase California-grown, culturally relevant, high-demand items like dairy, meats, and fresh produce that students might not otherwise afford. When CalFood is funded adequately, food banks can provide a consistent and dignified food supply to diverse communities, including to college campuses.

“Campus food pantries serve as a lifeline for countless students who are stretching limited stipends across housing, healthcare and educational expenses in a high-cost region, Los Angeles,” said a UCLA graduate student. “Beyond providing nutritious food, the pantry creates a stigma-free environment where students can access resources without judgement, allowing them to focus on their studies rather than worrying about their next meal.”

More than 150,000 students in the Los Angeles area are supported by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, who provided more than 1.6 million pounds of food to public college campuses in 2024. And up the coast, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz provided 150,000 pounds of food to more than 10,000 students through seven pantries serving UC Santa Cruz and community college students.

“How could I expect myself to work on my studies if I haven’t been able to eat all day? If I can’t eat, I can’t focus, and if I can’t focus, I’ll flunk out.”

These campus sites often offer more than food—they connect students with wraparound services like CalFresh enrollment, assistance for undocumented students, and other basic needs support. For many, this is their only access point to the resources that allow them to stay enrolled and thrive.

Ulises Peralta, now the Basic Needs Operations Coordinator at UC Santa Cruz, remembers what it felt like as a student struggling to get by.  “How could I expect to focus in class on an empty stomach?,” he said. “How could I expect myself to work on my studies if I haven’t been able to eat all day? If I can’t eat, I can’t focus, and if I can’t focus, I’ll flunk out.”

When he connected with her campus basic needs center, Peralta finally accessed the support he needed to persist in his education—and today, he’s helping the next generation of students do the same.

College campuses depend upon food banks to keep campus pantries running. But proposed cuts to CalFood—from $60 million to just $8 million annually—would jeopardize that supply. In rural communities where grocery stores and public transportation is sparse, local pantries are the backbone of food security, bridging the gap between food and those who need it most. Reduced funding would result in smaller shipments of food, fewer culturally appropriate items and extended wait times for students already stretched thin.

“Programs like CalFood make a generational difference for families when students are able to graduate and pursue higher education, especially among first-generation families such as mine,” said Peralta. “These programs empower students to break the cycle of poverty, achieve their academic goals and build a foundation for generational success. Support of them is a direct investment into stronger, healthier and more equitable communities.”

Take Action to Support Student Success

Every student deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive without worrying about their next meal. But without adequate CalFood funding, food banks cannot keep pace with the growing need on California’s college campuses.

We urge state legislators to sustain CalFood funding at $60 million annually—an investment that directly supports student achievement, economic mobility, and community health.

Supporters can help, too. Contact your legislators and urge them to prioritize CalFood in the state budget. Your voice can help protect the future of California’s students.

Together, we can ensure that no student has to choose between buying food and pursuing their education.