SUNY Chancellor King Announces Student-Parent Playbook to Support Food Security
September 29, 2025
Online Resource Offers Tools for Colleges and Universities to Assist Student Parents Navigating On- and Off-Campus Nutrition Resources
Playbook for Colleges and Universities Available Here
Fact Sheet Outlining SUNY's Commitment to Addressing Food Insecurity Here
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the release of Supporting Food Security Among Adult Students with Children: A Playbook for Colleges and Universities, a new online resource for colleges and universities to help student parents navigate on- and off-campus nutrition resources. As part of a partnership with Hunger Solutions New York and No Kid Hungry, the online playbook is the latest in SUNY's expansion of resources to combat food insecurity.
"There's a place at SUNY for every student, and ensuring student parents and adult learners have access to the nutrition resources they need is part of advancing student success and upward mobility," SUNY Chancellor King said. "I am proud of all of our SUNY campuses and community for their dedication to addressing food insecurity, and our work must constantly expand until no student struggles with food insecurity."
SUNY Trustee Eunice A. Lewin and SUNY Trustee Luca O. Rallis, Co-Chairs of the Student Life Committee, said, "In order for all students to achieve academic excellence, we need to take care of their essential needs. SUNY has implemented initiatives to connect our students to nutrition resources across our campuses and is continually looking to expand other resources for their basic needs. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for their support of our efforts to combat food insecurity."
Rachel Sabella, Director of No Kid Hungry New York, said, "No Kid Hungry New York is proud to celebrate the completion of this important project with SUNY and Hunger Solutions New York. Together, we've created a playbook that shows how colleges can connect student-parents with federal nutrition programs, making it easier for families to put food on the table while pursuing a degree. Hunger should never be a barrier to higher education, and this partnership demonstrates that with the right tools, campuses can remove that barrier. We know this work will inspire colleges across the country to support student-parents and ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed."
Andrés Vives, Chief Executive Officer of Hunger Solutions New York, said, "No student in New York—or anywhere—should struggle with food insecurity. We're proud to have partnered with SUNY and No Kid Hungry New York on innovative outreach strategies to connect more eligible students with SNAP, WIC, and other federal nutrition programs. By connecting campuses with our statewide network of SNAP assistors and establishing referral systems with a wide range of campus resources, including childcare centers, financial aid offices, and economic opportunity programs, this partnership has created a 'no wrong door' approach to food program access on SUNY campuses. We look forward to continuing this work and sharing our learnings with other higher education institutions to ensure all students and their families have access to the food they need."
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, sociologist and founder of the #RealCollege movement, said, "Students are humans first— if they don't have access to food, they will struggle to learn. Parents pursuing higher education are great sources of pride and support to their families, and by helping fuel their bodies, SUNY is accelerating their education. This is an investment that will pay off across generations."
SUNY dedicates $1 million in ongoing operating funding each year to supporting campus food pantries in addressing food insecurity on all State-operated campuses. Every SUNY campus has a food pantry or stigma-free food resource available for all students, and SUNY has established refrigerated food lockers on five campuses, with the pilot program being expanded to include two more in the coming year.
In addition, students participating in the Empire State Service Corps program complete paid work on or off their campuses to support students or individuals through food insecurity-aligned work, including SNAP outreach or working on their on-campus food pantry.
Through a long-term partnership with No Kid Hungry and Hunger Solutions New York, SUNY implemented a multi-faceted initiative to connect parenting college students to nutrition assistance resources including SNAP and WIC. As a result, SUNY was able to broaden its SNAP outreach efforts to student parents and adult learners eligible for SNAP, and connect eligible families to the WIC program and free summer meals for children.
Additionally, SUNY campuses were provided technical assistance, including training, outreach, and resource development, as well as connections with local SNAP coordinators.
The initiative has led to notable successes, including increased awareness of food insecurity and full-time staff positions at several SUNY campuses to address food insecurity, including staff for on-campus food pantries, basic needs coordinators, and SNAP outreach personnel.
State Senator Patricia Fahy said, "Combatting food insecurity is at the top of everyone's minds with the cuts being made by the federal government. SUNY's decision to expand their SNAP outreach efforts comes at a time when student parents need it the most, and the new Student-Parent Playbook will help those seeking SNAP and WIC benefits navigate their options, access resources, and connect with SNAP coordinators. As the affordability crisis worsens and more and more students become food-insecure, we have an obligation to step up and support them now more than ever. Thank you to SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the SUNY administration for identifying this need in their community and acting on it with urgency."
State Senator Robert Jackson said, "A hungry student cannot be a thriving student, and a parent forced to choose between feeding their child or finishing their degree is a choice no state should ever tolerate. The Student-Parent Playbook is more than a resource—it is a declaration that education and nutrition are inseparable rights. As someone who has fought for decades to uphold our constitutional promise of a sound education, I know that promise cannot be fulfilled on an empty stomach. With SUNY's leadership and this partnership, they are building not just degrees, but dignity, resilience, and opportunity for families across New York."
State Senator Lea Webb said, "Student-parents face unique challenges that often go overlooked, especially when it comes to putting food on the table. The Student-Parent Playbook is an important step toward ensuring they have the support and resources they need to thrive in school and at home. I applaud SUNY and No Kid Hungry for their leadership in the fight against food insecurity."
State Assemblymember Sarah Clark said, "The release of SUNY's Student-Parent Playbook marks an important step toward ensuring that every student has the resources needed to succeed. The makeup of the SUNY student body is rapidly evolving and the work that SUNY is doing to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students is crucial. Student-parents should be able to focus on learning while supporting their families, not worry about where the next meal comes from. The Student-Parent playbook will help put more students on a path to meaningful success, impacting each individual while also helping all our families thrive. Thank you to Chancellor King and No Kids Hungry for your tireless work to make this amazing program a reality."
The playbook includes resources for SUNY campuses to address food insecurity and assist student parents with finding nutrition resources on and off of their campuses. The playbook will help campuses address food insecurity by:
- Identifying Campus Resources: Locating and connecting with campus and community resources, including financial aid officers, campus childcare centers, and campus food pantries.
- Connecting with Off-Campus Resources: Connecting with local government agencies and community-based organizations in the county or city where their home campus is located.
- Outreach Strategies: Raising awareness of food insecurity through targeted events, informational materials, and strategic campus partnerships to destigmatize food insecurity to reach student parents who need access to food resources. Ensuring that information about access to food resources is consistently distributed to students, especially those who have sought assistance or information on nutrition programs.
- Gathering Feedback: Collecting data from students to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts and initiatives to combat food insecurity.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
About Hunger Solutions New York
Hunger Solutions New York is a statewide anti-hunger organization focused on maximizing the reach and effectiveness of federal nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, WIC, school meals, child care meal programs, and summer and afterschool nutrition programs. Hunger Solutions New York manages the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP), New York's statewide network of SNAP navigators. The organization also operates statewide child nutrition outreach projects, provides technical assistance to schools and community organizations to help them start or expand meal programs, and advocates for federal and state policy changes. Learn more: HungerSolutionsNY.org
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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