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(KNSI) – On Wednesday, St. Cloud DFL Sen. Aric Putnam introduced a bill that addresses hunger on Minnesota’s college campuses.

The Hunger-Free Campus Act, if passed, would designate all campuses in the University of Minnesota system as hunger-free campuses. As determined by a 2019 bill, that designation marks a college that is actively working to reduce students’ food insecurity through multiple means, such as hosting hunger awareness events and having some sort of on-campus food pantry.

The bill would also channel more funding for Hunger-Campus grants that can be awarded to schools to further their efforts in reducing hunger.

“A student cannot thrive in the classroom, let alone focus on their education if they’re wondering where their next meal will come from,” Putnam said. “No student on any college campus should be facing food insecurity. By funding the Hunger-Free Campus Act, we can provide necessary stability in the lives of our students so not only are they able to succeed in their classes, but also complete their degree or program.”

Sixteen universities and colleges have earned the hunger-free campus designation in the last two years. No higher education institutions around St. Cloud currently have this designation.

A 2018-2019 survey of several Minnesota colleges, including St. Cloud Technical and Community College, found that 40 percent of students surveyed had experienced food insecurity in the last 30 days.

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