OHE awards grants to colleges in Southeast Minnesota to address food insecurity

By KAALTV
Credit: Minnesota Office of Higher Education/Facebook

(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) has awarded 24 campuses with Hunger Free Campus grants.

The total of the grant money is over $400,000. According to a press release from OHE, these grants were awarded across the state to address food insecurity.

“For too many students, food insecurity is a daily concern,” OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said. “This initiative is providing those students with the nutrition they need to focus on their studies and finish their program. I look forward to a day when every campus in the state is hunger free.”

According to OHE, the Hunger Free Campus initiative was established in 2021 and has three components:

  1. A Hunger Free Campus designation for schools actively taking strides to reduce food insecurity.
  2. Grants to support those institutions in sustaining their efforts.
  3. Grants to support institutions working toward achieving the Hunger Free Campus designation.

For this round of funding, colleges were able to apply for three different grants:

  • Sustaining Designation Grant: These grants support colleges and universities who have already received a Hunger Free Campus designation and are requesting funds to sustain and continue their work.
  • Pathways to Designation Grant: These grants support colleges and universities who have not received a Hunger Free Campus designation and will be seeking designation within the next year.
  • Equipment Grant: These grants support colleges and universities in purchasing the equipment necessary to operate an on-campus food pantry. Institutions may apply for this grant alone or in addition to a Sustaining or Pathways grant.

Colleges in our region that received 2024 Hunger Free grants include:

  • Minnesota State College Southeast
    • Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
  • Riverland Community College
    • Sustaining Designation Grant: $14,998
  • Rochester Community and Technical College
    • Sustaining Designation Grant: $15,000
    • Equipment Grant: $11,323
  • Winona State University
    • Pathways to Designation Grant: $25,000

To learn more about OHE’s Hunter Free Campus Grants, click here.