MAYS LANDING — Atlantic Cape Community College has been awarded $52,500 from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) to support campus-based resources, including food pantries and outreach connecting students with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as part of a $1.2 million Hunger-Free Campus Act grant to 36 institutions of higher education across the State.
This funding award will support Atlantic Cape’s food pantries located at our Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May County campuses.
“For many students, food insecurity is a day-in and day-out challenge. At Atlantic Cape, we are committed to ensuring that all of our students have direct access to wholesome, quality, nutritious food—both non-perishable and shelf-stable—and personal care items free of charge. We are grateful to the OSHE for this generous award, which will go a long way towards combating food insecurity on our campuses,” said Dr. Vanessa O’Brien-McMasters, vice president, Institutional Effectiveness and Chief Strategy Officer.
Nearly 40% of New Jersey community college students, according to a recent statewide survey, have faced food insecurity. Students shouldn’t have to choose between food and school. It is proven that students with stable access to food on a daily basis perform better in class than those without.
This round of awardees reflects the grant’s widest reach since being created under the 2019 law (P.L. 2019, C.89), with 90% of all public colleges and universities and 57% of eligible independent public-mission institutions receiving funding. In total, the State has invested $6.4 million over the last six years to address food insecurity among college students under the Act.
This year, OSHE applied a new equity-focused distribution model that considered each institution’s percentage of Pell Grant-eligible students to reach those experiencing the greatest need and to respond following disruptions in federal food assistance. Findings from OSHE’s Spring 2025 Student Food Security Survey of 11,877 students show that half of Pell-receiving respondents were food insecure. The survey also found:
Food insecurity among college students persists, affecting 36% of all student respondents and 50% of first-generation students. Nearly half (45%) of students had difficulty affording balanced meals. Even with lifeline federal assistance programs, 65% of students receiving SNAP and other federal assistance (TANF, WIC) reported experiencing food insecurity.
Through this grant program, institutions achieve a Hunger-Free designation and work to address student hunger through a Campus Hunger Task Force, a physical campus food pantry and awareness raising initiatives.
Visit www.atlanticcape.edu/foodpantry for more information.
About Atlantic Cape Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 34 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May County campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
