The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has awarded a total of $500,000 to 48 colleges and universities – including all 23 community colleges in the state – to address student food insecurity.
The grants allow institutions to establish on-campus food pantries or partner with local food banks to provide food at no charge to students. In addition, the colleges can use the grants to increase partnerships and build more sustainable solutions for campus hunger.
The grants, funded by the Hunger-Free Campus (HFC) Food Pantry Grant Program, range from $5,952 to $14,881.
The Patriot Pantry at Patrick & Henry Community College received a $14,881 grant.
“Food insecurity is a real concern for many of our students, and we cannot operate absent the support of grants like this,” said Heather Luther, Patrick & Henry’s pantry coordinator. “Because of HFC, we will be able to keep our pantry shelves stocked so we can keep feeding our students and their families.”
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A $2,200 grant from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation will help Virginia’s Laurel Ridge Community College feed hungry students and their families. The Nourishing our Neighbors grant helps to increase access to nutritious food and provide nutrition education to eliminate health risks for those experiencing food insecurity.
When surveyed, a large percentage of Laurel Ridge students have said they can’t afford balanced meals, with some skipping meals and running out of food with no money to buy more. There are food pantries at each Laurel Ridge site, as well as grab-and-go snack items around campus.
California
A $150,000 grant to Moreno Valley College (MVC) will provide scholarship and emergency financial aid support to students.
The grant award represents MVC’s continued participation in the California Community Colleges Finish Line Scholars Program, a statewide initiative administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges and supported by a $100 million, 20-year pledge from the Jay Pritzker Foundation. Colleges participate through a competitive annual application process designed to align funding with student need.
“Since 2020, we have submitted an application each year for the $150,000 Finish Line Scholars grant so we can continue expanding resources for our students,” said J. Carlos Ponce, MVC’s director of student financial services. “Being awarded again allows us to respond to financial challenges that can derail students who are otherwise close to completing their academic goals.”
The Finish Line Scholars Program prioritizes colleges located in regions with some of the lowest rates of adult educational attainment in California.
Illinois
Heartland Community College’s career and technical education division has some new equipment. Reinhart Landscaping & Snow has partnered with the Kress power equipment company to provide robotic lawn mowers and electric commercial landscape power equipment to the college.
The new lawn equipment, valued at about $20,000, will prepare students for jobs in grounds maintenance, landscaping and outdoor power equipment operations.
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Illinois Central College (ICC) and Bradley University formalized a new transfer partnership in January, which is strengthened by a $1 million grant from the Gilmore Foundation. The grant will fund last-dollar scholarships for qualifying transfer students.
The scholarships will be named in honor of ICC President Emeritus Sheila Quirk-Bailey.
The transfer pathway created by the partners, known as Path2BU, establishes a clear and supportive transfer process for ICC students who complete an associate degree and continue their education at Bradley.
Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College’s Evansville Campus Foundation has received $192,105, part of the United Way of Southwestern Indiana’s distribution of $1.1 million in Empowering Employment Pathway grants.
The funding will go toward Ivy Tech’s work-based learning program, which provides workforce training and professional certifications in specific areas of study. Ivy Tech has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Evansville to integrate work-based learning, home construction, industry-specific certifications and financial literacy to break down barriers such as poverty and limited education. This will expand equitable access to sustainable career opportunities, according to Nick Bragin, executive director of Ivy+ Career Link at Ivy Tech.
North Carolina
A $5,000 donation from Meridian Waste supports students in Wake Technical Community College’s diesel and heavy equipment technology program.
The Meridian Waste Scholarship for Clean Communities will remove financial barriers for students interested in gaining in-demand skills to work in diesel mechanics and heavy equipment operation.
South Carolina
Faculty and staff members at Piedmont Technical College (PTC) raised $28,000 to help students stay enrolled.
“Nine students who faced unexpected hardships that could have forced them to leave PTC were able to remain on campus after receiving support from the student emergency fund,” PTC Foundation Director Laura Dudley said during the 2026 Spring Welcome Back event. “One student who was experiencing homelessness along with her child received assistance that enabled her to put down a deposit on an apartment. She is enrolled for the spring semester.”
