For many UW students, the hardest part of the week isn’t exams or 8:30 a.m. classes — it’s figuring out how to afford a balanced meal. 

According to the Fall 2024 Student Experience Survey, conducted by UW’s Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit in collaboration with the Institutional Analysis & Planning Department, food insecurity remains a challenge for many students. The survey invited 10,000 randomly selected undergraduate students to share feedback on their learning environment, experiences, and challenges. Results revealed that 4 per cent of respondents cannot afford balanced meals, 18 per cent can only afford them sometimes (similar to fall 2023), 60 per cent reported never using campus food support services, and 37 per cent used them at least sometimes, often, or always.

Marcus Tunkl, a fourth-year nanotechnology engineering student, said that the cost of rent intensifies the problem. From 2020 to 2024, Tunkl lived with his sister in a two-bedroom apartment for $1,250 a month. “When she moved, I was offered $1,900 to stay — no upgrades, nothing. Suddenly, the apartment cost $650 more,” he said. With rent this high, buying healthy meals becomes a luxury. We buy whatever is cheapest, on sale, or in bulk — healthy, balanced meals are just a nice-to-have.”

According to Apartments.com, the average rent in Waterloo for a one-bedroom is currently $1,887 a month for 638 square feet.

“Until housing becomes more affordable, your meals depend on rent more than grocery prices,” Tunkl said. “Buy foods that give the best bang-for-your-buck in terms of cost, calories, and nutrition — rice, chicken, broccoli, frozen veggies. Use spices — they last long and completely change meals. Even fast food has options: pizza can give four meals for $13. A little creativity helps stretch your budget without compromising nutrition.”

In addition to housing costs, rising tuition, grocery bills, and international trade tensions also contribute to the financial burden. Recent U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports have further exacerbated food insecurity by driving up the cost of essential grocery items. 

Further, according to the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey, a confidential study conducted by Campus Wellness that invited 12,000 UW students to participate this year between Feb. 24 and March 24, 18.4 per cent of respondents reported experiencing low or very low food security, up from 17 per cent in 2022. 

Tunkl also highlighted the challenge of accessing campus resources, adding he wasn’t aware of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) Food Support Service (FSS) or the newly introduced Pay-What-You-Can program (PWYC) before being interviewed. “Both seem helpful, but there’s always the risk of misuse — people who could pay but choose not to, or those who already have support from home,” Tunkl said. “Still, these programs are valuable for students who genuinely need them.”

Stigma is another barrier, he added. “Personally, I prefer to remain unnoticed when accessing resources, which is a shame — help is available for a reason,” Tunkl said. “My parents relied on food banks for most of my childhood. Without them, we wouldn’t have had meals.

Tunkl is not the only student feeling the pressure or stigma of food insecurity. According to Ryon Jones, media relations manager at UW, students have reported limited awareness of resources on campus to support food security.

“They shared experiences of feeling shame and stigma in accessing supports, and that when they do access supports, they do not meet their needs,” Jones said. “We’re listening to students and paying more attention to this issue as it becomes more prevalent.” 

The FSS distributes hampers with dietary options ranging from halal to vegetarian. Each hamper provides four to five meals, and demand has grown steadily over the past several terms:

• Spring 2024: 158 hampers
• Fall 2024: 175 hampers
• Winter 2025: 185 hampers
• Spring 2025: 200 hampers

According to Mujtaba Haider, FSS coordinator, the feedback WUSA receives often shows both a success and a gap: “Students say, ‘This is amazing, but we didn’t know it existed.’ It highlights how needed the service is and also how much work remains to increase awareness.” To raise awareness, WUSA has increased social media outreach and is also piloting a locker system across campus, allowing students to pick up hampers at multiple locations with a digitized code, reducing travel and accessibility barriers. 

Addressing both food insecurity and cultural connection, WUSA the PWYC program at the Bomber on Oct. 8. Launched to ensure that all students, regardless of financial situation, have access to hot, nutritious meals every weekday, the program offers meals with a rotating menu. Meals range from sandwiches to rice bowls, offering students diverse, healthy options each day. This flexible model allows students to pay what they can, including no payment at all and still enjoy a nutritious meal. The program was created to reduce the stigma around food support and provide an accessible way for students to manage food insecurity without judgment. Additionally, the Global Kitchen: Tastes From Home cookbook, which supports students in preparing affordable, culturally relevant meals, complements the PWYC initiative by offering students the tools to cook at home on a budget.

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region provides another layer of support, serving 54 partner organizations, including UW’s FSS. “We work closely with post-secondary institutions to educate students on how, when, and where to access food assistance programs,” explained Michelle Rickard, marketing and communications manager at the food bank. “If a student can’t afford the food they need, our on-campus programs are here to help.”

Looking forward, the Food Security Strategy Committee (FSSC), co-led by Campus Wellness and Food Services, has developed a five-year plan aimed at achieving Zero Hunger by 2030. This plan introduces food prescription programs tied to wellness services, centralized student wellness fairs, a dedicated food security coordinator role, and continued support for initiatives like the Indigenous Soup & Bannock Lunch, the fruit & veggie market, and graduate student Nourish ’n Go meals. Funding has already been secured, including $75,000 in unrestricted gifts and $13.75 million in bursaries available to students facing financial hardship in 2024–25.