Nearly Half of UNR Students Report Food Insecurity
Students who need free food can find Pack Provisions on the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Healthy Food
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Nearly half of the University of Nevada, Reno students who answered a 2026 campus survey say they are food insecure. The Center for Student Engagement's Civic Engagement Survey drew over 3,200 responses, and few students knew a campus food pantry existed.
Why it matters
For students here, the number reflects rent, fuel and grocery costs stacking up while they are still building toward a career. The question now is whether awareness of existing campus help can catch up with the need.
Nearly half of the more than 3,200 UNR students who completed the 2026 survey describe themselves as food insecure. That is a far higher share than the one in six Nevadans, or more than 542,000 residents, Feeding America estimates face the same problem statewide.
The players
Center for Student Engagement
The University of Nevada, Reno office that conducted the 2026 Civic Engagement Survey of more than 3,200 students.
Pack Provisions
The on-campus food pantry in the Joe Crowley Student Union that offers free canned and frozen food to students and staff.
Food Bank of Northern Nevada
A regional food bank that helps supply Pack Provisions.
Catholic Charities
A local charity that helps support the Pack Provisions pantry.
The details
The 2026 Civic Engagement Survey was conducted by the Center for Student Engagement at the University of Nevada, Reno. Few respondents knew about Pack Provisions, the on-campus food pantry on the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union, which occupies an 800-square-foot space. The pantry offers canned meals and frozen goods free of charge to students and staff, with help from Catholic Charities and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
Timeline
2026: Center for Student Engagement conducts the Civic Engagement Survey
The Truckee Meadows View
The statewide estimate from Feeding America puts food insecurity at one in six Nevadans. The UNR survey finds a much higher share among students, a gap that points to the cost pressures young Renoites face before they reach a stable career.
If you are a student or staff member at UNR, Pack Provisions is on the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union and offers free canned meals and frozen goods. Many students said they did not know it existed, so it is worth passing the location along to classmates or coworkers who could use it.
The takeaway
Nearly half of the students surveyed report food insecurity, so awareness of Pack Provisions matters as much as the pantry itself. If you are on campus, check the third floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union before the semester gets away from you.
Further reading
For more on how food access shapes daily life across the valley, browse our Healthy Food coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KRXI.
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