A Walla Walla Community College student hustles to class in the fall of 2015. Starting in the fall of 2023, Walla Walla Community College will be one of four community colleges in the state participating in the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Pilot Program initiated by the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges.

WALLA WALLLA — Low-income students at Walla Walla Community College are getting a boost to their food budget.

In the fall 2023 quarter, Walla Walla Community College will be one of four community colleges in the state participating in the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Pilot Program initiated by the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges.

The pilot program was made possible through House Bill 1559, which was passed by the 2023 Legislature and says 1 in 3 Washington community college students in 2022 reported facing food or housing insecurity.

“Increasingly, we are seeing students struggle because their basic needs — food or housing — aren’t met,” said WWCC President Chad Hickox. “Access to nutritious meals is fundamental to their well-being and academic success.”

As part of the program, the college will receive up to $250,000 a year through 2026. WWCC opened a campus-based food pantry in 2016 with the Blue Mountain Action Council to provide short-term and emergency food supplies for students.

Through this effort, the college has encouraged many students to apply for Basic Food Assistance, a state and federal program that provides them and their families with nutritious foods. According to a news release, WWCC plans to expand its food pantry program, increase outreach and awareness among the most-vulnerable student populations and establish a basic needs center where students can access multiple services.

According to a 2023 report by the Washington Student Achievement Council, nearly 2 out of every 5 — or 39% — of community or technical college students who responded to a survey had experienced food insecurity in the prior month. To measure food insecurity, students were asked whether thy ran out of food, lacked balanced meals, cut meal sizes or skipped meals or went hungry due to costs.

WWCC was chosen for the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Pilot Program out of a pool of 25 applicants. The other Washington colleges selected were Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Everett Community College in Everett and Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen.