UGA Food Scholarship supports 128 students, aims to feed more 

Most students know the feeling of sitting in a class lecture with an empty stomach. Some reach for snacks in their backpacks, while others make plans to go to a dining hall afterwards. But for some students, they do not have either option due to food insecurity.  

Food insecurity is not having access to an adequate source or amount of food to meet basic needs. It is the feeling of not knowing when or where your next meal might be. One in five UGA students experience hunger each day because of food insecurity, yet because of common myths and presumptions about the “typical” UGA student, most people do not know how prevalent this challenge is on our campus.  

Serving University of Georgia students for almost a decade, the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat Food Scholarship provides a fully funded meal plan up to the cost of a 7-day plan. This facilitates improved nutrition, financial stability, and social well-being.  

Providing access to the abundance of options offered by UGA’s five dining halls, the scholarship enables students to get the nutrients and peace of mind required for success in college. In addition to nutrition, dining halls also provide opportunities for social connection. Similarly, access to dining halls facilitate academic opportunities since group projects or study groups see them as a convenient meeting spot. Scholarship recipients are also able to direct their finances to other needs or not have to dedicate so much time to work outside of their studies.  

Johnelle Simpson, former scholarship recipient and UGA graduate, confirmed the increased opportunity afforded by the scholarship. 

“I was a first-generation college student, and I was the Student Government Association president my senior year,” Simpson said. “Being president meant I didn’t have time to work to make enough money to feed myself. If it weren’t for the food scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to be involved in the student body and create change in my community.”  

For students who come from situations in which financial resources are low, the food scholarship helps level the playing field.  

“A well-fed student is able to be a good asset to their community,” Simpson said.  

Simpson is just one of more than 500 students whose lives have been positively influenced by the scholarship. For current student Zac Aaron, the scholarship freed up time to serve campus through opportunities like Arch Society, serving as an Orientation Leader, and working in a part-time internship at the Fanning Institute. 

“I am able to live so much more comfortably as a student who has to support college mostly on their own,” Aaron said. “I am able to use the money I would be spending on groceries to pay for rent and other bills in my life. This in turn has allowed me to work less and to enjoy my college career.” 

Aaron is one of 128 students who were awarded the Let the Big Dawgs Eat Scholarship in the 2022-2023 academic year. While this initiative continues to touch so many students’ lives, there are still more students with food insecurity in need of support. Last year, more than 500 students applied for this scholarship, meaning several hundred more students could experience the same positive outcomes shared by Simpson and Aaron.  

The statistics and reality of students who are struggling with hunger can be daunting. Robin Hoover, the first donor and one of the founders of UGA’s food scholarship initiative, who now serves as the Chair on the Board, encourages the university community and supporters of UGA to continue growing this scholarship until food insecurity is eliminated for all UGA students. 

“Do for one what you wish you could do for all,” Hoover said. As we rally together as one big Bulldog family for this cause, we can Let All the Big Dawgs Eat! 

To learn more, visit Let All the Big Dawgs Eat food scholarship initiative. 

Written by Kirsten Brucker, Digital Marketing Assistant