PepsiCo To Donate $250K To Help HBCUs Tackle Food Insecurity On Campus

Kyra Alessandrini
·2 min read
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PepsiCo To Donate $250K To Help HBCUs Tackle Food Insecurity On Campus | Charles A. Smith/Jackson State University via Getty Images
PepsiCo To Donate $250K To Help HBCUs Tackle Food Insecurity On Campus | Charles A. Smith/Jackson State University via Getty Images

PepsiCo is making a $250,000 donation to five HBCUs to help tackle food insecurity on campus. Morgan State University and Prairie View A&M University will receive the donation this weekend, while funds will also be given to Florida A&M University, Jackson State University and Bethune-Cookman University. Each institution will be donated $50,000.

“As a longtime supporter of HBCUs, PepsiCo has always aimed to help students thrive, both on campus and beyond. This year, our HBCU Tour continues to celebrate each university’s rich culture and recognize the wealth of talent on campus while also addressing the barriers students can face in completing their education,” Kent Montgomery, the Senior Vice President of Industry Relations and Multicultural Development at PepsiCo, said in a press release. “Our donation to tackle food insecurity is another example of our commitment to empower students and ensure their success in every aspect of their educational journey.”

The grants will help support over 37,500 students by funding each institution’s campus food pantry supplies and groceries, meal plans for homeless students, workshops, and stipends for student staff within the pantries. Free meals will also be given to 2,000 students during their winter finals week in December.

PepsiCo is helping remedy an ongoing issue on HBCU campuses. The company cites data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, which indicates that 40% of HBCU students are food insecure.

The donation is part of the ongoing efforts to fund HBCUs nationwide. In October, PepsiCo joined forces with Russell Westbrook to unveil a new lounge at Pensole Lewis College. It came as a conclusion to the inaugural PepsiCo Design & Innovation program launched with the institution.

The news comes as enrollment at HBCUs is on the rise nationwide. This growth outpaced overall undergraduate enrollment, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

It also comes as several HBCUs have been said to be underfunded. Last month, three alumni filed a federal lawsuit against the Georgia Board of Regents, alleging that it failed to fund the state’s public HBCUs equally.