As a college student, you may be worried about not having enough to eat or trying to understand better how to stretch or share your meal plan money through the rest of the semester. Not having enough to eat can affect your physical and mental health, as well as your academic success. Here are resources you can use to help a fellow Hilltopper or yourself!
Student Emergency Support
Hilltop Emergency Assistance
If you have a financial hardship, including the inability to afford food, please fill out the Hilltopper Emergency Assistance Request or the Student of Concern Form and the Dean of Students Office will be in contact to assist you.
Monarchs Food Pantry
SEU Students can use this form to request care packages of non perishable foods and basic hygiene products from the Monarchs Food Pantry. Students will NOT be restricted on how often they can request packages. Students will be asked to request only what they need, as this is a resource for all students.
Requests should be SUBMITTED BY SUNDAYS AT 9 PM. Care packages are assembled on Wednesdays and available for pick up on the black table in the CSC Community Room in Bro. Walsh Hall Wednesdays and Thursdays. The building is accessible with ID card 7 AM-7 PM. For the safety of our Hilltop, please obtain your
SEU Peer to Peer Meal Plan Dollar Transfer
As a result of Student Government Association’s work several years ago, we have a Peer-to-Peer Meal Plan Dollar Transfer Program. Students may transfer Meal Plan funds to another student after November 1st during fall semester and after April 1st during the spring semester.
SEU Dean of Students Office
Seeking help when you are struggling can be difficult and overwhelming. A staff member in the Dean of Students Office, Main Building, ground floor, G16, can assist you in accessing resources both on and off campus. We are open 8am-5pm weekdays or you can call and schedule an appointment at 512-448-8408 or email us at dos@stedwards.edu.
Emergency Resources Toolkit
St. Edward’s provides access to the Emergency Resources Toolkit, powered by FindHelp.org, the largest social services referral network in the United States. The toolkit connects students in need to programs that serve them. Search for free or reduced-cost services like medical care, food, housing and transportation in any US zip code. In addition, you’ll find information on important resources at St. Edward's University available to you here on the hilltop and community partners the university frequently works with to support students.
Beyond the Hilltop
Foundation Communities- Mission Plaza
Foundation Communities Mission Plaza provides a food pantry to help the Austin communicate alleviate food insecurities. The Mission Plaza location is close to St. Edward's University and is open Mondays & Wednesdays 3-5 PM. It is located at 3000 S I-35 Frontage Rd #160, Austin, TX 78704. The food pantry is on the first floor of the taller building #160 (NOT the Prosper Center). Please bring a valid government ID.
For your safety, if you are walking from campus, please take St. Edward's Drive (next to the baseball field). Turn right towards I-35. The entrance to the property will be on your right just after the Forest Creek Apartments. You will pass a shorter building (Prosper Center) on your left and see the main building ahead of you. The Food Pantry is just beyond the elevators on the right #160.
St. Ignatius Food Pantry
St. Edward’s University partnered with St. Ignatius Food Pantry (right around the corner from SEU, 2303 Euclid Ave.) to provide our students with free food. The pantry is open Monday-Wednesday from 9 AM-1 PM. Students can receive a month’s worth of fresh food, nonperishable items, hygiene supplies, and assistance paying for prescription medications. Just show up and the pantry will help. The pantry is committed to your privacy and will not share your visit.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
A team at the Central Texas Food Bank is available to support St. Edward’s students in applying for SNAP benefits. If approved for SNAP, a monthly stipend will be loaded to a debit card to purchase unprepared foods at off campus food retailers like HEB. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, there is expanded SNAP eligibility for colleges students. If you are interested in understanding your eligibility and completing an application, you may contact the Central Texas Food Bank at (512) 684-2550 or the Dean of Students Office at (512) 448-8408. Like the food pantry, the food bank is committed to your privacy and will not share your visit with the university.
Supporting Each Other
If you are experiencing food insecurity, please know that you are not alone and the university community is here to help. For those who wish to make a donation to help students in need, please consider donating to the Hilltoppers Overcoming Obstacles Fund (HOOF), a developing resource meant to be used to support students experiencing emergencies. Additional resources in Texas include the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).