Commonwealth University Receives $60,000 Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Grant

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania secured $60,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Hunger-Free Campus grant program, placing it among just five of 30 institutions statewide to receive the maximum award for the 2026-27 academic year.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education distributed $1 million across 30 colleges and universities for the grant period running May 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Other maximum recipients include Carnegie Mellon University and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, while many institutions received amounts ranging from $7,000 to $40,000.

At Commonwealth University, the money will reach students at the Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield, and Clearfield campuses, supporting food pantry operations, food purchases, and upgrades to existing facilities. Critically, the application was written to target a gap that students themselves identified: a shortage of culturally appropriate self-care and hygiene items. Rather than dividing funds equally across all four locations, the university plans to direct resources where need is greatest.

The grant application was co-written by Dr. Tiffany Welch, a professor of social work at Mansfield, and Dr. Tulare Park, an assistant professor of social work at Lock Haven. Welch tied the award directly to student outcomes.

"I am super excited to learn that Commonwealth University was awarded these funds because we all know that when our learners' basic needs are met, they can remain focused on their academics," Welch said. "Focus on academics leads to degree completion, and degree completion leads to lives being changed and dreams being achieved."

The funding will also support on-campus events designed to reduce the stigma surrounding food insecurity and strengthen community partnerships across the university's campuses.

This is not Commonwealth University's first experience with the program. The university first received a Hunger-Free Campus grant during the 2022-23 academic year, which also connected CU to The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs. Welch and Park completed the Hope Center's Hunger Free Campus Survey in fall 2025 as part of the university's ongoing participation as a Hope Impact Partner, work that informed the latest application.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education awards the grants to help institutions expand access to food options, develop awareness initiatives, and upgrade facilities serving students facing food insecurity or financial strain.