Hawk's Harvest

UNCW students experiencing food insecurity are eligible to apply for meal swipe assistance during the fall and spring semesters (swipes are not available in the summer). You must be a currently enrolled student and apply by completing the online form. Please allow at least two business days for us to process your application. Our team will follow up via email once the application has been reviewed with usage instructions and additional resources. If approved, FIVE (5) meals will be added to your OneCard for immediate use, and students are eligible for one allocation per semester. This program is intended to provide gap assistance, not a full meal plan.

According to a survey done by the national organization Swipe Out Hunger, which supports meal swipe donation programs like Swipes for Seahawks, thanks to donation programs like ours:

• 63% of students feel less stress and anxiety about where they get their next meal
• 65% of students are able to eat more regularly
• 61% of students feel that their college is more supportive of students like them

“My academic performance has improved, socially I feel more connected to campus, and my mental health is much better on the days when I am able to eat on campus.”

For additional support in addressing food insecurity, please check out Hawk’s Harvest student food pantry.

Apply for Swipes

UNCW has a Campus Dietician and other staff who are available to provide a variety of health-related consultations FREE of charge. For more information, go to our Services & Recovery page.

Contact: Chelsea Stant, Campus Dietitian, stantc@uncw.edu, Suite 104 Student Recreation Center, 910.962.4135

You can also download a FREE PDF copy of the Good and Cheap cookbook — an excellent guide for how to eat healthy on a budget! A limited number of hard copies of the cookbook are available at each pantry location.

Have a meal plan? Bookmark the campus dining hours so you can plan out your meals around your class schedule.

If getting to the grocery store is an issue, we have a solution! The Red Shuttle can take you to the Harris Teeter right across the street from campus! Here is the schedule and link to learn more. Unsure about going alone and not sure how to prep for your shopping trip? Then bookmark the Hawk's Harvest page and look for the next Dub's Grocery Run event, where you'll learn about the exciting world of shopping apps, rewards programs and discounts! Then you will practice these new skills by going to the grocery store with other UNCW students while using the shuttle service.

These products are available at Hawk's Harvest AND in the women's restrooms in the following locations on campus: Fisher University Union, Fisher Student Center, Warwick (lobby), UNCW Library, Education Building, Wagoner Dining Hall (lobby), Leonard Student Recreation Center (both Women's locker rooms), The Shore and The HUB.

Many students work on campus in Campus Life, Campus Recreation, Housing and Residence Life, and in a variety of offices! For information about on-campus employment opportunities (many of them paying $10+ per hour with flexible scheduling), go to the Handshake website

In partnership with SGA, the Seahawk Swap Shop is UNCW's first campus free store. It is open to anyone with a OneCard, and we invite students, faculty and staff to shop and donate. We believe that one person's unwanted items can be another's treasure! The store stocks just about anything: clothing and accessories, household decor and office supplies, kitchen items and small appliances. For more information and shop hours, go to the Seahawk Swap Shop

The Office of the Dean of Students provides FREE support for students related to a variety of personal situations that may arise unexpectedly. For more information about these resources, go to the Case Management website

Contact: The Office of the Dean of Students, casemanagement@uncw.edu, Suite 1092 DePaolo Hall, 910.962.3119

If you aren't currently using Financial Aid, talk to a Financial Aid counselor about getting a loan for a meal plan.

Seahawk Emergency Aid Fund: The purpose of the fund is to assist UNCW students with unexpected expenses that they may incur during the academic year and/or summer for which they are enrolled. The fund is not intended to assist with natural disasters, pandemics, etc. (support for those are typically resourced by other entities such as the federal or state government and/or UNCW donors). The Seahawk Emergency Aid Fund can support expenses such as childcare, dental care, medical care, housing, food, graduation expenses, transportation, etc.

*The fund is in grant form and not a loan, so it does not have to be repaid. Click here for the application link

The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina offers extensive resources for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

• Report: Government Should Do More to Combat Hunger in College
• Hungry to Learn: Five Students Describe Their Struggles with Food and Housing Insecurity and What Colleges Can Do to Help
• The Hidden Crisis on College Campuses: Many Students Don’t Have Enough to Eat
• It’s Hard to Study If You’re Hungry
• The Number of Hungry and Homeless Students Rises Along With College Costs