Hello,

I am an incoming transfer Student at UCLA as part of the class of 2024. While this is a huge achievement for many of us, we are concerned about our housing situation. Many of us got placed in off-campus university affiliated apartments, with a good portion of us being placed in 4 bedroom/8 person apartments. This leads to less than ideal situations for preparing meals. While UCLA has succeeded in providing housing for its students, it has not succeeded in making sure their students will not face food insecurity. Students living off campus will not be allowed access to the dining halls or be allowed to purchase a meal plan. We may not have the time or means to go out and purchase groceries. Even with resources such as the CPO Food Closet, there may still be students who will face food insecurity.  If students are facing food insecurity, then their focus would no longer be on their academics but rather their basic physiological needs which would result in lower academic performance and a worsened mental state. By allowing off-campus students to purchase a meal plan, they would have the security of having healthy meals prepared for them daily rather than worrying if they will have time to prepare a meal.