Apply for the
Food scholarship

Bolton Dining Hall.

Contact Information

Janice Davis Barham, PhD
Associate Dean of Students and
Director of the Tate Student Center
Tate Student Center

(706) 542-3816
latbde@uga.edu

“I was a first-generation college student, and I was the Student Government Association president my senior year. Being president meant I didn’t have time to work to make enough money to feed myself. If it weren’t for the food scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to be involved in the student body and create change in my community. A lot of students come from situations in which financial resources are low, like myself. The food scholarship helps level the playing field. A well-fed student is able to be a good asset to their community.”

Johnelle Simpson ’16, Risk Management/Insurance and Political Science; President, Student Government Association
Graduate, University of Tennessee School of Law

Spring 2023 Application Portal opens October 6th, 12:00 AM and closes October 13th, 11:59 PM. New and previous applicants welcome to submit.

UGA Financial Hardship Information

If you are dealing with hardship circumstances or a crisis situation, contact Student Care and Outreach in the Office of the Dean of Students for support.  For more information, call 706-542-7774 or visit their website.

Food Pantries

The UGA Student Food Pantry is located in the Tate Center, room 146, behind the staircase.  It is open during Fall and Spring semesters from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday.  For more information visit their website.

There are several food pantries in the Clarke County area that are open year round.  Go to FoodPantries.org’s website to see a list of food banks in the area and more information about each one.

Bulldog Basics

The UGA Bulldog Basics provides personal hygiene items for students in need. These resource closets are located in the accessible unisex restroom on the first floor of Dawson Hall, across from the elevator, from 7:00 AM – 7:00, Monday through Friday, as well as the unisex restrooms on the first floor of Milledge Hall on the north side, the Aspire Clinic in the hallway to the graduate Student Offices, and the Center for Leadership and Service unisex bathroom in the Tate Student Center from 8:00 AM – 5:00, Monday through Friday. See their website for more information.” To “The UGA Bulldog Basics provides personal hygiene items for students in need. It is located in the accessible unisex restroom on the first floor of Dawson Hall, across from the elevator, from 7:00 AM – 7:00, Monday through Friday. See their website for more information.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Depending on your student status and work situation, you might qualify for SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.  You can use SNAP to buy groceries at most grocery and convenience stores.  The Athens Farmers Market has been doubling SNAP dollars since 2010 ($5 in SNAP dollars becomes $10), making the market often more affordable than the grocery store. The Wednesday evening market is conveniently located near North Campus at Creature Comforts, and the Saturday morning market is at Bishop Park.  See http://athensfarmersmarket.net/double-snap for updates on this program and information on how to use SNAP dollars at the market.  For more information about SNAP benefits, see http://dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov/food-stamps.

Employment with UGA Dining Services

In addition to being convenient to campus and flexible in working around class schedules, Dining Services provides student employees with a free meal for every shift.

Visit here for more information on how to apply.

Other Campus Resources

TRIO Student Support Services provides services to students who are first-generation, Pell Grant eligible, and/or registered with the Disability Resource Center.  They offer advising, tutoring, financial literacy counseling, and free printing, among many other resources.  Visit the TRIO SSS website for more information.

Embark is a UGA project with a mission to assist and support former foster and homeless youth. To see a list of resources that might be helpful for those who have experienced foster care or homelessness, visit their website.

Local Farmers Markets

Contact Us

Please feel free to contact Jan Barham (LATBDE@uga.edu) if you have any questions about the LATBDE Food Scholarship or there is anything we can do to assist you (Office of the Dean of Students 706-542-7774).

For information and resources for coping with financial hardship at UGA, please visit the UGA Financial Hardship Resources website.

Students who are awarded the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat Food Scholarship receive unlimited access to UGA dining halls through enrollment in either a five-day or seven-day-per-week meal plan. Students may apply for a scholarship that provides the meal plan during fall and spring semesters together or during summer semester. Recipients may eat at any of the dining halls on campus.

The application period for summer semester scholarships typically opens in October, and the application period for fall-spring scholarships opens in January.

Receiving the food scholarship meant that I could focus on my academics more and devote more time to studying and research to make this campus a better place. I actually made better grades this semester with the food scholarship than last semester.– Kaustov Chakrabarti, Class of 2023

 

Personally, receiving this scholarship meant that I would be able to focus on my studies, it meant that I could live a healthy lifestyle, and most importantly, it meant that I would be able to stay in college. This food scholarship has allowed me to do so much more, it has helped me become more involved in the community, stay healthy and perform better in school. – UGA Student, Class of 2022

The Food Scholarship has helped me to not worry about food insecurity. This gave me the confidence throughout the semester that some of my needs were being met. This also has helped me to understand the importance of giving sacrificially. This has also helped me personally understand that my purpose here at UGA is not overlooked or forgotten and that being a Dawg means being someone who cares and is cared for. – Stacy Aibangbee, Class of 2021

Personally, this scholarship relieved so much stress from my everyday life. I no longer had to worry about how to budget for food nor stress about not having full meals. I am especially grateful for this scholarship during the COVID-19 crisis. I was so worried about how I could afford groceries since losing my on-campus job due to the pandemic, but this scholarship truly blessed me and provided exactly what I needed. – Anonymous, 2020 UGA Graduate

This scholarship has been able to relieve my family of a major financial burden, which means the world to me. I did not have to worry about my parents struggling to find the money to ensure I had a place to eat every day, significantly reducing my stress and allowing me to put my academic success above everything. I am incredibly humbled to have received the Food Scholarship. It has helped put everything in perspective and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to succeed because of it. Over the past year, I have offered completely free science tutoring to a multitude of students as a means to give back the best I can. The Food Scholarship has helped lift a significant amount of stress off me and my family and in the process made me a better person. – DJ Keller, Class of 2022