ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Being a college student can be tough, especially when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from.

A recent UNM survey revealed 67% of students reported experiencing food insecurity.

Miquela Upston, a social worker with the Dean of Students Office, says it’s to the point where some students can’t even make it to class.

“People think they were just partying or they were just goofing around. They really needed some of that additional support. And that’s what inspired me to go back to get my social work degree to start our social work internship program,” Upston said.

That’s what the on-campus student well-being team hopes to address.

Social work interns, like Sarah Stone, hold workshops to walk students through things like creating meals on a budget and how to apply for SNAP benefits.

“There are a lot of things that they don’t have access to. And the more access they have, and the more resources they have, the better their trajectory can be,” Upston said.

Students can even apply for short-term loans up to $800.

“Do they have a car that needs to be fixed? Do they have things going on with their kids? And they can explain it in there. It will be reviewed by the team that does the short-term loans,” Upston said.