Students enrolled in two year colleges are more likely to experience food insecurity than four year students and the general population. The gap was highest just after the recession.

According to a new report from the Urban Institute, about 20 percent of students enrolled in two-year colleges between 2011 and 2015 experienced food insecurity, or lacked reliable access to affordable and nutritious food.

Kristin Blagg, a researcher from the study, said it’s tough to say exactly why this kind of gap exists. But she explained the data suggests one possibility is that economically vulnerable people, like those who have lost a job, are more likely to enroll in a two-year school.

"They’re much more likely to be head of their household and much more likely to have children in the household and that may put them more at risk," said Blagg.

According to past research, food insecurity among college students in general is linked with increased health problems, poor academic performance and other mental health symptoms.