Ozarks Technical Community College’s free Eagle Breakfast program helped students achieve better grades and persist in their courses during the 21-22 school year. Eagle Breakfast is a no-cost meal for any OTC student at all of the college’s locations.
“It’s allowed me access to food in the morning when I normally didn’t eat breakfast,” said one Eagle Breakfast participant. “And it allows me to sit down, relax and enjoy something before class.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the college offered Eagle Breakfast as a pilot program at the Springfield campus during the spring 2021 semester. Eagle Breakfast was so successful and popular that the college expanded it to all locations in the fall of 2021.
During the 2021-2022 school year, 2,640 students took advantage of Eagle Breakfast, including 1,048 Pell Grant recipients (federal financial aid reserved for the most under-resourced students) and 99 military veteran students. Eagle Breakfast participants received, on average, 17 meals during the semester. Participants have the option of an entrée and a drink.
“For many of our students, paying for breakfast may be a hardship,” said Dr. Joan Barrett, OTC vice chancellor for student affairs. “Eagle Breakfast ensures that they don’t go to class hungry, but we also found that students who took part in Eagle Breakfast performed better in their classes.”
For the 2021-2022 school year:
- 90% of Eagle Breakfast participants completed their classes compared to 81% of other OTC students.
- 85% of Eagle Breakfast participants achieved a C or better in all their courses compared to 80% of other OTC students.
Eagle Breakfast is an example of the college’s OTC Cares efforts, which strive to meet students’ needs in and out of the classroom. Any student with an OTC identification is eligible to receive Eagle Breakfast items.