Potential Threat to Food Stamp Benefits for College Students Battling Hunger

Having been raised on welfare by his grandmother, Joseph Sais depended heavily on food stamps while at college, to the extent that he considered dropping out when his eligibility was rescinded.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sais lost his eligibility to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, due to missing a crucial letter. Sais, who now is a first-year graduate student at Sacramento State University after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism, admitted, “During test times, my thoughts were more on what I would eat that night, rather than the test.”

After having his eligibility reinstated earlier this year, Sais is now amongst a largely unrecognised demographic that continues to pose challenges for researchers and policymakers: full-time college students facing severe food insecurity. According to Radha Muthiah, the president of the Capital Area Food Bank, it’s a hidden crisis that came to light during the pandemic, with at least 30% of college students being food insecure.

During the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made the SNAP eligibility requirements more lenient for college students, welcoming those on financial aid without any family support expected and those who were qualified for work-study programs, regardless of hours worked. Researchers estimate that as many as 3 million college students were incorporated into the program.

However, with the end of the public health emergency, students already on SNAP had until June 30 to recertify and remain in the program under the pandemic-era rules. The broadened SNAP eligibility will only persist for one more year, and the whole program will gradually return to its pre-pandemic rules over the next year, with the specific timeline varying by state.

“In the forthcoming months, there could be thousands of college students losing access to this program,” warned MacGregor Obergfell, the assistant director of governmental affairs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. “It’s going to occur in waves.”

The expanded rules will not apply to incoming freshmen.

Bryce McKibben, senior director of policy and advocacy at Temple University’s Hope Center, noted that this could initiate a “slow-rolling disaster as we revert to the old SNAP rules during a time when the need for food security is increasing.”

With inflation leading to increasing hunger among college students, on-campus food pantries have sprung up at hundreds of universities over the past decade, according to Robb Friedlander, director of advocacy for Swipe Out Hunger. Yet, these pantries are predominantly funded by donations, restricting their reach and scope.

Despite SNAP’s more flexible entry guidelines, students reported bureaucratic hurdles and frustrations with the system. For instance, Jessalyn Morales, a junior at Lehman College in the Bronx, struggled with her SNAP applications, which were rejected five times due to her not working enough hours, contrary to the pandemic rules.

Upon closure of her Lehman College dorm last fall, Morales’ living expenses nearly doubled. She had to choose between paying rent and buying food each week. However, since May, she has been receiving SNAP benefits and can stretch her monthly $260 to cover two months’ worth of food with careful shopping and budgeting.

Both Sais and Morales, in separate interviews, referred to their current situations as “survival mode.” Obergfell emphasised that the anxiety of such survival can breed despair, especially amongst students pursuing higher education to escape generational poverty. “We need to ensure that these students’ basic needs are met so they can fully participate and succeed in college,” he said.

Sais argued that mere survival isn’t enough: “Sometimes I would like to thrive rather than just survive. Fighting all your life is tiring.”

Report by Morga from New York.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about College Students Food Insecurity

More about College Students Food Insecurity

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• College Student Hunger Statistics
• Food Insecurity Among College Students During the Pandemic
• Capital Area Food Bank
• Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
• Swipe Out Hunger