Most College Students Eligible for SNAP Did Not Receive Benefits: Report
Credit: Lindsey Nicholson / UCG / Universal Images Group / Getty Images- The majority of college students who were eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits didn’t take advantage of them.
- Students attending college more than half time face greater SNAP restrictions.
- One expert says SNAP eligibility rules for college students need reform.
A new report found that in 2020, almost a quarter of college students were food insecure. Most of the students eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits didn’t receive them.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a June report finding that only 2 in 5 food-insecure college students were eligible for SNAP benefits, the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. And of those eligible, 59% did not take advantage of the program.
Robb Friedlander is the director of advocacy at Swipe Out Hunger, a nonprofit organization working with college campuses to end student hunger. He told BestColleges that the organization believes there are three main reasons why more eligible students don’t use the benefits:
- Rules and applications that confuse students and state agencies
- A lack of resources for assistance and awareness on campus
- The work requirement of 20 hours per week for students whose course load status is half-time or greater
While SNAP benefits are generally available to households with incomes not exceeding 130% of the federal poverty level, the Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1980 made it significantly harder for college students to meet eligibility.
According to the report, Congress restricted college student access because it was concerned that students from higher-income families were qualifying for SNAP by appearing to have a low income while in college.
A college student must fulfill the typical requirements and meet an exemption to be eligible for SNAP benefits. However, the report points out that even if students meet one of the exemptions, they may not qualify if they live on campus and get over half of their meals from a college meal plan.
“Often, even if students are eligible, the state agency workers do not know the intricacies of the eligibility criteria and incorrectly deny the student,” Friedlander told BestColleges. “Students can appeal this decision but often find the process so complicated and lack guidance to help them through it.”
The only way a student doesn’t have to adhere to the college-student-specific requirements is if they’re attending college less than half time. However, 79% of the food-insecure college student population attended college at least half time, according to the report.
SNAP Exemptions for College Students
College students must meet the regular SNAP requirements, plus be one of the following:
- Under 18 or over 50
- A parent of a child under 6
- A parent of a child aged 6-11 years old who can’t obtain childcare during school and work
- A single-parent, full-time student with a child under 12
- Someone who works at least 20 hours per week
- Participant in a work-study program
- Recipient of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits
- Someone who has a physical or intellectual disability
- Employment and training program enrollee
About 3.3 million students (about 67%) who were potentially eligible for SNAP benefits worked at least 20 hours a week while being in school more than half time.
Friedlander said the 20-hour work requirement is the largest roadblock to students accessing SNAP benefits, blocking about 3 million students from SNAP. He said the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 removed this requirement until it became law again in 2023.
Friedlander said there’s not enough awareness about SNAP, but once students learn about it, they face a confusing and intense world to receive benefits.
However, Swipe Out Hunger has found a way to improve college students’ awareness of and access to SNAP benefits. The organization has a food pantry and basic needs center staff members to guide students on campus through the application and appeals process if they’re incorrectly denied.
“While many institutions are increasing the awareness of SNAP on their campuses, this does little to increase enrollment if they are not providing the staff and resources to move students through the application process,” Friedlander told BestColleges.
Who Is Experiencing Food Insecurity?
The study found that the following student groups experienced food insecurity at higher rates:
- Nontraditional students
- Single-parent students
- Gender-nonconforming students
- Students with disabilities
- Students from for-profit and minority-serving institutions
Although more students experiencing food insecurity attend public and nonprofit colleges, a higher ratio of food-insecure to non-food-insecure students attended for-profit institutions.
Food insecurity is also highest among historically Black college and university (HBCU) students. GOA found an estimated 38% of students who attended an HBCU were food insecure compared to an estimated 20% at non-minority-serving institutions.
Most students (80%) experiencing food insecurity were nontraditional college students and about 18% were single parents. However, 39% of single parents eligible for SNAP didn’t report receiving SNAP benefits.
About a third of all food-insecure students reported having a disability, and genderqueer or gender-nonconforming students experienced food insecurity at a higher rate than male or female students.
Most students eligible for SNAP also received a Pell Grant, and about 13% of students eligible for SNAP didn’t complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Fighting Food Insecurity in College
After COVID-19 SNAP exemptions ended in June 2023, the U.S. Department of Education urged colleges to reach out with SNAP information to students enrolled at least half-time who were eligible for work-study or have an expected family contribution (EFC), now called student aid index (SAI), of zero.
The University of Northern Colorado is fighting food insecurity through the Bear Pantry, a free store where students can shop for groceries; a meal-sharing program; and a student hub where students can get additional resources and apply for SNAP.
“So it even gives a warm handoff to those students who come in and need more resources and having our volunteers and our students be able to walk them over so they can get resources right then and there, making that even more accessible,” Taylor Schiestel, director of student outreach and support and head of the Bear Pantry, said last year.
Pennsylvania continued its PA Hunger-Free grants to 30 colleges to address food insecurity, expand access to food options, create awareness initiatives, and upgrade facilities. The Community College of Allegheny County is using its $13,600 grant and Kutztown University is using its $60,000 grant for food initiatives and to connect more students to SNAP benefits.