When it comes to food assistance, most people think about families in need who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With 41.7 million people served on average per month, SNAP supports a large part of the US population, and is the largest nutrition assistance program in the nation. However, food insecurity also applies to college students — and for many of them, SNAP is inaccessible. In fact, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has compared that of the 3.3 million college students it identified to be eligible for SNAP, 67% reported not receiving benefits. That’s roughly 2.2 million students.

Ultimately, despite the well reported and astounding numbers of those who are hungry, many college students are left without benefits — and without food

Why is that? A blend of misguided federal and institutional policies, a lack of information, and the misalignment of colleges with students and governments are working against students who could benefit from SNAP. Ultimately, despite the well reported and astounding numbers of those who are hungry, many college students are left without benefits — and without food.

We live in a country where the cost of higher education is rising, and recent federal policies are making education itself less accessible. Now, because of The Great American Heist, a.k.a., The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” there will be drastic cuts to both higher education and the SNAP program, placing more pressure on the supports students won’t have anymore.

Misguided Assumptions About SNAP

As a federal rule, college students enrolled more than half time are ineligible unless they can meet certain exemptions is just one of the many reasons some college students are not SNAP-eligible. This presumes that college students, specifically full time, have enough existing means of support like their family, financial aid, and/or institutional resources. However, many students do not have these supports.

Here are some factors to consider in terms of college affordability:

• Undergraduate tuition has increased far beyond the rate of inflation since the start of the 21st century.
• The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” places limits on lifetime borrowing for both undergraduate and graduate students, limiting access to more expensive educational programs. The now-law also makes it more difficult for non-citizens to access SNAP, it will cut federal funding for the program, and require cost-sharing with states which may not be able to afford it.

College Students’ SNAP Eligibility Requirements

Exemptions must be met on top of the other eligibility requirements. The general requirements already set a certain income limit, which identifies those who need support to afford food.

Data shows that students enrolled full time have higher graduation rates, proving it is better to support students who are already fully committed to get them to their goal. So, working 20 hours per week or participating in federal work study, which are two circumstances that grant exemption, on top of potentially already having a low income does not help further identify those who need benefits. It doesn’t more accurately assess a student’s income either. Further, students enrolled full time already focus so much of their time on their academics, that working a job leaves less of their time to study.

Lack of Resources to Learn About SNAP-Eligibility

Students also lack resources that can help them learn about eligibility and how to apply.

• Colleges don’t prioritize hiring staff to fill this role for example. Hiring staff may be expensive for some institutions, but officials the GAO has contacted stated “linking students directly to an application or support staff” is one of the best ways to inform students.
• The GAO also found that the Department of Education’s direct communication strategy with students was unclear and potentially not completely effective. The GAO reported “Education began providing a notification about federal benefit programs for students who may be eligible for them. However, it has not evaluated its method for identifying potentially eligible students.” GAO says the Department of Education could be missing “40% of potentially SNAP-eligible students.”

University policies play a role too. Many of them require students to enroll in a campus meal plan despite these plans preventing otherwise SNAP-eligible students from receiving benefits.

• The requirement to enroll is typically for underclass students who must also live on campus. For these students, meal plans can provide access to prepared meals on campus which can be a convenient and consistent way to get food.
• Meal plans can be expensive, contributing to the high cost of education though. This is especially true if students cannot opt out.
• Some plans also don’t provide three meals a day or meals every day of the week. If it provides most of a student’s meals, though, they are not eligible for SNAP. This prevents SNAP from filling in the gaps for students the way it does for other Americans.
• Cost, in conjunction with these restrictive policies from universities and the USDA, can put students from low-income backgrounds in an expensive and insecure place.

Even for the students that ultimately receive SNAP benefits, they can be difficult to use. Recipients wanting to buy unprepared foods like groceries have many businesses across the nation that provide what they need and accept benefits. For elderly, unhoused, and disabled individuals though, this doesn’t fully meet their needs since preparing meals using groceries can be a challenge.

A Promising New Federal Program — with a Catch

A federal program called the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) was recently created by the USDA to help expand SNAP benefits. It allows restaurants, which sell prepared meals, to accept benefits from individuals in these populations. Currently, only nine states have RMP, and some of them have more restaurants that participate than others.

For example, looking at RMP in Maryland, not a single restaurant participating is a college cafeteria, despite cafeterias being eligible to apply. For elderly, unhoused, and disabled students who qualify for RMP, this limits their ability to access prepared meals in the area where they likely spend much of their time.

Community college cafeterias are especially important to consider for RMP, since data shows about 3 out of 4 of Maryland students who were unhoused in high school, first enroll in a community college when pursuing college. Here’s what I found out:

• Currently, at least eight of the 16 community colleges in Maryland operate their cafeteria through a vendor. This may simplify food service for a college or reduce related costs, but it adds an external party with its own priorities and processes.
• Beyond limited participation, the restaurants that do participate in RMP in Maryland do not have many healthy options. For those who are unable to prepare meals themselves, this quality issue reduces the program’s usefulness.

Conclusion

Solving student hunger requires colleges and governments to think of food access as a core issue in educational equity and national investment. Ensuring that college students can actually use SNAP means recognizing their needs based on data representing their real situations. And expanding access is about fairness, opportunity, and investing in the future.

Misale Endrias is an EdTrust communications intern.

As part of our commitment to elevating diverse perspectives, EdTrust occasionally features guest blogs. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect EdTrust’s views or positions.

Photo by Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library