*NEW* Watchdog Report: College Students Experiencing Hunger Face Barriers Accessing SNAP Benefits
WASHINGTON – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on how many college students experiencing hunger apply for and receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The GAO found that an estimated 23 percent of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020. And, of those food insecure students, a majority reported multiple instances of eating less, or skipping a meal because they could not afford enough food. The GAO estimated that fewer than two in five food insecure students were eligible for SNAP benefits, but of those students, 59 percent who were eligible did not receive benefits.
The report was requested by House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott (GA-13), after Congress temporarily expanded college students’ eligibility for food assistance in 2021 in response to increased food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Research has long shown that food insecurity affects students’ academic outcomes. Unfortunately, today’s GAO report affirms that too many college students are unable to escape hunger as they pursue their educational goals” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “Congress must ensure that students who are eligible for SNAP benefits have access to these benefits and that colleges are proactively informing students of the benefits available to them. As the cost of attending college continues to rise, Congress can and should do more to support food insecure students and provide them with the resources they need to graduate.”
“I am fighting to improve food security by maintaining a robust SNAP program. And I have also added $100 million dollars for our 1890s Land Grant African American Colleges and Universities student scholarship program in our Farm Bill,” said Ranking Member David Scott.
As part of the Education and the Workforce Committee’s Roadmap to College Student Success, several Committee members have introduced legislation to help college students experiencing hunger. In January 2023, Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Mark Takano (CA-39) introduced the Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act, which requires colleges to inform students in the Federal Work Study (FWS) program that they may qualify for SNAP benefits. Institutions would also give qualifying students official documentation of their eligibility, overcoming a common hurdle students face when applying for SNAP benefits. In February 2024, Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05) introduced the Closing the College Hunger Gap Act, which requires students to be notified of their SNAP eligibility based on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Together, these bills would increase the amount of information college students receive about potential SNAP benefits.
To read the full report entitled, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Estimated Eligibility and Receipt among Food Insecure College Students,” click here. GAO plans to release additional findings about college student access to SNAP benefits later this year.
To learn more about the Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act, click here.
To learn more about the Roadmap to College Student Success, click here.
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