Addressing Food Insecurity Among College Students with Children
Key Takeaway
College students who care for a child under the age of six and who meet general SNAP requirements for their state likely qualify for SNAP.
Food insecurity is a growing issue for college students. Many believe most college students are receiving financial support from their families or are on a meal plan. However, more students are coming from low-income families with little to no financial support,and some are supporting families of their own. In fact, 4.8 million college students are raising children, and in 2019, 53 percent of parenting students reported experiencing food insecurity.
SNAP is an important resource for fighting food insecurity among students. However, confusing program rules may be keeping many students from applying. That’s why mRelief has worked to optimize its eligibility screener to help college students easily find out if they likely qualify for SNAP. Let’s look at how students with dependents might qualify for SNAP benefits.
First, let’s define who is a student:
According to the Federal Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers the SNAP program, a student is anyone aged 18-49 who is enrolled in a higher ed institution at least half time.
⭐️ The “half-time” status is determined by the higher ed institution and can vary depending on the institution.
By default, students enrolled half time or greater are ineligible for SNAP unless they can claim a student eligibility exemption. Students who are enrolled less than half time do not need to meet one of these exemptions. Students are also ineligible if they receive more than half of their meals from an institutional meal plan.
Next, let’s look at the specific exemptions for students with dependents:
For a student to qualify for SNAP, they will need to meet the general SNAP eligibility requirements AND meet one of the student exemptions. Let’s take a look at the exemptions that specifically apply to students who are parents. These exemptions apply to student parents who:
- Care for a child under the age of 6.
- Care for a child aged 6 to 11 and lack the necessary child care enabling you to attend school and work 20 hours a week or participate in work-study.
- Are a single parent enrolled full-time in college and taking care of a child under age 12.
- Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance.
Finally, let’s take a look at some scenarios where students with children could qualify for SNAP:
Story: Lisa is a full-time undergraduate student and cares for her 5 year old son, Jamie, without additional support. Lisa works part time to support herself and her son.
Does Lisa likely qualify for SNAP?
Yes, why: Lisa may be eligible for SNAP because she is a single parent enrolled full time and cares for a child under the age of 12. It’s important to note that Lisa will still need to meet the income, asset, and other eligibility requirements in her state in order to qualify for SNAP.
Story: Paulina is a part-time graduate student who takes classes at night and works full time during the day to support herself and her 2 children. Paulina cares for her 10 year old daughter and her 6 year old son Jacob.
Does Paulina likely qualify for SNAP?
Yes, why: Paulina may likely be eligible for SNAP because she cares for 2 children under the age of 12 and she is enrolled in school at least half time. Again it’s important to note that Paulina would need to meet the income, asset, and other eligibility requirements in order to qualify for SNAP.
Story: Adam and Morgan are married and both care for their 3 year old daughter Darlene. Adam is a full-time graduate student and is unable to work due to school and his wife Morgan is currently unemployed.
Do Adam and Morgan likely qualify for SNAP?
Yes, why: Adam and Morgan likely qualify for SNAP because Adam is enrolled in school full-time and is unable to work and he and his wife are caring for a child under the age of six
Providing clarity about SNAP student exemptions could be the first step to fighting food insecurity among college students. If you or someone you know needs help with food take mRelief’s eligibility screener to find out if you likely qualify for SNAP today!
Learn More
There are a lot more student exemptions that may apply to some students. Learn more about general student eligibility here.