Only 18% of eligible college students participate in SNAP
There is a widely held myth that college students are not eligible for SNAP. This myth is partially driven by messaging from the Federal Nutrition Service which administers the SNAP program. While there are specific exemptions required for college students to be eligible for SNAP, many students who are at highest risk for food insecurity will meet one of these exemptions.
A recent study estimates that 18% of college students are likely eligible for SNAP. A further 18% of those students who are eligible are actually receiving SNAP benefits. That amounts to roughly 3.2 million students who are likely eligible but not receiving SNAP. A different study estimates that 43% of eligible students participate in SNAP. Considering that the participation rate for the full SNAP-eligible population is closer to 85%, college students represent a large gap in SNAP participation.
The Impact of Food Insecurity on College Students
Even when using the most conservative estimates, research suggests 1 in 10 college students experience food insecurity. College students who are food insecure take longer to graduate from college and graduate at lower rates. Hunger has also been shown to negatively affect physical and mental health and impact student course performance and learning.
College hunger is more prevalent among black and brown students, community college students, and those who are financially independent or have dependents.
mRelief is Working to Connect More Students to SNAP
mRelief partners with colleges and universities to connect with students who are likely eligible for SNAP. These partnerships leverage targeted outreach, link placements, flyers, and other marketing efforts to reach college students. In August of 2021 alone, mRelief helped 321 college students find out they were eligible.
To quickly find out if a college student meets one of the required student exemptions, you can download and use mRelief’s college student SNAP eligibility flowchart.
We are actively looking to partner with additional colleges and universities to continue to address the gap in college student SNAP participation. If you’re interested in working with us please visit mrelief.com/partner_with_us
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