USDA Partners With Education Department to Address Food Insecurity Among College Students

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) building in Washington, on July 21, 2007. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Nov. 7 partnered with the Education Department to expand college students’ access to a federal program aimed at providing food assistance to low-income families.

The departments signed a joint agreement to raise awareness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among college students and ensure eligible students have access to SNAP benefits.

The move came after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that about 67 percent of the 3.3 million college students potentially eligible for SNAP did not receive the available benefits.

These students include dependent students who were unable to access SNAP benefits because they did not live with their parents while in college, according to the GAO report.

“This joint agreement represents the commitment of the Department of Education and USDA to work together to ensure low-income students receive all the support they need to afford and complete college,” Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said in a Nov. 7 statement.

The departments said that low-income students will receive emails informing them of their potential eligibility for SNAP benefits, along with details about the program’s rules and how to apply for it.

The departments will also work with colleges to provide students with clear guidance on the program’s requirements and application processes, according to the statement.

To qualify for SNAP, college students must meet the program’s income limits and eligibility criteria, such as enrolling in a work-study program and working at least 20 hours per week, or being a single parent.

“Many of today’s college students are balancing jobs and family responsibilities,” Deputy Under Secretary of Food and Nutrition Service Cindy Long said in a statement. “Access to SNAP ensures that eligible students can focus on their education, mental health, and overall well-being, rather than making difficult choices between groceries, textbooks, or other essentials”

About 23 percent of the 3.8 million college students in the United States experienced food insecurity in 2020, according to the GAO report released on June 24.

Of those, 2.2 million students reported having “very low” food security, meaning they reported multiple instances of eating less or skipping meals due to financial constraints, the report stated.

The USDA announced a new rule on Nov. 1 prohibiting schools from adding junk fees, such as processing fees that increase costs for customers, to meal accounts of students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals.

The rule, set to take effect in the 2027-2028 school year, will cover students from families with income below 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which is equivalent to $57,720 for a family of four.

By law, students eligible for reduced-price meals cannot be charged more than $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch.

The USDA said some families paid more than that amount due to processing fees when depositing money into their student’s school meal account online.