SNAP Benefits for College Students

If you’re in college, using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to help pay for food may not be on your radar. If you’re a college student who’s struggling financially, though, it should be. You may qualify for SNAP, and it may help make ends meet.

Going hungry in college can affect grades, physical and mental health, increase the possibility of depression and stress, and even cause you to drop out. SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps, provides a monthly benefit that helps to pay for food. More than 3.3 million college students are eligible for SNAP, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers it.

SNAP benefits for college students have different requirements than those for households and people who are not attending college. If you are struggling to keep food in the fridge, you may meet these requirements.

Can College Students Get Food Stamps?

Students between the ages of 18 and 49 can get student SNAP benefits if they meet other requirements. Those enrolled less than half-time don’t qualify as students but may qualify for general SNAP benefits.

SNAP benefits are determined by household income. College students must meet at least one exemption to get student Food Stamps. Their school, too, must meet eligibility requirements.

Students must apply for student SNAP through their state of official residence. For example, if you live in Vermont, but attend college in Massachusetts, you would apply in Vermont even though you spend most of the year in Massachusetts.

You can get your state’s SNAP student eligibility information and an online application from the FNS State Directory, or call Project Bread at 1-800-645-8333. Each state has its own guidelines, though they can’t be more restrictive than the federal ones.

Who is Considered a ‘Student’?

You don’t have to be a full-time student to get SNAP benefits. Students may qualify if they are enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. The number of hours that comprise half-time enrollment is determined by the school. Those who don’t qualify because they’re under the limit may still be eligible for regular SNAP benefits.

What is Considered an ‘Institution of Higher Education’?

An institution of higher education is defined, for SNAP purposes, as a regular college or university degree curriculum program, or a business, technical, trade, or vocational school program that requires a high school diploma or equivalent (HiSET or GED). If you’re enrolled in a certificate program that does not require a high school degree, even if you have one, the program doesn’t qualify.

Student Exemptions for SNAP

SNAP rules were created with the belief that college students are still under their parents’ wing and part of their household budget. That’s why the qualification standards for college student SNAP benefits are called “exemptions.” They exempt a student from the restriction that they can’t apply.

Students must meet at least one of the following exemptions to qualify for SNAP for college students:

• Be younger than 18 or older than 49
• Have a physical or mental disability
• Work at least 20 hours a week in paid employment; self-employed students must work at least 20 hours a week and receive weekly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours
• Participate in a state or federally financed work-study program
• Participate in an on-the-job training program
• Care for a child under the age of 6
• Care for a child age 6 to 11, lack childcare that would allow you to attend school, and work 20 hours a week or participate in work-study
• Be a single parent enrolled full-time in college and taking care of a child under age 12
• Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits
• Be enrolled in a TANF Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program
• Be assigned to, placed in, or self-placed in a college or other institution of higher education through:
• A SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program
• A E&T program for low-income households operated by a state or local government and have an equivalent component to SNAP E&T
• A program under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) (PL 113-128)
• A Trade Adjustment Assistance Program under Section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Your local SNAP office can explain the exemptions and review your circumstances if you’re not sure whether you qualify.

What is SNAP?

SNAP is a program that provides support to individuals and households who can’t afford to buy food. The acronym stands for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. “Supplemental” means that it’s meant to supplement a food budget, not cover all food needs. The word “nutritional” is deliberate – SNAP benefits are built around the idea that good nutrition is necessary to living a healthy life. Foods that can be bought with SNAP benefits comply with USDA nutrition guidelines. The program is overseen by the USDA, but administered by states, many of which have their own rules and guidelines beyond the federal ones.

The amount of SNAP benefits a household gets is determined by family size, assets, and income. SNAP for college students works a little differently, since college students are in the unique situation of having an obligation (attending college) that takes much of their time but doesn’t provide an income. Students receiving benefits are not restricted to three months every 36 months like many working SNAP recipients, but get them for a longer period, as determined by their state.

Updates to SNAP Benefits for College Students

In the years since the COVID pandemic, when SNAP benefits for college students were temporarily expanded, bills have been introduced in Congress to make those changes permanent. The most recent was the Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act, in 2024, which would have required higher education institutions that get federal grants for work-study programs to notify students who get the assistance that they may also be eligible for SNAP benefits. None of these efforts, however, have been successful.

SNAP Benefits

SNAP benefits are loaded onto an electronic benefits transfer card (EBT), similar to a debit card. A college EBT card can be used at most stores that sell groceries, including any campus store approved to accept EBT. Many farmers’ markets also allow SNAP benefits. A SNAP EBT card can only be used for specific items.

SNAP benefits pay for:

• Fruit, vegetables
• Meat, poultry, fish
• Dairy products
• Bread, cereal
• Snack food
• Non-alcoholic beverages
• Food-producing seeds and plants

Hot prepared food, like pizza or prepared meals in a grocery store, as well as restaurant meals, are not SNAP EBT eligible.

Frequently Asked Questions About Student Food Assistance

Are Community College Students Eligible for SNAP?

Community college students who are enrolled at least part-time qualify for the same student SNAP benefits as four-year college students, with the same eligibility rules, as long as you’re not living at home while attending classes (see household rules, below). You may also be eligible if you are in a Perkins V Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. If you don’t qualify for student SNAP benefits, you may be eligible for regular benefits or other assistance programs to help you buy food or pay bills. Rules vary by state, so talk to your school resource office about what’s available.

What if I Live With My Parents or a Spouse?

Students who are younger than 22 and live with their parents while they attend school (rather than living on campus or on their own) can’t apply for SNAP separately from their parents. An entire household must apply for benefits, and everyone’s income is considered.

If you live with a spouse or roommate, or several roommates, and buy and prepare food together for at least half of your meals, SNAP defines you as a household. You must apply together, and all forms of income for everyone in the household over the age of 17 count.

Can Students with Meal Plans Qualify for SNAP?

In most states, students with a meal plan that covers half or more of their meals are not eligible for SNAP benefits, even if they meet the other requirements. Check your state’s rules, though – some states are more flexible. For instance, in Massachusetts, the meal plan must provide two-thirds of meals. Your student SNAP benefit is tied to your state of residence, so you go by that state’s rules, not the one the college is in if it’s a different state. A student’s EBT card also cannot be used for college cafeteria meals or other hot prepared food.

Do Summer Breaks Affect SNAP Eligibility?

If you are eligible for SNAP college student benefits, you still qualify during summer break and school vacations, as long as you remain enrolled. Once you graduate, or if you’re suspended, expelled, or drop out, your eligibility ends.

How Do SNAP Benefits Work With Financial Aid?

Students can apply for SNAP without it affecting their financial aid. SNAP also does not count as income, so it has no impact on eligibility for financial aid like Pell grants, federal college loans, work-study income and non-federal student aid used for anything other than living expenses. Financial aid that includes deferred payment loans and veterans’ educational benefits are not counted when applying for SNAP, as long as it is used for education expenses, including tuition, books, and required fees.

The Impact of Hunger on College Students

Some 3.8 million college students, or nearly 20% of students enrolled in college in 2024, experience food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as frequent instances of eating less than what’s needed or skipping meals because you can’t afford food. About 59% of college students who may be eligible for SNAP don’t apply for it, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

College students who are food insecure are more likely to have lower grades and a worse overall academic performance than their counterparts, numerous studies have found. Students who are food insecure are more prone to depression, lack of energy, are more stressed, and make bad decisions. They are more likely to drop out of school before getting a degree, which has an impact on their lifetime earning potential.

“I accessed food assistance when I was in college; without it, I would not have had enough to eat,” Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, said. “Many students have told me about the challenges they face in putting food on the table for themselves and their families while in school.”

Bonamici was a sponsor of the Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act in 2023. If the bill – which was reintroduced and also failed in 2024 – had become law, it would have required colleges and universities to inform students about SNAP benefits. Many students don’t know SNAP is available to them, the GAO found.

Students who are experiencing food insecurity should talk to their school’s resource office. Even if they’re not eligible for student SNAP benefits, they may qualify for regular SNAP benefits or other assistance that can help.

Financial Help for College Students

College is stressful enough without worrying where your next meal will come from or how you’re going to pay your bills. You may be running up credit card debt, paying for groceries or other necessities, adding high monthly payments to the mix. On top of it, you’re likely borrowing student loans that you’re not sure how you’ll be able to pay back, as college costs keep rising.

One place to find help is InCharge Debt Solutions, a nonprofit credit counseling agency. Credit counseling is free. Even if you don’t qualify for student SNAP benefits, the counselor can help you find resources to help pay bills, as well as offer suggestions on how to budget, recommend financial education tools, and more.

You are already doing the hard work of getting an education that will give you a more solid future. Talking to a credit counselor and finding student debt relief is a small step you can take that will lead to less stress and firmer financial footing.