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Title: Rethinking SNAP Benefits for College Students
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2018
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Abstract: × Estimates show half of all college students experience food insecurity; but only 18 percent are eligible for federal food assistance (SNAP). Only 3 percent actually receive benefits. × States are losing out on $4.2 billion in federal resources they could be delivering to college students. ✓ We recommend the federal government simplify the enrollment process and expand eligibility, and that states and institutions improve outreach and coordination. Rethinking SNAP Benefits for College Students February 2018 / Principal Investigator: Tom Allison 2 Hundreds of thousands of college students experience food insecurity every day, a condition characterized by disrupted eating patterns and reduced quality and quantity of diets. The struggling, hungry college student subsiding on ramen noodles or scouring for free pizza at on-campus events has permeated pop culture, but going hungry has deep physical, emotional, and academic effects on students, and in some cases can prevent them from completing school entirely. Often times, this problem can go unnoticed, especially since measuring student hunger requires students to self-report, and the stigma around being unable to meet basic needs can keep students from seeking help. Food insecurity carries serious consequences for student success. In one study, the majority of students experiencing food insecurity reported missing classes and study sessions, and not buying required textbooks. 1 Hunger also impairs cognitive development into adolescence and adulthood, leading to poorer test scores and the inability to fully engage in classes. 2 With roughly half of college students earning a degree on time 3 , and serious disparities for African American and Latinx students 4 , policymakers must consider campus hunger an integral part of our lagging student success rates. Over the past years, researchers and stakeholders have focused on food and housing insecurity as a significant challenge for student success. The Wisconsin HOPE Lab found that 56 percent of community college students experienced low or very low food security. 5 A consortium of groups similarly found that about half of community college students they surveyed reported food insecurity in the last thirty days. 6 The Urban Institute estimated 11.2 percent of students at four-year institutions and and 13.3 percent of community college students experience food insecurity, although those rates represent a decline since 2012. 7 Despite these developments, researchers have yet to produce accurate measurements of the potential solution: the number of college students qualified for and participating in federal food assistance programs. Also lacking are statistically representative estimates at the state level. This matters because state factors facilitate federal food assistance programs, in addition to playing a significant role in higher education policy. The research literature also lacks statically representative estimates of SNAP eligibility and participation by race and ethnicity (although Wisconsin HOPE Lab disaggregates their surveys). This is important considering the serious inequities in our higher education system and that the trends could influence policy decisions or outreach strategies to certain subpopulations. 8
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Authors: Allison, Tom
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Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Education
Countries: United States