Rachel Brown had a full ride with a meal plan in college. But when she started graduate school during the pandemic, it became hard to afford a balanced diet.
Starting out as a first-year master’s student, studying agricultural education at the University of Florida, she budgeted $50 a month for groceries on her income as a graduate assistant. Fruits and vegetables were often too expensive, she said, so she tried to get food that would last a while like pretzels and chips. She ate dry cereal from the food pantry sometimes because she’s lactose intolerant, and lactose-free milk felt like a splurge.
“I found myself cutting back, not having as much or eating as much because it was coming out of my pocket,” she said. “On a graduate assistantship, there’s not a lot of expendable funds, specifically funds for food, when everything really goes to rent and utilities.”
Now, Brown receives $234 a month for food from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which was temporarily expanded to include students eligible for work study and students with an Expected Family Contribution of zero, like Brown.
The U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, issued guidance to colleges and universities on Feb. 23, informing them of the new SNAP eligibility standards for students, in place until 30 days after the public health crisis is over.
“It’s been really nice not to worry about that one bill, the grocery bill,” Brown said.
Typically, most college students, enrolled at least half time, don’t qualify for the program. Before, a student had to be engaged in a work study program, but if they were eligible but unable to nab a work study job, they couldn’t participate in SNAP.
