July 17, 2019
More than 30% of college students might face food insecurity, and almost 2 million at-risk students did not receive SNAP benefits in 2016, even though they were eligible; Legislation would ensure support to food-insecure students and remove barriers to low-income college students accessing SNAP benefits by expanding the eligibility criteria
Senator Warren and Representative Lawson Introduce the College Student Hunger Act of 2019 to Address Hunger on College Campuses
More than 30% of college students might face food insecurity, and almost 2 million at-risk students did not receive SNAP benefits in 2016, even though they were eligible; Legislation would ensure support to food-insecure students and remove barriers to low-income college students accessing SNAP benefits by expanding the eligibility criteria
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth
Warren (D-Mass.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions, and Representative Al Lawson (D-Fla.), member of the U.S.
House Committee on Agriculture, today introduced the College Student Hunger Act
of 2019, legislation to address food insecurity on college campuses by enabling
more low-income college students to access the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP), and pushing the federal government, states, and
colleges and universities to take a more proactive role in addressing student
food insecurity. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris
(D-Calif.) are Senate cosponsors. Representatives James McGovern (D-Mass.),
Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District
of Columbia), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), and Earl
Blumenauer (D-Ore.) are House cosponsors.
In February 2017, Senator Warren led a letter with Senators Markey, Patty
Murray (D-Wash.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) requesting
a study on food insecurity at colleges and universities.In January 2019, Senator Warren and her colleagues released
the GAO's report, revealing that more than 30% of college students may face
food insecurity. Moreover, while SNAP is the main federal program to address
food insecurity for low-income Americans, the report found that almost 2
million at-risk students who are potentially eligible for SNAP did not receive
benefits in 2016.
"As more and more students struggle to afford college and take on a
mountain of student loan debt, nearly one-in-three college students cannot even
afford basic necessities like food," Senator Warren said. "Our
bill will ensure students have the support they need to work toward a better
future without going hungry."
"Food insecurity is a real concern for many college students across our
nation," said Representative Lawson. "The
significant increase in college tuition over the last decade has forced
students to make a choice between buying food or paying for books and housing
expenditures. This bill will help to relieve some of that financial burden for
them. I am proud to work with Sen. Warren to introduce this critical piece of
legislation."
"We have the food, the resources, and the infrastructure to end hunger
in America - but what we lack is the political willpower," said
Representative McGovern. "Too often, we stereotype what hunger
and food insecurity looks like and stigmatize those who use anti-hunger
programs, but the reality is that nearly 40 million Americans experience
hunger, and there isn't a community or a college campus in this country that is
hunger-free. That's why I am proud to join Senator Warren and Representative
Lawson in introducing this important plan to help make sure that college
students can focus on learning, and not on where their next meal will come
from."
The College Student Hunger Act will address student hunger by increasing
low-income college students' ability to access SNAP, testing new ways SNAP can
be administered on college campuses, and increasing awareness about student
eligibility for SNAP. Specifically, the bill:
- Increases low-income
college students' ability to receive SNAP: Expands the list
of criteria that permits low-income college students to apply for SNAP by
allowing Pell Grant-eligible students and independent students (e.g., who
are in foster care, who are veterans, or who are homeless) to apply for
benefits. The bill also lowers SNAP's 20 hours per-week work requirement
for college students to 10 hours.
- Increases outreach to
eligible students: Requires the Department of Education to
notify low-income students who are eligible for a Pell Grant that they may
be eligible for SNAP, and to refer them to states' SNAP application
websites.
- Creates a SNAP student
hunger pilot program: Requires the Departments of
Agriculture and Education to run demonstration pilot projects to test ways
to make SNAP more useful to college students, such as allowing students to
use SNAP to purchase prepared food from dining halls or allowing students
to apply the cash value of their benefit to directly offset the cost of a
student meal plan.
- Increases awareness
of student eligibility for SNAP: Implements the GAO's
recommendations by requiring the Department of Agriculture to increase
awareness among states and colleges about student hunger, student
eligibility for SNAP, and how states and colleges can help eligible
students access and use their SNAP benefits. Requires the Department of
Agriculture's Inspector General to audit the agency's outreach practices
to make colleges and universities more aware of student eligibility for
SNAP.
The bill is endorsed by elected officials in Massachusetts, including Senate
Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico, Senator Anne Gobi, Representative
Smitty Pignatelli, and Representative Jeffrey N. Roy.
"All across my district and throughout the Commonwealth, there are
students at our institutions of higher learning who face food insecurity as a
reality of their day-to-day lives, both in and outside the classroom, putting
their academic success at risk. As a State Senator representing some of
Massachusetts's most high-need communities, I have heard from countless
students who struggle to get by and are unsure of where their next meal will
come from. I am proud of the ongoing work we are doing here on the state level
to remove barriers to nutritional assistance, and I know Senator Warren's
legislation would be instrumental in helping to ensure that our students have
access to the nutrition they need. Our Senator has been a tireless advocate for
college students for many years, and she is once again advocating for them by
fighting to close the SNAP Gap on our college campuses and beyond. We are very
fortunate to have her as our partner on this issue, and I applaud her
commitment to fighting food insecurity for our nation's most vulnerable
residents." - MA Senate Assistant Majority Leader Sal
DiDomenico
"As a former teacher, I know that a student who is hungry is a student
that is not concentrating on their studies. I appreciate Senator Warren's
leadership and her work to combat food insecurity. Many college students,
especially the non-traditional student who may also have a family, will be
greatly helped by this legislation." - MA State Senator Anne
Gobi, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education and Senate Chair
of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture
"The last thing any student who works day and night to finance their
education should have to worry about is being hungry. I want to thank Senator
Warren and Congressman Lawson for championing the fight against food insecurity
and all of their efforts towards raising national awareness about student
hunger." -MA State
Representative Smitty Pignatelli, House Chair of the Joint Committee on
Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture
"In my work as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education,
I have heard stories from too many students facing food insecurity. I am
thrilled to see Senator Warren's introduction of the College Student Hunger
Act, a plan to address this issue on our college campuses. In many instances,
college students are forced to choose between school necessities and food,
which has a direct impact on their opportunity to learn. And with ever
increasing education costs, this legislation would provide concrete ways to
assist students with the nutrition they need to thrive. By allowing students
access to SNAP benefits and notifying students of their eligibility, Senator
Warren's bill would ensure that students do not go hungry. With over 30 percent
of our students facing some form of food insecurity, and millions of others
at-risk, the time to address these issues is here. The College Student Hunger
Act takes important steps to provide relief." - MA State
Representative Jeffrey N. Roy, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher
Education
The bill is also endorsed by a number of organizations: Massachusetts
Association of Community Colleges, Project Bread, Massachusetts Law Reform
Institute, First Focus Campaign for Children, UCLA Undergraduate Students
Association, Children's HealthWatch, Challah for Hunger, National Coalition for
the Homeless, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Florida Impact
to End Hunger, National Center on Housing and Child Welfare, Center for Law and
Social Policy, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, CUNY Urban Food Policy
Institute, Hunger Free Vermont, Vermont Food Bank, Feeding America, Food
Research & Action Center, National Network for Youth, SchoolHouse
Connection, Hope Center for
College, Community, and Justice, National Women’s Law
Center, Bread for the World, Swipe Out Hunger, American Council on
Education, and the Council of Graduate Schools.
"The fifteen Massachusetts Community Colleges strongly support the
College Student Hunger Act of 2019. Hunger is not just a poverty issue - it's
also a student success issue. Thank you to Senator Warren and Representative
Lawson for their leadership to expand SNAP eligibility and remove barriers for
low-income students who are too hungry to learn." -
Tom Sannicandro, Director of the
Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges
"Project Bread is committed to preventing and ending hunger in
Massachusetts, and in recent years, our work has included assisting college
students who, while in pursuit of higher education, have experienced hunger. In
serving these students, most of whom are currently ineligible for SNAP (food
stamps), we recognize that broadening the eligibility requirements of this
program is the only way to ensure all students can stay focused on their
education. We applaud our Massachusetts Senator, Elizabeth Warren, as well as
Congressman Al Lawson, for prioritizing hunger, and we encourage college
students in Massachusetts to call our FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333) for
assistance accessing food, including with screening and application assistance
for SNAP."- Erin McAleer, President, Project Bread
"We can no longer ignore the growing crisis of food insecurity in the
Commonwealth or the nation, especially among the growing body of
non-traditional students. Our investments in higher education are eviscerated
if students are unable to learn due to hunger and/or homelessness. Mass Law
Reform and our poverty law colleagues heartily applaud Senators Warren and
Markey for both pursuing the GAO report and filing this critical legislation to
ensure core federal nutrition benefits reach students in need." - Pat Baker, Senior Policy Analyst, MA Law Reform Institute
"Today with one in five college students parenting children, ensuring
systems are working for families is an essential first step toward taking away
the stress of affording enough food. This bill will result in healthier adults
and children who are ready to learn and work." - Dr.
Megan Sandel, pediatrician and co-lead principal investigator for Children's
HealthWatch
"Challah for Hunger urged the GAO in 2017 to respond to Senator
Warren's request to assess food insecurity on college campuses, an issue that
we know is deeply affecting our communities and one that thousands of our
volunteers are addressing through the Campus Hunger Project. This bill will
help almost 2 million college students access SNAP, one of the most effective
federal programs in reducing food insecurity, which is why we are proud to
endorse it." -Miriam Lipschutz, Program Manager at Challah for
Hunger
"Poor health and achievement outcomes are well documented among young
children who experience hunger and homelessness with their families. But older
learners can suffer in similar ways from the struggle to learn while barely
meeting their basic human needs. It is imperative that we ensure all of those
working to broaden their education, and their opportunities, can access the
healthy food necessary to achieve their best." - Megan
Hustings, Director, National Coalition for the Homeless
"Massachusetts health centers are on the front lines of providing care
to communities most impacted by poverty and food insecurity, and understand
that these challenges follow students who leave lower-income communities for
college in search of better opportunities for their families. Access to SNAP
for students in need will help ensure that they can focus on obtaining their
degrees and ultimately bring their talents and training back to underserved
communities." - James W. Hunt, Jr. , President & CEO,
Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
"While hundreds of food pantries have sprung up on campuses in recent
years to provide temporary assistance to hungry students, federal food
benefits-particularly SNAP-remain the most effective and efficient response to
hunger among college students. We are proud of our role in calling national
attention to this critically important issue, which led to the Government
Accountability Office finding earlier this year that almost 2 million
low-income students potentially eligible for SNAP are not participating in the
program. MAZON is grateful to Senator Warren and Congressman Lawson for
introducing the College Student Hunger Act, which will take important steps to
clarify and expand SNAP eligibility, ensure that institutions help students
access benefits, and test new models to optimize SNAP participation." -
Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish
Response to Hunger
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