Gillibrand reintroduces Enhance Access to SNAP Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. | Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand reintroduced the Enhance Access to SNAP (EATS) Act, which would expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility to all college students attending 2- and 4-year universities who meet traditional SNAP income and eligibility requirements. Current SNAP eligibility rules only include college students working 20 hours per week or participating in a federal or state work study, or those who meet very specific exemptions. The EATS Act would permanently ensure that low-income college students have equitable access to SNAP benefits by amending the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to include "attending an institution of higher education" as another form of qualification in addition to work. With this change, an estimated 470,000 New York college students would qualify for SNAP assistance, including as many as 290,000 newly eligible students. "No college student should have to scrounge for food or wonder where they'll get their next meal," said Sen. Gillibrand. "Food insecurity is a crisis that plagues low-income college students in New York and beyond, and we must do more to combat it. The EATS Act would eliminate work-for-food barriers for low-income students and ensure that as many as 4 million college students nationwide can access the SNAP benefits they need to learn and thrive. This legislation is critical, and I'm committed to fighting for its passage." According to The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University, food insecurity is a serious problem on college campuses across the nation, especially for students of color, first generation students, low-income students, and students at community colleges. In 2023-2024, 41 percent of college students experienced food insecurity. Students of color were more likely to experience basic needs insecurity: 74 percent of Indigenous, 72 percent of Black, and 67 percent of Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian students experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity, and/or homelessness. Representatives Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Harder (D-CA), and Alma Adams (D-NC) lead companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. "Too many students are working toward a degree while quietly struggling with hunger," said Rep. Gomez. "No student should have to choose between focusing on their finals or finding their next meal. It is essential that college students, especially first-generation students and students of color, don't fall through the cracks. The EATS Act will expand access to SNAP benefits for students and ensure that hunger doesn't stand in the way of a degree or a better life." The full text of the bill can be found here.

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Gillibrand reintroduces Enhance Access to SNAP Act

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