Gillibrand proposes bill expanding SNAP benefits for college students

Washington, D.C. — Proposed legislation aims to address food insecurity among college students.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is proposing the Enhanced Access to SNAP (EATS) Act, which would expand SNAP access to college students.

Gillibrand says, according to a 2019 survey by SUNY, 55% of community college students reported they were facing hunger, along with 41% of four-year college students.

Under the bill, students would no longer have to perform 20 hours of outside work per week or a work study in order to access SNAP benefits. Such requirements, she says, only exacerbate the problem.

“This change would mean 470,000 New York college students would qualify for SNAP, including as many as 290,000 eligible students who would no longer have to worry about how to fit a part-time job or pay for their next meal, and could instead focus solely on their studies,” said Gillibrand. “This is the right thing to do for students who are really the future of our state and of our country.”