“...Is it really this simple to obtain welfare benefits here in the United States?...”
Yes, it is.
“That being said, the students I know who use food stamps are hard-working, productive individuals whose parents won’t compensate them for the costs of college....”
“Parents won’t compensate”? Wow. And, this from a college conservative.
I’ve always said that I would teach my children the value of a dollar and the value of an education by letting them earn money for college and then paying for it.
My oldest son worked for 2 years after highschool as a laborer in a factory and saved all his money and now he’s in college studying engineering. My second son is currently working in the same factory saving money to go to college in a year or so himself... Such good boys. :-)