College students, stressed about federal food aid uncertainty, look to campuses for support

The Associated Press ^ | November 8, 2025 | BY SOPHIE AUSTIN

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Acorn squash, Spam and baby food lined the shelves on a recent day at a college food pantry in California’s capital city, a resource that students receiving federal aid to purchase groceries may have to increasingly rely on because that assistance has been in limbo during the government shutdown.

Hundreds of students at California State University, Sacramento, or Sac State, visit the school’s Basic Needs Resource Center every week, where they can select up to a dozen items per trip — ranging from fresh produce and meat to toiletries and secondhand clothes.

“It’s a big blessing,” said Antonette Duff, a junior studying psychology at the university who’s enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

More than 3,600 students at the college of roughly 31,000 receive aid through SNAP, said Emily Tupper, the college’s director of Crisis Assistance and Resource Education Support. More than 200,000 college students in California and 1.1 million nationwide are on SNAP, according to the state’s Department of Social Services and the U.S. Government Accountability Office, respectively.

Many students are facing tuition and housing bills, juggling classes, and often working lower paying part-time jobs that make it difficult to afford groceries, with prices on the rise.

“It just puts students in a really horrible position,” said Mike Hannigan, a student at Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts and an advocate against food insecurity on college campuses.

Hannigan receives just under $300 a month from SNAP, but the benefits didn’t come through at the beginning of November due to government delays.

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: college; education; snap; socialism; welfaretruth

[Flavious_Maximus]

These “students” can afford to go to college but they can’t afford food?

This is the insanity of entitlement ushered in by the Rat party. Next these students will demand free housing, free transportation, free healthcare. Oh wait, they already are. /spit

[Brian Griffin]

“Top Ramen”

That’s not cheap anymore.

Making soup from boxed pasta and canned/fresh veggies is probably his best option.

[JOHN ADAMS]

The Babylon Bee had an article a few days ago about SNAP recipients trying without success to figure out what they could do to exchange their labor and time for money which they could then use to buy food.

[gcparent]

2.50 a day? A can of vegetables a dollar store is $1.50.

[cyclotic]

I graduated with $7.49 to my name. I was a typical broke college student. Just like I was supposed to be.

[Brian Griffin]

whole wheat bread and eggs tended to be my low point diet

[Brian Griffin]

“A can of vegetables a dollar store is $1.50.”

Corn & green beans are 50 cents a can at Walmart and Aldi.

Peas are 76 cents a can.

Let me now check on my dried pea soup on the burner.

[Brian Griffin]

It helps to turn on the burner.

[grobdriver]

a resource that students receiving federal aid to purchase groceries may have to increasingly rely on because that assistance has been in limbo during the government shutdown.

Here's a clue - GET A FRIKIN' JOB!

Millions of us worked our way through college - some of us with families. We managed.

[Brian Griffin]

“dollar store”

Dollar stores don’t offer anywhere near as many good deals as they once did.

[FamiliarFace]

You were smart. You got protein in there!

[Brian Griffin]

College is for learning.

Learn to live on little and manage money.

Learn to cook.

Learn how to get and keep a job.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Yeah, the days of 10-for-a-dollar ramen are gone. I just used it as a stereotypical example of cheap college-student food.

[55Ford]

If you can't afford to feed yourself; then, you can't afford to go to college. Get a job and quit being a leach.

[bert]

On Monday, at A&P, day old french bread was always on sale at a ridiculous cheap price. It was right next to the bin of dented vegatable cans.

The french bread and some cheese was lunch for the week

[FamiliarFace]

Very good! We don’t teach our kids how to purchase wisely any more.

It takes a lot of discipline, but it can be turned into a game to get your groceries for whatever you can afford. Maybe they should have high school classes that teach these kids the basics. Home economics left the building years ago, unfortunately, but it should be a required course before one graduates from high school.

[FreedomNotSafety]

My county’s jail feeds the prisoner for $1.90 a day. Could be cheaper says the county sheriff but he has some compassion, more likely wants to keep the votes of the inmates relatives, and provides a decent variety. The even serve an excellent chocolate chip cookie.

The Snappers should get their meals there.

[eyeamok]

Bean and cheese burritos, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, top ramen and chunky soup, lots of ways to eat cheap/ My brother and I did it, they can too

[vetvetdoug]

I worked two part time jobs and was in the ANG while I was in professional school. Study time was at a premium and at times I was ill prepared for the exams but when I graduated I didn't owe one red cent.

[ActresponsiblyinVA]

I bet they all own expensive phones.