Please use this form to sign on to a national letter of support to congressional leaders on H.R. 1919 and S. 2515 The Enhanced Access To SNAP Act of 2021 (EATS Act). The text of the full letter is below.
Questions? Andrew Cheyne (
andrew@cafoodbanks.org)
____________________________________
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
[DATE]
As Americans work to increase vaccination rates and prevent the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant in unvaccinated communities, our organizations having been working to prevent hunger amongst vulnerable households. The investments made by the Families First Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (S. 748) have gone a long way to prevent hunger, but they are not enough and leave behind certain demographics. Thankfully, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133; Pub. Law 116-120) made critical, yet temporary, provisions to support a population of Americans that already experiences hunger at very high rates: College Students.
As Congress considers a reconciliation package, we call on you to make permanent changes to the rules that deny SNAP to low-income American solely due to their status as a college student. H.R. 1919/ S. 2515, the Enhance Access to SNAP Act of 2021 (EATS Act), introduced by Representatives Gomez, Harder, Panetta and Senators Gillibrand, Van Hollen, Smith, Leahy, Booker and Sanders would make this change and we urge its passage or inclusion in future COVID-19 relief legislation.
In 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that analyzed more than two dozen studies on food insecurity among college students, concluding that college students experiencing hunger have a harder time succeeding in school. They also found that some two million students at risk of going hungry were potentially eligible for food aid through the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) but did not receive the benefit. This is, in part, due to a provision in federal law which bans the participation of college students who otherwise meet the income eligibility rules in SNAP unless they qualify for an exception such as being connected to work-study or participating in 20 hours of work activity per week.
The SNAP Student Rule is problematic to begin with, but the COVID-19 pandemic exposed how counterproductive they are to improving the economic well-being of students pursuing a higher education. Most colleges and universities shut down fully for much of the early pandemic, and due to the spread of the delta variant are still experiencing significant disruption into the fall semester. As college students moved off campus and classes moved online, on-campus and near-campus jobs disappeared. What’s more, three out of four college students who were expecting summer work experience or employment have seen these slots cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of jobs and work experience left these students without a way to qualify for an exemption to the SNAP Student Rule. While college classes continue and with limited job opportunities in a recovering economy, withholding nutrition support from this population that already experiences high rates of hunger is cruel and unnecessary.
New research demonstrates that COVID-19 has worsened hunger among higher education students, with nearly 1 in 4 students becoming less food secure, on top of existing food insecurity, with deep disparities for racial and ethnic minority students. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice found 75% of Indigenous, 70% of Black, and 70% of American Indian or Alaska Native students experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity, and/or homelessness.
Thankfully, the provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133; Pub. Law 116-120) made two critical, if temporary, changes to the SNAP student rule. From January 16, 2020, until 1 month following the expiration of the public health emergency declaration, students with a $0 Expected Family Contribution, or who are eligible for work-study, are eligible to apply for SNAP. Congress should make these changes permanent and pass the EATS Act to end “work-for-food” requirement for college students.
From the high school graduating class of 2021, who have already lost so much and will face great uncertainty as they enter college, to college students hoping to graduate this spring in an economy that has been shaken to the bone, our country’s college students are suffering great losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The setbacks will be even more significant for those students who are low-income and the first in their families to attend college, and students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
We cannot go backwards and take away critically needed food from hungry college students – we must go forward and build on the incredible work across the country toward a hunger-free future for our low-income college students.
As you consider which policy reforms to include to address the ongoing public health emergency, we implore you to include provisions to strengthen SNAP by permanently rescinding the SNAP Student rule. The EATS Act of 2021 would make this change and we urge its passage or inclusion in the Budget Resolution or other future legislation.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration.
Sincerely,
xxx
