An estimated 3.8 million college students experienced food insecurity in 2020, according to student data analysis from the Government Accountability Office.
A new report from the GAO examines how many college students experiencing hunger apply for and receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
SNAP benefits are available to eligible low-income households to help them pay for food. For students to qualify for SNAP, they must meet additional student-specific criteria, such as working at least 20 hours a week at a paid job. Using available data from the U.S. Department of Education, the GAO estimates that fewer than two in five food insecure students met the criteria to be potentially eligible for SNAP. Of these students, 59 percent did not report receiving SNAP benefits in 2020.