What Students Can Do as CalFresh Funds Run Out
A California’s SNAP benefits shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)
With CalFresh benefits suspended amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, Santa Clara University is steering students toward existing food assistance programs to help mitigate the impact, including the Bronco Food Pantry and the Basic Needs Program.
“Our plan is just to continue providing support to students and to have them connect,” said Assistant Dean of Students Jason Fitzer, who oversees the University’s Basic Needs Program.
“Our goal is to reach out and respond to all those requests no later than 48 hours after,” he said. “It’s usually not that long for them to get a response, and then that way, we’re able to connect one-on-one to explore more in depth what type of resources or support can be helpful to bridge that gap.”
The University can provide financial and meal assistance through existing programs, including up to 150 additional dining points for students in need, Fitzer said. This support can be requested through the Basic Needs program, which can connect students to additional food, housing and other emergency resources.
A second-year international student from India, who asked to remain anonymous, said that international students face particular challenges in accessing food support. “Since I’m an international student, I can’t take advantage of CalFresh, which sucks,” they said. “My roommate goes home on the weekend, and they can eat food with their family. I can’t fly halfway across the world to do the same.”
The student added that they were not aware that the Basic Needs Program could help students in a similar situation as themself. “I have heard of the Basic Needs Program before, but I thought that they just helped students with housing and American government programs like CalFresh,” they said.
Even with a dining plan and campus job, the student said they still struggle to afford food. “Food is definitely a big concern of mine,” they said. “It’s only week six, and I only have a couple hundred dining points left. I have a campus job, but things are so expensive here that I can’t afford going to restaurants often.”
According to the University’s 2022–2023 Food Security and Basic Needs Report, nearly one in five students who responded reported experiencing food insecurity during their time at the University. The study also found that the Bronco Pantry served more than 200 students that year, more than double the number served in 2021, with researchers warning that the need for food support will continue to rise as living costs increase.
Associated Student Government senator, Tiago Moreno ’28, the only current undergraduate representative on the Basic Needs Committee, said the pantry has expanded but remains small.
“Right now we have one Bronco Pantry location,” Moreno said. “It’s in the off-campus living office, kind of far away. It’s not very big. I would still like to see those gains, but at the very least, there has not been a reduction of funding, which is important to me.”
Moreno added that recent infrastructure upgrades have allowed the University to accept perishable donations. “We finally have a commercial refrigerator within the off-campus living office, which means we are able to store food that needs to be put into a fridge,” he said. “There were multiple supermarkets in the area that were willing to give us their food, but we didn’t have anywhere to store it or keep it.”
More than 5 million residents depend on CalFresh across California, including nearly 3 million in Southern California, according to state data. With federal funds frozen, many universities are now serving as the sole food safety net for students.
Reflecting on how the shutdown and CalFresh suspension could add to students’ stress, Fitzer noted how the situation runs counter to the University’s mission.
“I think it’s just unfortunate that there are potential additional challenges that our students are having to face,” Fitzer said.
“When really our goal—and not just for Basic Needs, but in the Dean of Students Office—is that we want students to have the resources to be able to focus on their school, their academics, and have a really good, enriching experience,” he said. “And so it’s just unfortunate that this adds additional challenges that they have to then worry about.”