SACRAMENTO – Recently, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has made it easier for eligible college students to get healthy, nutritious food. Now, every undergraduate college student enrolled in a degree program at a California Community College (CCC), California State University (CSU), or the University of California (UC) meets the initial application requirements for CalFresh, removing barriers that kept financially eligible students from even applying for the benefits they’re entitled to.

Before this change, proving eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits — known as CalFresh in California — was often incredibly cumbersome, discouraging eligible students from applying in the first place. Now, financially eligible undergraduate students enrolled at least half-time in an associate or bachelor’s degree program can begin qualifying simply by being enrolled in any degree program at a UC, CSU, or community college. 

This change does not create new benefits; it makes it easier for people to access the benefits they’re already entitled to. Hundreds of thousands of students are eligible but not receiving benefits — and could be missing out on the support they need to eat well and live healthier. The state expects that more than 200,000 additional eligible students will enroll in CalFresh, helping them access over a quarter-billion dollars in additional food assistance.