Missing meals shouldn’t be a college rite of passage.
Supporting student basic needs makes college more accessible.
Half of all post-secondary students in Washington experience basic needs insecurity, including 38.3% experiencing food insecurity, according to a statewide survey by Western Washington University and the Washington Student Achievement Council. SNAP can help, but complicated student eligibility requirements can make the process of being approved for benefits challenging. Offering assistance with applications to students at your school can make a big difference in student food insecurity, as can campus food pantries and other programs.
Benefits Navigation
SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger, and so helping students apply to SNAP is a great first step for helping students experiencing food insecurity at your school. In 2023, Washington passed the Establishing the Student Basic Needs at Public Postsecondary Institutions Act, or HB 1559, which required all institutes of higher education to employ a benefits navigator to help students access campus resources and public benefits.
If you’re a benefits navigator or if you work at a college and want to know how you can support the benefit navigator’s work, check out the SNAP page of the College Hunger Toolkit!
SNAP Eligibility for College Students
For students of higher education in Washington, there are additional considerations when determining eligibility for SNAP. For students between the ages of 18-49 and enrolled at least half time in courses, these additional requirements apply.
Just like the general public, college students must be at or below the general income requirements for SNAP.
In addition to meeting the income requirements, college students must meet one or more of the following:
Employed (including self-employment) and working at least 80 hours a month, or an average of 20 hours per week
Participating in a state or federal work-study program, or approved for work study and anticipating being placed in a work-study job
Enrolled in Basic Food Education and Training (BFET) or certain other job training programs
Responsible for more than 50% of the care of a child age 11 or younger
Physically or mentally unable to work
Receiving TANF benefits
For more details, explore this student eligibility checklist.
| Household Size | Monthly Income |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $2,510 |
| 2 people | $3,407 |
| 3 people | $4,303 |
| 4 people | $5,200 |
| 5 people | $6,097 |
| 6 people | $6,993 |
Income Limits
200% of the Federal Poverty Line
Campus Food Pantries
Not all food insecure college students will be eligible for Basic Food, such as if they don’t meet one of the exemptions listed above or if they’re an undocumented immigrant. For these students, a campus food pantry can be one of the best ways to help them access the food they need to support their education. Over 800 colleges in the US offer a food pantry on their campus.
To learn more about how to start or improve a campus food pantry, check out the College Hunger Toolkit!