New study suggests a need for the simplification of the student SNAP process

Jan 31, 2024

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP nationally, and commonly known as CalFresh in California, gives approximately 3.3 million college students access to essential food assistance. However, an estimated 57% of  SNAP-eligible students do not enroll. The research team conducted individual and group interviews from February 2020 and December 2021 through Zoom to gain insight into the student SNAP application process from the perspective of CalFresh county agency workers. Through this qualitative approach, the research team aimed to better understand the student SNAP application process from the perspective of county agency workers. The study identified 5 central themes, in which county agency workers perceived the process as challenging for students, and burdensome for administration workers. The research study was recently published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior by Suzanna Martinez, Sonali Singh, and Erin Esaryk with the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Nutrition Policy Institute researcher, Lorrene Ritchie. 


By Brianna Aguayo Villalon
Author - Student Communications Fellow
By Lorrene Ritchie
Editor - Director of Research