Dear [title] [last name],
In the wealthiest nation on earth, no one should struggle with food insecurity and hunger – especially those working to better themselves by earning a higher education degree. According to studies before the pandemic, more than 1 in 3 college students struggled with food insecurity and hunger. This startling issue has only been exacerbated due to the pandemic. According to a report by Swipe Out Hunger, Chegg, and the Born This Way Foundation, over half of all current college students have gone to a food pantry for help during the COVID crisis. But it does not have to be this way – you and your colleagues in Congress can take action and stand by our nation's students.
The Enhance Access to SNAP (EATS) Act would permanently expand SNAP eligibility to college students. It would eliminate the long-standing work-for-food SNAP rules that require many students (who are not otherwise exempt) to prove that they have a federal work-study job or work 20 hours per week to receive SNAP. This bill is identical to what was introduced in the previous Congress.
In December 2020, Congress temporarily expanded SNAP eligibility to students who qualify for federal work-study or have no Expected Family Contribution to their higher education costs. The EATS Act would permanently expand SNAP eligibility by amending the Food and Nutrition Act to include "attending an institution of higher education" as a qualification similar to work.
SNAP continues to be the strongest tool our country has to fight hunger and poverty – isn’t it the right moral and economical choice to make sure that our nation's hardworking college students are eligible? You have the power to stand with us and the millions of college students who struggle with hunger every day while better themselves. Join us in standing by American students and adding your name as a co-sponsor of the EATS Act.
