Many students at San Diego City College are eligible for CalFresh, California’s version of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Still, most have not applied and are not receiving the state benefit, despite potentially qualifying for it.
Despite widespread food insecurity in California community colleges, only 27% of eligible students are receiving CalFresh benefits, according to a report by the California Policy Lab, a research institute at the University of California. The report documents the rate at which students take up their benefits at different colleges and possible reasons why many don’t.
City College participates in a CalFresh outreach program to provide financial assistance for students to buy healthy food and maintain adequate nutrition. Currently, students may receive between $23 to $291 a month for groceries.
Many students are unaware they qualify for CalFresh and have access to campus resources when applying, according to Franchesca Valdes Rankin, the on-campus CalFresh technician.
“It’s like an information asymmetry. As like many things in higher education,” Valdes Rankin explained. “There’s a lot of students who just may not know that … there’s an option to maybe more easily or with more assurance, apply for CalFresh here.”
The Basic Needs Center provides student support through application assistance and continued case management. By visiting the Basic Needs Center website, clicking on the “Calfresh” tab, students can complete the Basic Needs assessment form or schedule an appointment with Valdes Rankin.
Students can also visit her office T-141 across from the pantry, making it an easy stop during a Pantry visit. Basic Needs Coordinator Nydia Dominguez says this was an intentional choice to bring awareness to Valdes Rankin’s services.
“Her office is, right in front of the pantry, and that’s really intentional,” Dominguez said. “A lot of students who are, you know, using the pantry recurrently may benefit from a long-term resource like CalFresh.”
Students can also look forward to the End of Spring Calfresh Application event May 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the T-Quad. The first 25 students to participate in the event will receive a free lunch.
