Rep. Fudge Introduces the STOP Campus Hunger Act

Statement

Today, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) introduced the Supporting Transparency to Overcome Poverty and (STOP) Campus Hunger Act to combat hunger among college students across the country. The bill combats college hunger by providing enrolled students with greater access to information on student eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), as well as information on other available on-campus food assistance services.

In a December 2018 study, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found nearly 2 million at-risk college students who were potentially eligible for SNAP in 2016 did not receive benefits. The report concluded that providing students with better information on student eligibility for SNAP would help at-risk students access critical benefits and prevent them from experiencing hunger.

"College hunger exists," said Rep. Fudge. "It is another obstacle that prevents students from reaching their full potential. No student should go hungry because they are not aware of the programs and services available to them. The STOP Campus Hunger Act provides enrolled students with access to student eligibility guidance for SNAP and WIC, and information on food pantries and other available on-campus food assistance services. As we prepare to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, my colleagues and I have a responsibility to address the issue of hunger on college campuses and ensure that no student is forced to study and attend classes on an empty stomach."

Specifically, the bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to provide enrolled students with information on the most recent student eligibility guidance for SNAP and WIC, contact information for the state agencies that administer the programs, and information on food pantries and other on-campus food assistance facilities and services. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Education to make student eligibility guidance for SNAP and WIC publicly available on the College Navigator Website on an annual basis.

"Food insecurity is a crippling reality for too many college students, preventing them from completing degrees and credentials because they are too hungry to learn," said Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. "We are proud of our role in calling national attention to this critically important issue, which led to the Government Accountability Office finding earlier this year that almost 2 million low-income students potentially eligible for SNAP are not participating in the program. MAZON is grateful to Chairwoman Fudge for her leadership in addressing hunger among college students and others, and we are pleased to support her new bill, the STOP Campus Hunger Act."

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