SNAP Student Rules Are Not So Snappy: Lessons Learned From a Qualitative Study of California County Agency Workers

Objective: To examine the college student Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application process from the perspective of county agency workers. Design: A qualitative study that included semistructured individual and group interviews (n = 14) between February and December, 2021. Setting: Nine California counties with a University of California campus. Participants: A total of 24 county agency workers who regularly process or advise on college student SNAP applications. Phenomenon of Interest: Facilitators and barriers to processing student SNAP applications. Analysis: Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using thematic analysis. Results: Five themes were identified regarding student applications: (1) a need for more consistency in policy dissemination and program administration, (2) student exemptions and the application process are perceived as challenging for students, (3) facilitators of successfully processing student applications, (4) tracking policy changes is burdensome, and (5) eliminate the student rules. Conclusion and Implications: County agency workers perceived that students experience unnecessary barriers to accessing SNAP benefits and that implementing the student rules was taxing. Expanding SNAP access to low-income college students could be an equitable solution to mitigate the risk of student hunger while they pursue their degrees.