(PartiallyPolitics.com) – Joseph Sais, who had been raised by his grandmother and had lived his entire life on welfare, heavily relied on food stamps during his college years and even considered quitting school after his eligibility was revoked.
During the pandemic, Sais revealed that he had not seen an “important letter” which led to him temporarily losing his access to SNAP, the program that is otherwise known as food stamps. As he revealed there were often times when instead of focusing on whatever test he had to take, his focus was actually on what he would be able to eat that night.
Sais, who received his undergraduate degree in political science and journalism, is now studying as a graduate student at the same university. As he revealed he managed to gain back his eligibility, in part because of a hidden group that is aiming to address the cases where full-time college students are facing food insecurity.
Capital Area Food Bank president Radha Muthiah stated that this was not only a hidden crisis but also one of the biggest things they found out during the pandemic. As she pointed out, close to 30 percent of college students are dealing with food insecurity.
During the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture loosened the SNAP requirements for college students, letting all those who are on financial aid but have no family support gain access to the program. Those who are in work-study programs were also eligible for the program.
However, following the end of the pandemic, all those students were given until June 30 to reapply and stay in the program under the eligibility requirements established during the pandemic.
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