California college students struggle to afford to eat, sleep and graduate. It’s time lawmakers helped

I’m doing everything right. The system is not.

Throughout my third year in college, I carefully planned my schedule. I worked a part-time internship, built relationships with professors and advocated for marginalized communities. From the outside, I seemed to be thriving. But it didn’t always feel that way.

I began my CalFresh journey in 2024 when I returned to UC Santa Cruz after a year away. CalFresh, California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is meant to help low-income individuals afford food. For students like me, it should be a safety net that allows us to focus on school. Instead, it often becomes another barrier.

Although thousands of college students in California qualify for CalFresh, only about 25% who qualify actually receive benefits. The system is simply too difficult to navigate.

While I qualified, the enrollment process was confusing and time-consuming. I had recently stopped working in my hometown two hours away, and reporting my past income was difficult because my paystubs were only available as physical copies and I had left them behind. 

The application was dense, verification requirements were unclear, and the county office wait times were too long. When I missed my phone appointment — which was never scheduled in advance — I had to carve out additional time to get a hold of the county office again.

By the time I received a decision, I had already used my financial aid money for groceries instead of rent. I found myself wondering whether the problem was me or the system.

I’m not alone in this experience.

Students across California are making similar calculations every day. Rent increases consume their financial aid refunds. Gas prices drive up transportation costs. Required textbooks cost hundreds of dollars. One unexpected expense, a car repair or a medical bill, can destabilize everything.

These aren’t one-time crises. Students often face trade-offs that shape whether they can stay enrolled, succeed academically and graduate on time.

California has made important strides in expanding “basic needs” support on college campuses. But access remains inconsistent, and too often, support depends on how much time, knowledge and persistence a student has to navigate a system they’re not taught to use. For students balancing school, work and family responsibilities, applying for public benefits becomes a second, unpaid job.

Students are not stepping back from college because they lack ambition. They are stepping back because survival takes priority. When students are forced to choose between work shifts and study time, or skip meals to stretch a budget, the consequences show up in their education journey and health. 

That’s where The CalFresh for Students Act by state Sen. Angelique Ashby comes in. Senate Bill 961 calls for streamlined CalFresh outreach, expanded on-campus enrollment assistance and stronger coordination between colleges and county offices. It also prioritizes clearer eligibility guidance and sustained funding for campus basic needs centers that meet students where they are. 

California leaders must fully fund SB 961. This means investing in staffing for campus-based enrollment assistance, simplifying verification processes and improving interagency communication, so students don’t fall behind due to lengthy paperwork or delays. 

Students need a system that recognizes the realities of early adulthood and doesn’t assume unlimited time, a stable income or easy access to documentation. A stronger CalFresh system would ensure that capable, driven students can fully realize the futures they are already working toward — without sacrificing meals or their health. 

The question is whether California legislators will meet us or continue to expect students to carry the burden alone.

Students across California are already doing the work. They are balancing school, jobs, and financial pressure while still showing up every day. Imagine what would be possible if the state showed up with the same level of commitment.

I don’t need to be rescued. I need a system that works as hard as I do.