UC study reveals huge drop in CalFresh access among recent high school graduates
A new study has uncovered an astonishing drop in access to food assistance for young Californians after they complete high school — an alarming trend that threatens the academic success and economic mobility of thousands of low-income students.
A little more than half of students, 53%, who receive CalFresh in their senior year of high school stop receiving benefits two years after graduation, according to researchers with the California Policy Lab.
“That’s a significant drop-off, and our goal is to shed some light on the causes of that drop-off and if there are ways to address it,” said Jesse Rothstein, a UC Berkeley public policy professor and co-author of the study.
The analysis is the first of its kind to examine whether students getting CalFresh in high school maintain their access into early adulthood. It uses data from more than 3 million graduates.
Among those who stopped receiving CalFresh in college, about 60% were still eligible — many simply didn’t reapply or got tripped up by complicated eligibility rules.
The research helps explain why college students so frequently cite food insecurity as a critical issue. A 2023 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that nearly a quarter of all U.S. college students experience food insecurity. At California community colleges, it’s even more severe: Annual surveys between 2015 and 2020 found that between 42% and 56% of students lacked reliable access to sufficient food.
Food insecurity isn’t just about going hungry. It can directly impact students’ GPAs, graduation rates and in turn, their lifetime earning potential. Students who finish college earn, on average, $24,000 more per year than those with only a high school diploma.
At the high school level, the researchers found that more than a quarter of high school students and almost 20% of high school seniors received CalFresh — California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Their access to CalFresh sharply drops during the summer and fall after high school graduation as students move out, start working or enter college. Many fall through the cracks without help navigating re-enrollment or transitioning to a CalFresh case independent of their parents, many fall through the cracks.
That’s something Emily Tupper, director of CARES (Crisis Assistance & Resource Education Support, Basic Needs & Wellness) at Sacramento State, sees firsthand.
How CalFresh and colleges help
Thanks to a CalFresh outreach grant, Sacramento State and other California State University campuses are able to raise awareness of the food assistance program. Sac State CARES hires student assistants to help screen their peers and assist them with applications — whether through drop-in hours, education events, or campus “pop-ups” offering free groceries.
Between August and December of 2024, Tupper said, the CARES office screened nearly 700 students and helped 378 successfully complete CalFresh applications. Many others, Tupper noted, likely applied independently after attending outreach events.
For students whose benefits are delayed or denied, Tupper’s team offers back-up support through other programs such as Swipe Out Hunger gift cards that can be used at campus dining halls or Epicure Extra initiative allowing students to sign up to receive text alerts about leftover catered meals.
Not all students struggle to maintain access to CalFresh, according to the report from the California Policy Institute. Students at University of California campuses are more likely to retain benefits —possibly due to a systemwide basic needs programs for students. Community college students, especially Hispanic and Filipino students, face the steepest drop-offs.
Students with foster care, homelessness, or special education backgrounds were more likely to keep receiving CalFresh, perhaps due to deeper ties with support networks. Surprisingly, factors like living on campus or moving to a different county didn’t significantly affect whether students stayed enrolled. Nor did relocation to a different county for college.
At Sacramento State, Tupper said her team works closely with students transitioning from family-based CalFresh cases to their own independent cases. That transition can be complex, especially if a student’s family still provides some financial support.
“Students often have to make those decisions in collaboration with their family members, because it may affect the whole family’s benefits,” she explained.
Federal rules that restrict eligibility for full-time college students add another hurdle. Students often have to meet exemptions — like working 20 hours a week or being part of a work-study program —which disqualifies many, even if they still need help. Tupper pointed out that some Sacramento State students qualify because their academic programs include internships or field placements, waiving the work requirement, but not everyone gets that chance.
What the pandemic taught us
Interestingly, students who graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to stay connected to CalFresh, likely because of temporary federal policies that increased benefit amounts and suspended burdensome paperwork.
Those temporary policies worked. UC students received an average of $303 a month during that time, and CCC students about $245. Researchers say that’s a clear sign that simplifying the system and expanding eligibility could have a lasting impact.
The study by Rothstein’s team outlines several policy recommendations, including expanded campus support, targeted outreach for students most at risk of dropping off, and reforming outdated federal eligibility rules for college students. They also stress the need to simplify the application and recertification process — something many students struggle to complete.
The findings are part of the California College Data and Policy Project, a collaboration between CPL and UC Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education. By connecting education and social services data, the researchers hope to identify where support systems are breaking down and how to fix them.
As California looks for ways to help students succeed in college, the UC researchers said, continuous access to food for young people looks like an impactful and achievable place to start.
