Bulk-size quantities of Easy Mac and a meal plan’s guarantee of food are simple luxuries most students take for granted, but some are unable to enjoy even those.
With rising tuition, increasing expenses and questionable job prospects, students can receive food assistance from the federal government so that hunger is not another problem on their mind.
“It’s important for students to become aware that even some of their fellow students are hungry,” said David Holben, an Ohio University professor who focuses on nutrition and dietetics. “These students not only have to make ends meet to buy their books and tuition, but they’re also worried about where their next meal is coming from.”
Athens County currently has more than 11,000 people using the Food Assistance Program, which was previously known as food stamps.
OU and Athens County Job & Family Services do not keep statistics for students using the program because there is no way to identify them, said Katie Quaranta, OU spokeswoman.
“We don’t keep track of how many recipients are in college,” said Nick Claussen, spokesman for Athens County Job & Family Services. “We get a large number of applications in from students, but I do not know how many.”
The Food Assistance Program is designed to provide people with about 75 percent of the food they need each month, and Athens County recipients received an average of about $110 per month in the past year, according to Ohio Job and Family Services.
Many struggle to purchase enough food for an entire month, and potential cuts to food assistance programs in 2013 could mean individuals receive about a 20 percent loss in monthly aid, Claussen said.
“This decrease will hurt poor families who cannot afford any more cuts,” he said, adding that the department is working to ask Ohio and federal officials to prevent the cuts.
College students can qualify for food assistance in multiple ways, but most meet the requirements by getting assistance from a Title IV-A federal program and working at least 20 hours per week.
“The (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program doesn’t see college as a work activity, no matter how difficult and time-consuming school may be,” Claussen said. “I would like to see college count as a work experience because I think this would allow more students to receive food assistance, as I know many need it but don’t qualify.”
OU does not have a department that specifically helps students get governmental assistance and students cannot use food stamps to pay Residential Housing for a meal plan, Quaranta said.
Because SNAP dollars cannot be used at restaurants, the university’s decision to not accept these benefits at dining halls “seems appropriate,” Holben said.
People who receive food stamps can shop at a variety of supermarkets, convenience stores and gas stations throughout Athens, including the Athens Farmers Market.
The past year, the market brought in $45,000 — about 15-20 percent of its total sales — from the program, said Kip Parker, Athens Farmers Market manager.
“There are people who get food assistance that don’t want just chips, pop and other processed foods,” Parker said.
Holben said he sees opportunities for students to help with the current food assistance situation in Athens, such as volunteering at food banks or organizations that provide free meals.
These resources often see hungry students who need help with food, especially toward the end of the semester when meal plans have run out, Claussen said.
“I think people are surprised to hear that there are a lot of OU and Hocking College students who are struggling and need assistance,” he said.
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