In these trying economic times, more and more college students are turning to food stamps in order to save money.
Tuition is constantly increasing at most universities across the nation and food costs are rising.
Students are sometimes reduced to eating cheap and unhealthy meals because of a lack of funds in the bank account.
College students are turning to food stamps to aid with their basic food needs.
Some may say it's embarrassing to pay with food stamps, but those are the ones whose parent's are buying their groceries.
Barry Spear, public information officer for the Department of Human said there are approximately 11,000 college students in Alabama receiving some type of food assistance.
Senior in Elementary Education Cherelle Young has been using food stamps for the past three years, but was recently cut-off from the food assistance program because of recent unemployment.
An upperclassman friend of hers told her about the program when she first started college. Young said the food stamps are a great opportunity for students because it's a struggle to make ends meet and food stamps serve as a way to make
those ends meet.
"We have a lot of other things going on in our lives, so I think food stamps are a helpful assistance"
She uses the money she would have spent on food to pay her bills and for other basic necessities.
"It's a burden lifted off of me, for lack of a better term," she said. "Food is expensive and my parents or my friend's parents aren't bringing in 100k a year, so it helps out a lot."
Although some students may find it embarrassing, Young said it isn't anything to be ashamed of because if students are eligible, there is no reason not to get them.
"I'd wear a chinchilla coat in the check-out line and still swipe my food stamp card," she said. "I'm not ashamed. If you don't have them and you're eligible, then you should get them. They are coming out of your tax dollars anyway.
She said she has a friend who attends another college and works three jobs who once told her that she hadn't eaten in two days.
The qualifications: Students have to either be in the federal Work Study program or have to work a minimum of 20 hours per week with earinings of at least that of minimum wage.
Spear said these guidelines are set-up by the federal government. The guidelines are set-up by the federal government. Food stamps are now on plastic cards that resemble debit and credit cards. They used to be bills that looked like colored money.
"After they fill out the application, what they will receive is an EBT card,"
Spear said. "It will have their money on it electronically and they can use that card to purchase grocery items."
Food stamps cannot buy non-food products such as toothpaste or hot foods.
For anyone who is interested in seeing if they qualify, visit the pre-screening eligibility tool at www.snap-step1.usda.gov/fns.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
