Do you have a meal plan that covers 11 meals per week or more? How many people do you buy food for? Are you working at least 20 hours each week?

These are some of the questions the NC College Food Benefits quiz asks college students to answer to determine their eligibility for SNAP, the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps.

As part of the Carolina Hunger Initiative, NC College Food Benefits is working to help the state’s food-insecure college students access SNAP.

“Food insecurity among college students is a significant public health issue that negatively impacts dietary intake, physical health, mental health and academic performance,” said Jessica Soldavini, principal investigator on NC College Food Benefits program, in a press release. She is also an assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Department of Nutrition.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates 3.8 million college students across the country face food insecurity. SNAP has been found to help reduce the food insecurity of U.S. households by up to 30%. Yet, the U.S. GAO found 59% of college students potentially eligible for SNAP aren’t receiving the program’s benefits.

“NCCollegeFoodBenefits.org will make it easy for college students to find information on SNAP/FNS, a program that has been shown to improve food security,” Soldavini said.

NC College Food Benefits is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNAP Outreach program. It is partnered with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Nutrition Services program, the state program that distributes SNAP. 

What is SNAP?

SNAP, sometimes called food stamps, EBT or FNS, is a federal program that helps low-income individuals and households access nutritious food. 

It is the largest nutrition program in the country helping feed the hungry. In October 2024, the most recent month with data from the USDA, over 1.61 million North Carolinians received SNAP benefits.

Are college students eligible?

Yes. Any student enrolled in an institution of higher education who meets SNAP qualifications is eligible for the program. You don’t need to be a North Carolina resident to apply. However, you must either be a U.S. citizen or be on the USDA’s list of eligible non-citizens to qualify.

According to NC College Food Benefits’ FAQ, an institution of higher education is any business, technical, trade or vocational school where a student is attending a program that requires a high school degree or equivalent. To be considered a student by SNAP, you must be enrolled at least part-time — six credit hours as an undergraduate or 4.5 credit hours as a graduate student — at one of the state’s colleges or universities. 

Additional SNAP requirements primarily stem from the number of people in your household — meaning the number of people you feed — and your household’s monthly income. That monthly income includes any grants and scholarships for room and board. More information on these and other SNAP requirements is on the NC College Food Benefits and NCDHHS websites.

Students interested in applying for SNAP can take the 2-minute NC College Food Benefits quiz to help determine their eligibility. They can also call the Cumberland County Department of Social Services at 910-323-1540 for more information and help applying to the program. The state’s EBT Call Center is also available to help at 866-719-0141.

I’m eligible. How do I apply?

You can apply online via ePass, the state’s online benefits application portal, in person at the county’s DSS office on Ramsey Street or by mailing an application to DSS. 

You will need at least some of the following documents to apply, according to NCDHHS and NC College Food Benefits:

  • A driver’s license, birth certificate or other government-issued ID
  • Social Security Numbers, birthdates and citizenship status for everyone in your household
  • The amount of money each member has in cash, bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, etc.
  • Your household’s monthly bills (e.g., wifi, electricity, water)
  • Proof of income for each person
  • Proof of student status (e.g., transcript, certificate of enrollment, financial aid information)

NCDHHS states that all these documents are not necessary to apply. The department recommends applying with as many as you can easily find.

What are other resources for hungry college students?

Each college and university in Cumberland County has a food bank or pantry accessible to students.

The FTCC Food Pantry is in Room 708 at the back of the Horace Sisk Building. It’s open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by appointment. Appointments can be made by emailing foodpantry@faytechcc.edu. 

The Fayetteville State University Food Resource Pantry is on the first floor of the Barber Building. Students must register online before accessing the pantry and can only use it twice a month. A maximum of 10 items is allowed per visit.

Methodist University’s The Lion’s Share Food Pantry is in the university’s Matthews Ministry Center. It’s open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., though it is closed on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Any Methodist University students, staff or faculty can access the pantry.

A list of other local food pantries, their hours, locations and requirements can be found on Communities in Need, an online resource hub compiled by the Cumberland County Public Library. NC 211 also allows users to search for food pantries across the county.

CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the CityView News Fund.