College students and SNAP

[where I want to]

I just saw an news segment on local TV where the local State University had signed a contract with the county Socal Service Department to pay University Social Work Interns to sign up University students for SNAP. They made a joke about eliminating ramen for students as their goal is to provide three good meals a day.
So it does make it clear that there is no expectation that anyone do anything to provide for themselves. These are young healthy people who have the money to pay for school, either from parents, work, loans or grants, yet the government is expected to provide food for them when they clearly can provide for themselves if they made that choice.
So no more deserved or not deserved debates regarding welfare. There can be no place where people are so clearly able to provide for themselves than a general university population. They are young, mentally capable of advance education, and generally unencumbered with children. They mostly have only themselves to support.
Yet everyone seems eager to introduce them to way of life of dependency rather than the increasing independence that has been a feature of college.

[Brighton]

When I was in college I lived an entire semester on Popcorn and Kool-aid! I had a job too, but my parents couldn't afford to pay anything to help me, so judge not!!

[Patchouli]

I guess I don't understand the problem here? If kids are living on Ramen noodles then they don't have enough money to feed themselves properly. So making sure they get 3 square meals a day is a good thing isn't it?

[Rivmage]

Honestly, I would rather a young adult going to school get snap then those that abuse the system and make it their living.

Scott

[Laura Zone 10]

The garbage they feed my kid is not fit for a hog.
He swears, they put laxitives in the food.

I just bought him a crock pot so he can cook meat (real meat) and get some protein into his system.

Michele Obama wants to chirp about fat kids and bad food......
Yeah, take a stroll through a college lunch room.
Gross.

[JV_FL]

I find this a little odd...as an undergraduate you can't get financial aid unless your parents income/assets qualify you for aid. I would have thought that SNAP was the same way...even though people are over 18 their parents income still matters. Same with residency...the residency of the parents is usually the driving force, unless the college student is over 21.

[lonelytree]

I find it hard to believe that they can afford so much alcohol..... when I can't..... because I am supporting them.

[Wolf mom]

This is just another form of social engineering. Get their minds when they are young and you have them forever.

[MDKatie]

Originally Posted by Laura Zone 5

Yeah, take a stroll through a college lunch room.
Gross.

I didn't buy the school food plan when I went to college (because I always lived off campus), but I did go to the cafeteria several times at both schools I attended, and the food looked pretty good to me. There was always a vast selection of stuff to choose from.




The term "starving college student" wasn't just made up, ya know. Just because one can "afford" to go to college doesn't mean they've got enough money to live on.

[catspjamas]

Unless they've changed the regulations, fulltime college students are not eligible for food stamps. Doesn't matter the age or the income. That's what I was told when I applied for food stamps when I was in school. 40yo only income was my pell grant and workstudy. My earned income that year was $3000.00, but no food stamps. The caseworker agreed that I was someone they should help since I was in school to better myself and get a better job. Thank goodness for my family and the food bank

[where I want to]

Yes- food stamps make life easier but, if it not accompanied by a mandate that those who can take care of themselves do so, it has become one source for susidizing a "life style." In other words, it has become a way of choosing to spend time and effort in ways other than supporting yourself. It, along with subsidized health care, housing, utilities, etc, makes it possible for the inclination that is not productive to society to be followed.

If that means watching tv, or hanging out with friends, or playing games, or whatever, then it is possible as it is not a requirement that you be unable to support yourself to get support guaranteed by other's work. If it means, for the more diligent, being a fine artist or fashion designer or singer, then that too gets supported regardless of the merits of the work.

Now work is hard. It makes a person get up when they don't want, miss doing things they would rather do, associate with people they would rather not, worry about their future and plan, etc. Even self-employed people have to worry about their clients or production.

If it is clear that most of the neccessities of life are provided without demands that are difficult, what is the result? That people, not driven by neccessity, will choose not to exert themselves. They will do what is comfortable for themselves.

If enough people make this choice, having been given this choice, then where is the money to come from that supports it all?

Not to mention that a person who depends on others is always insecure and constantly complaining. If you don't complain, then maybe someone will think you really have more than you need and it's taken away. Getting without effort but also with limits makes for an unhappy life.

The bottom line is that society become unsustainable while the people it seeks to sustain feel abused and the people who pay only to hear constant complaints feel abused.

[kasilofhome]

Here is a thought---Do not over debt yourself by choice.

Solution to the "staving Studuents"

Better finance education at an early age.

Understand the cost of college and what you will get.

Understand that college is not and experience but training.

Understand that there are colleges that are local.

Understand that SAVING for college early really helps.

Understand that if you are not ready money wise to start or continue college take a working break and EARN and SAVE for finishing it.

Understand that drinking seldom creates funding for college and debt.

Understand that college is not your mommies and Daddies bill.

If you do not understand this you might not be ready or truly college stuff.

[catspjamas]

Here's what the USDA's website says about Students and SNAP:

Students

Most able-bodied students ages 18 through 49 who are enrolled in college or other institutions of higher education at least half time are not eligible for SNAP benefits. However, students may be able to get SNAP benefits if otherwise eligible and they:

Get public assistance benefits under a Title IV-A program;

Take part in a State or federally financed work study program;

Work at least 20 hours a week;

Are taking care of a dependent household member under the age of 6;

Are taking care of a dependent household member over the age of 5 but under 12 and do not have adequate child care to enable them to attend school and work a minimum of 20 hours, or to take part in a State or federally financed work study program; or

Are assigned to or placed in a college or certain other schools through:

A program under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998,

A program under Section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974,

An employment and training program under the Food Stamp Act, or

An employment and training program operated by a State or local government.

Also, a single parent enrolled full time in college and taking care of a dependent household member under the age of 12 can get SNAP benefits if otherwise eligible.


http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applica...s/students.htm

So there have been changes, since I was in college.

[where I want to]

Originally Posted by Patchouli

I guess I don't understand the problem here? If kids are living on Ramen noodles then they don't have enough money to feed themselves properly. So making sure they get 3 square meals a day is a good thing isn't it?

Look at where we've arrived now. When I went to college, it was possible through working in the summer and a part time jobs, to pay for your own schooling without debt. A small percentage of people did get loans- most did not. When they left school, they both had experience to get a job and were free of obligations.

The colleges spent a great deal of effort into keeping school affordable so that the most people could pay for it.

Now kids mostly don't work. They go through on loans and grants. So they end up with no real world experience and a debt load that is a real burden.

Meanwhile the schools build fancy buildings, put in amenities and have huge administration costs, thereby increasing the cost again because their clientele can finance these things.

It's not good cycle. And the loudest calls come to forgive debt and increase subsidies. Which then leads to the next round of increasing costs and decreasing opportunities.

[where I want to]

Originally Posted by Rivmage

Honestly, I would rather a young adult going to school get snap then those that abuse the system and make it their living.

Scott

Yes but that is not an available choice. You get both.

[Rivmage]

I agree, taking a hand out should be the very last resort.

I mean my youngest sister joined the Army reserves so she could pay for college which would be a good alternative for most people that are struggling with school, food or out of work.

Scott

[jwal10]

Well, after yesterday, we know why. The president needs these young people to sign up and pay for health care insurance (instead of paying for their food) so everyone else can get cheaper health care insurance. There is a complete plan, we just don't know yet what all the promises were to get this whole program up and going....James

[edcopp]

Originally Posted by Wolf mom

This is just another form of social engineering. Get their minds when they are young and you have them forever.

At 18 their minds have been gone for a dozen years, perhaps 15. Too little concern too late, after all it's just FREE MONEY. Sar.

[Patchouli]

Originally Posted by where I want to

Look at where we've arrived now. When I went to college, it was possible through working in the summer and a part time jobs, to pay for your own schooling without debt. A small percentage of people did get loans- most did not. When they left school, they both had experience to get a job and were free of obligations.

The colleges spent a great deal of effort into keeping school affordable so that the most people could pay for it.

Now kids mostly don't work. They go through on loans and grants. So they end up with no real world experience and a debt load that is a real burden.

Meanwhile the schools build fancy buildings, put in amenities and have huge administration costs, thereby increasing the cost again because their clientele can finance these things.

It's not good cycle. And the loudest calls come to forgive debt and increase subsidies. Which then leads to the next round of increasing costs and decreasing opportunities.

You are aware that the group with the highest level of unemployment in America is the 16-19 yo group closely followed by the 20-24 yo group? Those summer jobs dried up 5 years ago and have never come back.

I agree that college costs are out of control and need to be reined in especially in tough economic times like this.

[where I want to]

Originally Posted by Patchouli

You are aware that the group with the highest level of unemployment in America is the 16-19 yo group closely followed by the 20-24 yo group? Those summer jobs dried up 5 years ago and have never come back.

I agree that college costs are out of control and need to be reined in especially in tough economic times like this.

Actually those jobs have not dried up at all. They used to be waitressing, busboys, kitchen help, landscaping, janitoring, country summer grunt work, hotel service, etc. Now most of the time they seem to be permanent jobs for immigrants. At least I hardly know of any that I run into that speak English understandably so I do assume that is what is going on.
And I used to hire college students from the university's job boards. Haven't been able to get anyone in 3-4 years.