• Since 1977 student eligibility for CalFresh has been limited. The traditional image of college students coming from upper-middle-class families and being well off is an outdated notion. During 2021-2022, 72.5% of undergraduates received financial aid. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, student enrollment began declining and continues to decrease. As enrollment rates continue to decline, budget cuts for student support programs and important resources promoting student retention have ended and the ones intact are at risk. Students aren’t the only ones feeling the effects of budget cuts. In an email sent during the Spring 2023 semester a hiring freeze was implemented for faculty and student job positions citing low enrollment rates. Professors and lecturers are at risk of losing their jobs. One of my professors took the precaution of starting a different career. Cal Fresh is just one program that helps curb student dropout and homelessness. I’ve personally witnessed students sleeping in their cars. Students shouldn’t have to choose between securing their future or having their basic needs met. Please take the time to sign my petition if you believe we should invest in our youth and future economy.
• Below is my letter to Senator Alex Padilla asking for his support on the College Student Hunger Act, which expands Cal Fresh eligibility to Pell Grant recipients and lowers the work requirement from 20 to 10 hours for students who are ineligible for Pell Grant.  

Dear Senator Alex Padilla

I’m a third-year pre-dietetics student at California State University Chico. I interned with the Center for Healthy Communities through my university during the Spring semester. During my internship, I learned how vital adequate nutrition is for student academic achievement and listened to multiple testimonies on how positively Cal Fresh has impacted my colleagues. I’ve helped multiple friends who are also low-income college students with a zero-dollar expected family contribution apply for Cal Fresh benefits. We are receiving Cal Fresh benefits under the COVID-19 temporary student exemptions. All I could afford during freshman year was frozen food. Receiving CalFresh allowed me to purchase dishes and cook nutritious meals. Going to class on a full stomach has accelerated my academic performance needed to apply to the DPD Program. As temporary exemptions have ended, thousands of students will be denied benefits and I’m afraid my loved ones and I will no longer have this needed support.

I ask that you support the College Student Hunger Act of 2021 H.R. 6272. The permanent implementation of COVID-19 temporary exemptions in which any student with a zero-dollar expected family contribution or work-study offer is eligible to receive CalFresh opens the doors for more students to attend college. Enrollment continues to decline due to rising tuition and limited resources. Advocating for more CalFresh student exemptions will lessen food insecurity, high college dropout rates, and the number of students making the decision between purchasing a textbook or eating their next meal. Guaranteeing students' basic needs are met lowers dropout rates, improves students' grades, and lessens the burden on middle-class families. Increasing California’s college-educated population will better our economy and lead to a higher return on taxpayer dollars.

Thank you for your time and efforts to support middle-class and low-income families in California.

Sincerely,

Hannah Maldonado

Disclaimer: This petition isn’t affiliated with the federal or state government and it’s welfare programs (CalFresh,SNAP). Nor am I affiliated with any higher education institutions including but not limited to CCC, UCs, and CSUs.