Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Estimated Eligibility and Receipt among Food Insecure College Students. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-24-107074

In fiscal year 2023, the federal government spent approximately $31.4 billion dollars on Pell Grants to help over 6 million students with financial need go to college. This substantial federal investment in higher education is at risk of not serving its intended purpose if college students drop out because of limited or uncertain access to food. Some studies have found that food insecurity negatively affects students' academic success. Certain students are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)--the nation's largest nutrition assistance program available to low-income households. Given the substantial federal investment in higher education, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review newly available Education data on food insecurity among a nationally representative sample of college students. This report, which is the first of two reports on college student food insecurity, describes what Education's National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) data show about food insecurity among college students and their access to SNAP benefits. GAO's estimates are based on 2020 NPSAS data, which were the most recent available.