In response to the ongoing consideration of the Farm Bill, Carrie Welton, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy: Anti-Poverty & Basic Needs at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) released the following statement:
TICAS urges Congress to pass a Farm Bill that protects benefits and includes common sense modernizations to align education and workforce needs. Lawmakers committed to improving the program should remove Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) restrictions on education, which will improve access to programs that lead to stronger economic mobility. Research shows that SNAP participation declines as education levels increase, suggesting that wage gains from increased education could lead to less use of SNAP over time and drive down program costs.
Today, U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. If passed, the bill would protect SNAP benefits, improve access to SNAP for foster youth in college, streamline communication about SNAP for postsecondary students, and provide funding for rural child care solutions.
Earlier this year, Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) of the House Committee on Agriculture released the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 that also includes modest improvements but would reportedly result in an approximately $30 billion cut in benefits for SNAP participants.
SNAP is highly effective at reducing food insecurity and stabilizing households. However, SNAP restricts access to our nation’s best workforce development program: education beyond high school. A recent GAO report shows that despite high levels of food insecurity among students with low incomes, few students receive SNAP benefits. This research brings to the forefront the misalignment of SNAP with employer demand for workers with credentials. Cuts to the program would not only be a compounding blow to struggling families, but also for over 4 million food insecure students who are struggling to make ends meet.
In reauthorizing the Farm Bill, policymakers have an opportunity to modernize the program by improving SNAP’s ability to connect people to postsecondary pathways. TICAS’ Farm Bill Recommendations outline how to ensure SNAP supports evidence-based pathways that lead to better employability and support economic mobility for millions of Americans.
