The Institute for College Access & Success

Historic cuts to SNAP, such as shifting benefits costs to states, will squeeze state budgets and make it harder to access food assistance if cuts are not restored. We are proud to have joined 80+ organizations in advocating for improvements to address student food insecurity in the Farm Bill.

Roughly 1.1M college students participate in SNAP to meet their basic needs, and millions more experience food insecurity. Congress needs to advance a Farm Bill that addresses these cuts to keep more students from going hungry.

Read the full letter here: https://buff.ly/YIEXYgs

TICAS' Jessica Thompson says that Michigan has been on the "leading edge" nationally in providing scholarships to adults as a way of increasing overall educational attainment, especially with the recent expansion of the program's eligibility. She also underscored the need for these changes to be codified, saying, "Until that passes, this becomes something that gets discussed and debated in every budget cycle."

More from Open Campus here:

Michigan fills free college gap, lowers eligibility to 21 — for now - Open Campus Officials say it closes a gap that existed in the state’s college financial aid offerings.

ICYMI: We recently released new resources exploring how the new federal Workforce Pell program creates opportunities for states, including California, to better align higher education and workforce investments to serve students.

▶️ Our new brief compares Workforce Pell and Cal Grant C, highlighting key similarities, differences, and recommendations for policymakers: https://buff.ly/nHTI2s1

▶️ Our new blog with California Competes explores how to leverage Workforce Pell implementation to tackle underlying challenges in higher education: https://buff.ly/RE9QaS4

ICYMI: How is CUNY supporting students as basic-needs insecurity continues to rise?

Our latest blog explores CUNY's current resources and highlights opportunities to strengthen support systems as students face growing challenges in meeting their basic needs. https://buff.ly/bBUtAoK

Want to get connected on all things ? Join our mailing list for federal policy updates, state policy news, new resources, and more. Sign up here: https://buff.ly/oldoo4m

1/2 With basic needs insecurity still on the rise and changes coming to safety net programs, CUNY’s commitment to supporting students facing financial and structural barriers to pursuing a degree is more important than ever.

2/2 Our newest blog examines the resources CUNY currently offers and highlights opportunities to strengthen support systems as students face growing challenges in meeting their basic needs.

Read our blog here: https://buff.ly/bBUtAoK

What barriers did you face that had nothing to do with academics? https://buff.ly/eQsjOHF

Recent changes to the federal student loan repayment system are now in effect. Our resource page walks borrowers through what's changed, important info, and answers FAQ questions from borrowers: https://buff.ly/mndr6bH