Nutrition Assistance Program

What does SNAP cover?

SNAP benefits can be redeemed in store through ACCESS card if the item fits within these categories:

1. Vegetables or fruits

2. Dairy products

3. Meat, poultry, or fish

4. Breads or cereals.

Note that SNAP benefits are very specific to food that can constitute as a meal, hence their goal of feeding more nutritious meals to those who are SNAP-eligible. This means that most instant foods and pre-prepared or pre-cooked foods are off the table. Most importantly, I recommend stocking up on some non-perishables, or food with a longer shelf date. Luckily, pasta, rice and tortillas are eligible for SNAP, and are quick to make into a meal when you are in a time crunch. Another fascinating tidbit: Target, Walmart and adjacent stores also are EBT-eligible for benefits.

What I wish I knew before applying

If you are a student struggling with food insecurity, or are interested in looking at SNAP, I would highly recommend you begin the process as soon as possible. In addition, as a backup, food banks like Feeding America’s Philabundance in Philadelphia could be a helpful resource. If you or if you know someone in which food is a concern, I would recommend utilizing campus resources to make sure they don’t go hungry.

Snail mail. If you live on campus, you know that receiving paper mail is the most cumbersome thing in the world — the time frame from Residential Services receiving the mail, sorting it, and then sending that notification email to you can be quite the process. My strongest word of advice is to apply to SNAP online to quicken processing times. I would be extra diligent with emailing the Mail and Package Room services in your residence, especially if your mailing addrexss is different from your living address. For example, I live in Gregory, and the fact that all my mail was getting sent and resent and then resorted to Harnwell makes the process even more infuriating. It is a good rule of thumb to watch out for your mail regardless, but I would have a keen eye on your mail especially if you are in a dire situation. Get ahead of the curve: the bureaucratic work within Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Resources can take a while. While I was eventually deemed eligible for benefits, there was a letter mailed to me prior stating I wasn’t eligible for expedited benefits, which was quite confusing when I received my final information packet determining my eligibility. Eventually, what you should receive is a large packet with the front sheeter being information needed to check your application status online for your benefits, given that you are deemed eligible to receive them. Then, you can proceed knowing your benefits can be processed to an EBT card, which hopefully should be mailed to you.

The process from my end was quite frustrating, but I am fortunate enough to be in a place where I can sit and sort through the paperwork. Other students struggling with food insecurity do not always have that privilege unfortunately.

Lastly, before you research the recipes you can cook now with your purchased groceries (SNAP also has a website in which nutritious and easy meal recipes are available) keep in mind that the mailed EBT card will also take a while to arrive. Unless you are considered eligible for expedited benefits (in which you can receive your benefits around 7 business days) the typical wait type is no later than 30 days after completing your online application.