College Students and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Colorado: Key Findings for State Agencies, Colleges, and Counties

Across the United States, states and colleges are exploring ways to reduce student food insecurity. The nearly one in four college students who face food insecurity experience lower rates of academic success and face challenges with health and well-being. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the primary public program for addressing food insecurity in the United States. Yet prior evidence suggests that only a small portion of college students participate in the program. College students face complex SNAP eligibility criteria (see the box below). They are often unaware of these rules or are unable to navigate burdensome application processes.

RAND researchers partnered with the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to build evidence on SNAP participation among undergraduate college students. This brief highlights four key findings on college student participation in SNAP and the barriers students face to participation. This brief is intended for state higher education and human services leaders, local human services offices, and college administrators seeking to improve college student access to SNAP.

Finding 1: Participation in SNAP Is Increasing Among Colorado College Students, but Many Eligible Students Do Not Participate

SNAP participation rates among community college and university students in Colorado were at or near their highest points over the past decade in academic year 2024 (from 2023 to 2024). Yet among likely SNAP-eligible students, only 42 percent of community college students and 29 percent of university students participated in SNAP (see Figure 1). The results mirror evidence from national data and other state-level analyses that show low SNAP participation rates among college students.

Finding 2: College Students in Groups That Are Historically Underserved in Postsecondary Education Are More Likely to Be Eligible for SNAP and More Likely to Participate When Eligible

An examination of SNAP eligibility and participation rates among Colorado college enrollees by demographic subgroup found that adult learners, women, and individuals who identify as Black, Hispanic, or two or more races were all more likely to be SNAP eligible and more likely to participate when eligible (Table 1). This suggests that SNAP is reaching groups of students who often face greater barriers to college completion. The SNAP program may therefore play a role in broader equity-focused student support efforts.

Finding 3: Denial Rates Are High for College Students Who Apply for SNAP, Even When They Are Likely to Be Eligible

An examination of SNAP application denial rates for Colorado college students found that even when college students were likely SNAP eligible, more than half were initially denied SNAP benefits in each of the four most recent academic years in the analysis (Figure 2). The denial rate drops by nearly 10 percentage points when we exclude from the denial count students who reapplied and were later approved. But denial rates remain a major barrier to college student participation. Some of these SNAP application denials were due to missed interviews by or missing paperwork from the students; other denials were due to failures to meet income or other criteria. Nonadministrative denials may occur even among college students who are identified as likely SNAP eligible in the analysis due to the researchers’ lack of complete information on all factors that determine SNAP eligibility.

Colorado stakeholders—state agencies, county SNAP offices, and colleges—should explore ways to reduce these denial rates by minimizing administrative burden, simplifying eligibility criteria, and ensuring clear communication of eligibility criteria to county staff, colleges, and students.

Finding 4: Colorado College Staff Report That Students Face Many Barriers to Participation in SNAP

In a survey of public postsecondary institutions across Colorado in spring 2024, college staff reported that the most common barriers to college student SNAP participation are limited student knowledge of SNAP eligibility requirements and limited student awareness of existing options for SNAP application support (Figure 3). Colleges in Colorado have increased their outreach and support efforts over time, but many colleges still face limited capacity or are not able to reach students with this information. Many college staff also reported that stigma and beliefs about deservingness are barriers for college students. Two-thirds of colleges reported that the time to complete application processes and easier access to other resources, such as food pantries, are barriers to SNAP participation. The fewest colleges (only one-third) reported concerns about the accuracy of county office eligibility determinations.

Conclusion

Many Colorado college students are not accessing SNAP benefits despite being eligible for the program. College students face many barriers to accessing SNAP: high denial rates, a lack of student awareness of eligibility and supports, student beliefs about stigma and deservingness, and limited time to complete administrative processes. The good news is that participation rates have increased slightly in recent years. And those college students who are eligible for and participating in SNAP at higher rates are the ones who might be the most likely to benefit from additional wraparound supports.

States and colleges can take actions to improve access to SNAP for college students. Colorado stakeholders have been pursuing efforts to expand outreach and case management and exploring state authorities to simplify and expand eligibility. These state and local approaches to increasing college student SNAP participation are documented in the briefs What States Can Do to Boost College Student Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Evidence from Colorado and What Colleges Can Do to Boost Student Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Lessons from Colorado.

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