The Student Sustainability Center and the Duck Nest will host a free event addressing food insecurity and the social stigma surrounding food stamps and giving UO students a chance to sign up for the benefits.
Food stamps are formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The Oh Snap, Get SNAP! event will take place Tuesday, April 17, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Erb Memorial Union’s Coquille Room.
The federally funded program offers nutrition assistance to low-income individuals and families. The state Department of Human Services offers special eligibility criteria for students of higher education.
Students age 18 to 49 who attend school at least half time must also meet one of the following criteria to be an eligible student:
- Be physically or mentally unfit for employment. This means applicants cannot both work and go to school. Applicants may be asked to provide something from a doctor supporting this status.
- Be a paid employee working an average of 20 hours each week. The hours worked in an internship or externship do not count towards these hours.
- Be self-employed working at least 20 hours each week and have countable monthly income of at least $1,247 before business costs.
- Be accepted to state or federally funded work-study and be assigned a position with a start date in the current term or semester.
- Be responsible for the care of a child in the applicant’s household. Specific age requirements apply.
- Be receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance or its tribal counterpart.
- Be in a Workforce Investment Act training program.
- Be receiving unemployment compensation benefits.
- Be participating in at least one of the Employment Department training programs.
Learn more about SNAP including what can be purchased, eligibility requirements, how to apply and more on the program's state website.