Georgia SNAP: Tips From a Student Perspective
November 08, 2021
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Editor's note: This article was originally written by Sean Cheng. It's been edited only for format & relevancy.
We asked Shandy, a Kennesaw State University Alumna, about her experience applying for SNAP benefits. While at KSU, Shandy was actively involved with two sororities at school as well as the marching band and had a packed college student schedule. Here’s what she said you should know about a student perspective on food stamps in Georgia.
What led you to apply for SNAP?
"I only work on the weekends so sometimes I don't have enough funds to shop to get enough food. We get food from KSU CARES but sometimes that doesn't last the whole month, especially since I eat three meals a day. When I got the weekly KSU student email on the very first day of school, I saw part of the email that said if you have food insecurity you can have an interview with a Catholic organization to help you apply for SNAP benefits."
How did you apply for SNAP?
"I responded to the KSU student email that said they could help me apply to SNAP. KSU then asked me to send the school my lease agreement, my utility bill, and how much I made each month. They then sent all this information to the Catholic organization that was helping students applying for SNAP. The next day I received an email from a lady working at the Catholic organization asking me to sign up for an interview (which occurs only on Fridays). She helped fill out the SNAP application for me over a video call and asked me questions about my work and where I lived based on all the forms I previously sent. She stayed in contact with me until I got a response that I was approved for SNAP and until I received my EBT benefits card."
How long did the SNAP application process take?
"My initial interview with the lady took twenty minutes. It took about a week to find out if I was approved for SNAP, and two weeks to get my SNAP benefits card."
What resource was the most helpful while applying for SNAP?
"I have to say it was the email KSU Student Inform sent out to me telling me that I could apply for SNAP. I can tell you now that I've talked to a lot of other students who didn't even know they could be eligible to apply. They just work on the weekends or on campus and they don't know they can still apply for SNAP with the income they have."
How can schools raise awareness about SNAP benefits?
"When it comes to freshmen they should talk about it in orientation and let them know they can help them apply for the benefits. Also, putting more flyers around would be helpful because a lot of students read the bulletin boards and TVs on campus. If they put it out there more I think more students would apply to see if they're eligible."