Students in California struggle to eat, sleep and graduate

By Lawrence Legaspi, special to CalMatters

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I do everything right. The system is not.

Throughout my third year of college, I carefully planned my schedule. I worked part-time, built relationships with professors, and advocated for marginalized communities. From the outside it looked like I was thriving. But it didn’t always feel that way.

I began my CalFresh journey in 2024 when I returned to UC Santa Cruz after a year away. CalFreshCalifornia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aims to help low-income people afford food. For students like me, it should be a safety net that allows us to focus on school. Instead, it often becomes yet another barrier.

Although thousands of students in California are eligible for CalFresh, only about 25% qualify actually receive benefits. The system is just too difficult to navigate.

Although I qualified, the enrollment process was confusing and time-consuming. I had recently stopped working in my hometown two hours away and accounting for my past earnings was difficult as my payslips were only available as physical copies and I had left them behind.

The application was dense, the verification requirements were unclear and the waiting time at the district office was too long. When I missed my phone appointment – which was never scheduled in advance – I had to take extra time to get back in touch with the district office.

By the time I got a decision, I had already used my financial aid money for groceries instead of rent. I found myself wondering if the problem was me or the system.

I am not alone in this experience.

Students in California make similar calculations every day. Rent increases are eating up their reimbursable financial aid. Gasoline prices raise transportation costs. The required textbooks cost hundreds of dollars. One unexpected expense, a car repair or a medical bill, can destabilize everything.

These are not one-off crises. Students often face trade-offs that determine whether they can stay enrolled, succeed academically, and graduate on time.

California has made important strides in its expansionsupport for basic needs on college campuses. But access remains inconsistent, and too often support depends on how much time, knowledge, and persistence the student has to navigate a system they have not been taught to use. For students balancing school, work, and family responsibilities, applying for public assistance becomes a second, unpaid job.

Students don’t drop out of college because they lack ambition. They retreat because survival is the priority. When students are forced to choose between working shifts and study time or skipping meals to stretch their budgets, the consequences show up in their educational journey and health.

Here’s where The CalFresh Act for Students by state Senator Angelique Ashby is coming Senate Bill 961 calls for streamlined CalFresh coverage, expanded on-campus enrollment assistance and stronger coordination between colleges and district offices. It also prioritizes clearer eligibility guidelines and sustainable funding for campus essential needs centers that meet students where they are.

California leaders must fully fund SB 961. That means investing in campus enrollment assistance staff, streamlining verification processes and improving interagency communication so students aren’t left behind by lengthy paperwork or delays.

Students need a system that recognizes the realities of early adulthood and does not assume unlimited time, steady income, or easy access to documentation. A stronger CalFresh system will ensure that capable, motivated students can fully realize the future they’re already working toward—without sacrificing food or health.

The question is whether California lawmakers will accommodate us or continue to expect students to carry the burden themselves.

Students in California are already doing the work. They balance school, work, and financial pressures while still showing up every day. Imagine what would be possible if the state came forward with the same level of commitment.

I don’t need to be saved. I need a system that works as hard as I do.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.