California improves access to CalFresh food benefits, helping college students get up to $306 a month to buy groceries

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Oct 9, 2026

California improves access to CalFresh food benefits, helping college students get up to $306 a month to buy groceries

What you need to know: California is streamlining enrollment for college students — apply to receive up to $306 a month for food and groceries here.

SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has made it easier for eligible college students to get healthy, nutritious food. Now, every undergraduate college student enrolled in a degree program at a California Community College (CCC), California State University (CSU), or the University of California (UC) meets the initial application requirements for CalFresh, removing barriers that kept financially eligible students from even applying for the benefits they're entitled to.

We can't expect students to learn if they're hungry, and in California, there is no reason for them to be, whether they're in kindergarten, high school, or college. You shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get the food benefits you're entitled to, and now you don't have to. Go apply now — you might be leaving money on the table.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Every California student deserves access to nutritious food and the opportunity to reach their full potential. California has led the way in school nutrition through our Farm to School and universal school meals initiatives to increase access to nutritious, locally sourced meals for public school students of all ages, and we carry that same commitment to our college students through CalFresh.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Before this change, proving eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits — known as CalFresh in California — was often incredibly cumbersome, discouraging eligible students from applying in the first place. Now, financially eligible undergraduate students enrolled at least half-time in an associate or bachelor's degree program can begin qualifying simply by being enrolled in any degree program at a UC, CSU, or community college.

This change does not create new benefits; it makes it easier for people to access the benefits they're already entitled to. Hundreds of thousands of students are eligible but not receiving benefits — and could be missing out on the support they need to eat well and live healthier. The state expects that more than 200,000 additional eligible students will enroll in CalFresh, helping them access over a quarter-billion dollars in additional food assistance.

At the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Governor Newsom, joined by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Director Jennifer Troia, and members of the Breakthrough Advisory Group, discussed these recent changes with students. The Breakthrough Advisory Group was created last year to make California more efficient and more effective by bringing cutting-edge solutions to state government.

Today also marks the launch of an outreach campaign, "Full Carts," to let students know about CalFresh and encourage them to apply for CalFresh now.

"Thanks to the Breakthrough Initiative, more students can now access the help that's available to them," said Chris Larsen, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple. "It's an example of what's possible when government leads with common sense and doesn't lose sight of who it's working for. When public, private, and nonprofit partners work together, you see the results. In this case, hundreds of thousands of students can get help putting food on the table."

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To drive real change right now, and connect thousands of students to the benefits they deserve, Chris Larsen, executive chair of Ripple and a member of the Breakthrough Group, contributed $1.5 million to fund the outreach campaign. Instacart and Snap have also contributed and will support outreach to students on both platforms.

"Students shouldn't have to choose between their education and their next meal," said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Vice President and Head of Global Public Policy at Instacart. "By making it easier for eligible college students to enroll in CalFresh, Governor Newsom is helping these Californians access food they need. As a member of the California Breakthrough Project, Instacart is proud to help students learn about this opportunity, fueling their success."

CalFresh is federally funded but administered locally by California counties to help low-income California residents purchase food. CalFresh serves nearly 5.2 million individuals each month in more than 3.1 million households.

"College is challenging enough — students should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from," said CDSS Director Jennifer Troia. "I'm proud of our continued work and commitment to streamlining government in ways that truly help Californians. This is what government is supposed to do: help the people we serve. It is my hope that these changes will continue to make it easier for students to access CalFresh, the largest anti-hunger program in the country."

For information on how to apply, visit BenefitsCal.com. EBT Cardholders can download the free mobile application ebtEDGE to manage and protect their benefits; more information is available on the ebtEDGE webpage. Data on CalFresh enrollment can be found on the CalFresh data dashboard.

Fighting food insecurity

Since taking office, the Newsom administration has worked with legislative champions to advance a series of first-in-the-nation reforms to strengthen nutrition standards and expand access to healthy food in schools statewide, building on California's longstanding work to fight hunger, including:

• Through School Meals for All, California was the first state to guarantee every public school student two free school meals each day, regardless of income.
  • California's Universal Meals Program has served nearly 3.5 billion free school meals.
  • SUN Bucks provides $120 in food benefits for each eligible child to combat food insecurity during summer break.
• The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program offers CalFresh recipients the opportunity to earn a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $60 per month, when purchasing fruits and vegetables with their CalFresh benefits at participating grocery stores and farmers' markets.
• The California Farm to School Program, permanently established in state law this summer, connects schools with nutritious, locally grown food.  
• The California Food Assistance Program provides food benefits to qualified non-citizens who do not qualify for federal benefits. The CFAP currently serves more than 45,000 people statewide.
• CalFood provides essential funding that enables food banks to buy California-grown foods and distribute them to people experiencing hunger.
• The Tribal Nutrition Assistance Program works with California Native American tribes to address food insecurity and inequities in Native communities.  
• The Women, Infants, and Children program, administered by the California Department of Public Health, helps families across the state by providing nutrition education, breastfeeding support, healthy foods, and referrals to healthcare and other community services.
• In emergencies, Disaster CalFresh provides increased benefits to people impacted by disasters.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program provides emergency food assistance at no cost to supplement the diets of low-income Americans.

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