SNAP Disruption Highlights Gaps in Support

Forty-three days. The longest government shutdown in United States history. From Oct. 1 through Nov. 12, uncertainty rippled across the country as the Senate debated extending health care subsidies while more than a million federal employees went without paychecks and swaths of flights were cancelled — to name just a few of the disruptions. 

Ultimately, the straw that broke the shutdown’s back was the 42 million Americans whose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding was withheld, leaving families without food assistance for two weeks.

As the entire country wondered whether millions of families would be left to starve, many UCSF students wondered the same about their peers. Through California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, CalFresh, some students are eligible to receive up to $292 per month to pay for groceries. 

To meet eligibility criteria, students must have US citizenship or permanent legal residence, a monthly income of less than $2,610, and they must satisfy one student requirement such as being approved for federal work study or being a parent.

The students who fit this criteria felt the weight of their potential loss of benefits as the City of San Francisco scrambled to cover several hundred post secondary students in the area who depend on CalFresh by distributing a prepaid grocery card to the 112,000 San Franciscans who rely on SNAP.

Daniel Zager, a third year medical student at UCSF, said that the prepaid grocery card was helpful, as were UCSF resources, but there were gaps in the system.

“I was able to rely on UCSF pantry, and I did my best to get to the fresh food market but timing is difficult with my rotations,” he said. “I felt that UCSF’s communications were not adequate, as I mostly learned about the changing landscape of SNAP from the national news.”

As the shutdown continued through the end of October, and with SNAP funding set to freeze on Nov. 1, UCSF’s office of Basic Needs for Students provided periodic updates and informed recipients of changes to their coverage. 

In an initial email blast, the office shared regularly standing resources, including links to local food pantries, the Basic Needs 24/7 Pantries and Student Food Markets, and discount programs across the city accessible to UCSF students. 

Basic Needs also scrambled an emergency response that included expanding inventory at the Mission Bay and Parnassus Food Pantries and reassessing their budget to meet student needs.

And they made students aware of the San Francisco Human Services Agency’s distribution of one-time prepaid grocery cards for CalFresh recipients. 

Finally, as the federal standoff ended, the office confirmed that CalFresh benefits would be reissued upon reopening of the government, and assured students that their benefits should resume in full. 

In contrast, the flow of information from the Trump administration was disjointed and chaotic. Amidst an intense school schedule, including mid-quarter exams and clinical rotations, students struggled to track down their prepaid grocery cards in the mail and activate their benefits before the next news cycle. 

In the absence of government support, emergency responses were enacted across the city and the rest of the country. Food banks prepared for an influx of need by calling for donations and volunteer support from the community. Local restaurants promoted discounts and free meals for SNAP recipients. 

The rapid, collective response underscores the resilience and strength of the community, but also exposes the vulnerability of the current system. 

Recognizing that SNAP benefits were an effective political bargaining chip makes clear the need for a sustainable backup plan for the future.

UCSF, like many institutions of higher education, has faced federal funding restrictions, either by direct threat of the Trump administration or through halts of NIH grants. Over the last year, this has resulted in hiring freezes, travel restrictions, stricter limits on discretionary funding, and cutbacks on certain programs such as the Fitness and Recreation center. 

Hopefully, this shutdown will give UCSF decisionmakers pause if they ever consider cutting funds to student support programs, which have proven to be essential to providing resources when other systems fail. 

That too goes for community support networks. While the deal that ended the government shutdown guarantees SNAP funding through September 2026, USDA cuts and farmers strained by tariffs has made food access increasingly vulnerable. Therefore, continuing to care for each other — our student peers and neighbors alike — continues to be crucial. 

Share resources, volunteer your time, and bolster your social networks by joining a mutual aid pod. Taking small, sustainable actions like these will strengthen our community while ensuring that our food access cannot be used as leverage again.