CSU community feels impact of SNAP cuts

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which supports nearly 42 million Americans and over 28,000 residents of Larimer County from low-income households in purchasing food, ran out of federal funds Nov. 1. The cuts, which come as a result of a federal government shutdown, have left SNAP users nationwide with fewer resources for their basic needs.

In response to the cuts, which typically supply $120 million in benefits each month to Coloradans, the state approved a $10 million emergency budget measure to sustain access to food.

Federal judges and President Donald Trump’s administration have battled over supplying half or even full funding for SNAP benefits in November. The Trump administration appealed an order requiring that the federal government supply full benefits for the month of November, and the Supreme Court granted the administration permission to pause SNAP payments to states, according to the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Only 32,000 Coloradans received benefits Nov. 7, but a Supreme Court ruling issued on the same day paused this, leaving over 560,000 Coloradans without benefits, Gov. Jared Polis said. It is unclear when benefits will be reinstated.

The cuts have impacted people, organizations and resources across Colorado State University.

With news of the cuts, CSU’s Rams Against Hunger shared an Instagram post Oct. 28 asking for community support during November. The post noted that approximately 25% of CSU students qualify for SNAP benefits.

Michael Buttram, program manager for basic needs at CSU, said the community has shown up in generous and heartwarming ways. He shared that some individuals have increased their monthly donations while others have given a generous one-time donation.

“People are stepping up, but we can’t fill a gap that the government needs to fill,” Buttram said. “This is only a very temporary Band-Aid, and we’re putting that Band-Aid on a very gaping wound.”

When Rams Against Hunger receives a donation, that money goes toward purchasing food at partner price from Food Bank for Larimer County, each dollar donation carrying about $9 purchasing power, Buttram said. Corporations and companies have also made donations, which is a creative solution the pantry has to rely on in times of high demand.

The pantry typically serves around 550 people per week and uses a client choice model, Buttram said. With the exception of some products such as milk and eggs, clients are allowed to take as much food as they need under this model.

In the week without SNAP benefits, the pantry has already seen an uptick in clients and it’s anticipated that the number of visitors will keep growing throughout November.

“Knowing that an increase is coming — and it’s already happening — we’re just doing our best to keep up and stay ahead of that need,” Buttram said.

Still, students have already expressed concerns over the immediate effect of being left without federal assistance. Anne, a student who did not provide a last name, said she has seen the impact firsthand.

“I’m very angry that (SNAP benefits) are being cut,” Anne said. “And not to get super political, but it is a political situation. It’s really annoying to see Donald Trump do a whole Gatsby party and (be) spending money — taxpayer money — on very luxurious and extravagant things while people are starving in the streets.”

Liri Sananes, an undergraduate student who also knows people impacted, shared concerns about misinformation regarding who is in charge of the cuts.

“I have shown my friends Esh’s (Grocery Market), which is right outside Fort Collins; … that has helped them a lot,” Sananes said. “I know my other friend was planning on applying to SNAP right as the government shutdown happened. Now they can’t apply.”

In a program called SNAP4RAMS, the Student Case Management office at CSU meets with eligible community members and helps them apply for SNAP benefits. Since its creation in 2020, SNAP4RAMS has served 1,500 students in applying, rectifying or making changes to their SNAP benefits, said Jennie Baran, associate director of Student Case Management.

“The navigation process has not changed during this time,” Baran said.

Students who were identified to have been impacted by the November cuts were sent a letter that directed them to various campus resources, such as the Rams Against Hunger food pantry, pocket pantries, Ram Food Recovery and the Meal Swipes program.

Shayna Lentz, a case manager at CSU, echoed the directions of the letter.

“The thing with SNAP is that (it) benefits a lot between the first and the 10th of the month,” Lentz said. “While there has been a lot of news about it, this is when it’s actually starting to hit people’s pocketbooks. … We’ve had some folks come in with some concerns, and the best that we’re able to do right now is point them in the direction of Rams Against Hunger.” 

Lentz expressed the difficulty in trying to bridge the gaps of the cuts. Like Buttram, she echoed the importance of creativity and urged students to look at other resources they may not have tapped into.

“It’s very difficult to be in a position of promoting this great program, and now we’re on pause,” Lentz said.

Joshua Sbicca, associate professor of sociology and the director of the Prison Agriculture Lab, specializes in food and agriculture, but specifically the inaccessibility and inequality that surround both. While SNAP cuts are impacting students, Sbicca noted that about 50% of college students face food insecurity in general and pointed to broader societal issues that exacerbate the need for food justice.

Sbicca said that although programs like Rams Against Hunger are important, fixing the lack of institutional support is the real solution to food insecurity. He noted trends that contribute to Fort Collins’ challenges in accessing basic necessities, like inflation and stagnant wages.

“We have to ask ourselves, ‘Why are college students food insecure?’” Sbicca said. “However necessary (food programs) are, they’re not going to be enough. If universities like CSU are actually serious about eliminating student food insecurity, then they need to take serious questions of the cost of education and the cost of living.”