CA College Students Struggle To Pay For Food: Report

CALIFORNIA -- About 19 percent of students at the University of California have limited access to food, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. In a November article, the newspaper details how students across the system's 10 campuses struggle to feed themselves.

The article stated that a 2015 study showed "Nearly 1 in 5 students, 19 percent, said they had too little to eat 'due to limited resources.' Another 23 percent routinely ate substandard food with little variation."

The study's findings are true for a UC Berkeley student highlight by the Chronicle. The student, named Christopher, tells the newspaper that he relies on food donations. Christopher isn't the only Berkeley student struggling, the newspaper reported.

"More than 500 UC Berkeley students have applied for food stamps since January, up from 111 in all of 2016, and just 41 the year before, said Michael Altfest, spokesman for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which helps students fill out the forms. Last year, food bank representatives showed up once a month to help the students," the Chronicle reported.

More than 4 million Californians receive benefits from CalFresh, the state's food stamp program. In total, the recipients have received nearly $7.53 billion in benefits, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

CNBC reported that the "increased need for food stamps among some California college students come as tuition costs for higher education have risen in recent years... The U.S. Department of Education reports that over 42 million Americans owe approximately $1.33 trillion in federal student loans."

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