October 28, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that it will not tap any emergency funds to help cover the cost of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown. As a result, 42 million Americans, including an estimated 1.1 million students in higher education, will see their November food assistance halted or delayed—right as the holiday season begins.

“Students and families should not go hungry because the current Congressional majority cannot pass a government funding bill or because the Trump Administration is unwilling to release contingency funds to help ease their pain,” said Mark Huelsman, Director of Policy & Advocacy at The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs. “The Administration, by its own admission, has had the power to release funds during a shutdown, which could go toward partially paying for benefits and ensuring that those most at risk of hunger are not forced to forgo meals. This choice will force students and campuses across the country into an impossible situation and potentially lead many students to drop out of college altogether.”

The current moment marks the first time that SNAP benefits will not be paid out during a government shutdown, despite previous agency actions to spend the program’s contingency funds during these periods. It also occurs at a time when food banks are already stretched thin to meet increased needs during the holidays.

While the USDA’s SNAP reserves would cover only about three-quarters of the cost of November benefits, the Administration could release funding for partial payments of the SNAP monthly benefits. Yet there has been minimal communication and guidance, and conflicting statements, from the White House and agencies, leaving states and campuses scrambling on how to best support those experiencing food insecurity.

At a time of rising food prices and costs of living, we need Congress and the Administration to expand access to aid and ensure that hunger is never a reason someone cannot fulfill their educational or career aspirations. Unfortunately, the recent cuts to SNAP in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will affect millions of families and force states to make difficult budget choices that will likely lead to cuts to crucial higher education programs or tuition increases. It’s time to take food insecurity seriously and not let political gamesmanship be the reason families cannot eat and students cannot learn.

The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs encourages colleges, systems of higher education, state agencies, service providers, food banks, and community members to coordinate to assist students experiencing, or at risk of, food insecurity and to surge resources, donations, food bank/pantry hours, and emergency aid, wherever possible. We plan to provide additional recommendations for emergency response actions in the coming days.