Students: The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency may affect your eligibility for SNAP benefits
SUNY is advising students across the state system that, 30 days after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends on May 11, a temporary expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will also expire.
Even after the pandemic emergency ends, many students will still be eligible for SNAP, but there is a significant benefit to applying before June 10, 2023, when the SNAP expansion expires.
Use this link for more information about applying for SNAP in New York State.
Details about the SNAP expansion during the Public Health Emergency
Under regular SNAP eligibility requirements, students enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education are typically ineligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet certain specific exemptions.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 temporarily expands SNAP eligibility to include students who either:
- Are eligible to participate in state or federally financed work-study during the regular academic year, as determined by the institution of higher education; or
- Have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $0 in the current academic year, which includes students who are eligible for a maximum Pell Grant.
How the end of the Public Health Emergency affects SNAP eligibility
The federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 will end on May 11, 2023, which means the extra SNAP exemptions will end 30 days later, on June 10.
Students who submit their SNAP applications after June 10 will be processed under the more limited SNAP rules.
Applications received before June 10 will be processed under the expanded pandemic rules. Students who meet this application deadline will retain eligibility until their recertification date, which is typically one year.
More information about this change is available in this U.S. Department of Education memo.