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Beach Pantry volunteers sort papayas and other produce on Nov. 4. Students relying on SNAP can receive food and other resources available during the government shutdown. Jorge Hernandez | Long Beach Current<\/p>\n
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a fundamental resource that provides food stamps to 42 million Americans, has ceased dispersal since the government first shut down on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Nov. 3, President Trump told a Rhode Island federal judge he plans to restore 50% of the normal amount of SNAP benefits by tapping into billions of dollars in contingency funds.<\/p>\n
In response to a court order against him for withholding SNAP benefits, Trump opted for partial funding in the form of using the $4.65 billion left in the Congress-appropriated SNAP fund.<\/p>\n
Since it is unclear when the benefits will begin to be paid out by individual states, students at Long Beach State are nervously awaiting the assistance they signed up to receive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe SNAP delays will significantly worsen food insecurity among college students,\u201d said Danielle Mu\u00f1oz-Channel, director of Basic Needs and Crisis Assistance & Resource Education Support at CSULB. \u201c[It is] forcing many to choose between buying food and paying for educational costs, which can negatively impact their health and academic success.\u201d<\/p>\n
SNAP benefits are especially important for students like third-year accounting major Jay Pham, who was homeless from October 2024 until September 2025, using her EBT card to feed herself and her siblings.<\/p>\n
Due to her lack of a physical address, Pham struggled to apply for SNAP until mid-2025 since SNAP\u2019s primary form of contact is through the mail.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReceiving SNAP benefits gave me a lot of relief knowing that if nothing else, I at least would get to eat,\u201d Pham said. <\/p>\n
Her food security proved to be short-lived.<\/p>\n
Pham, who works 35 hours a week, expressed concern about needing to ration the benefits left on her EBT card should the shutdown go beyond the end of November. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf this shutdown goes beyond that, I don\u2019t know where I\u2019ll get money for me and my siblings to eat,\u201d she said. \u201cThat uncertainty, on top of everything else, leaves me extremely stressed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Basic Needs program<\/a> at CSULB is located in Room 127 on the first floor of Peterson Hall and welcomes all students who need access to essential resources.<\/p>\n
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