The end of the semester is approaching for Hoosier students, and food aid groups across the state are working to ensure folks have enough to eat during final exams and beyond.

A survey of more than 350 campus food banks by the organization Swipe Out Hunger found the same banks have distributed more than one million pounds of food to 152,000 students across the nation.

Gigi Brown, director of IvyCares, which oversees Ivy Tech's student-run Bear Necessities food bank, said demand typically spikes at certain times each year, most notably during holidays and the summer.

"Summer has a great demand, primarily because a lot of our students being nontraditional have families, their children are home from school," Brown observed. "You will see quite a bit of demand during the summer."

Brown pointed out the summer spike in demand will likely be worse this year, as Indiana is ending enhanced pandemic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), benefits. Starting in June, the SNAP benefit amount a household receives will once again be based on various eligibility factors such as household size, income and allowable deductions. Residents can check online to see if they qualify for SNAP, and Feeding Indiana's Hungry has an online database of its member food banks.

According to an analysis by the Congressional Research Service, food insecurity can be a significant barrier to completing a degree, particularly for students from low-income households. Brown noted the enhanced SNAP benefits are expiring as demand remains high.

"The demand hasn't gone away at all," Brown emphasized. "It's primarily, I believe, because of the elevated cost of food."

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found the average cost of groceries rose 3.5% in both 2020 and 2021.

Jessica Fraser, director of the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute, said by default, most college students do not qualify for SNAP, unless they meet certain exemptions. She added while there are numerous proposals to address college students' food insecurity, finding a holistic strategy which works for Indiana is tricky.

"We don't want to just throw a whole bunch of money at something without a plan," Fraser contended. "But at the same time, it is going to take concerted effort, and collaboration and coordination and investment to make it work."

Fraser added a comprehensive strategy should have wraparound support, and take into account students' child care, housing and transportation needs, among many other criteria. According to The Associated Press, more than a dozen states either have ended or are about to end their enhanced SNAP programs.

A new program in Indiana will ensure year-round access to nutritious meals for students statewide.

The Summer Electronic Transfer program provides a one-time $120 payment for school-aged children on an EBT card. The card can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and other retailers.

Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, said history shows programs such as SUN Bucks are effective.

"What we learned from the pandemic is that when we provide benefits like this, allowing families to pickup on behalf of their children made a tremendous difference in reducing food insecurity amongst kids during the pandemic," Weikert Bryant observed. "Particularly during the summer."

Local schools will discuss eligibility with parents and families. Additionally, free meals are available at SUN Meals sites throughout communities. Funding for the initiative is provided by the state and the U-S-D-A.

Weikert Bryant said SUN Bucks serves as a crucial lifeline, ensuring no child goes hungry during the summer months. The program reflects Indiana's commitment to fostering the well-being of Hoosier kids, ensuring they receive nutritious meals to thrive personally and academically. She described who qualifies.

"Children are eligible for the program if the household already participates in SNAP, TANF -- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families -- or income-based Medicaid," Weikert Bryant outlined. "Or if the student has been identified as a ward of the state; a foster child, homeless or migrant."

Those children will automatically receive benefits. Families who do not qualify for those programs but have children who receive free and reduced priced meals need to apply for the program. The application deadline is May 1.


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Alabama is one of 14 states opting out of the 2024 summer electronic benefit program.

As summer rolls around, there will be no programs in place to help low-income families with grocery costs.

LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for the group Alabama Arise, said as a result, more than 500,000 children who usually receive free or reduced lunch could go without meals. She noted while summer feeding programs will be available, they will not reach everyone in need.

"Ninety-four percent of Alabama children who rely on free and reduced-price meals won't have access to them over the summer," Clifford Wood reported. "That means that only 6% of the children who rely on those meals during the school year are going to be fed through summer feeding programs."

Clifford Wood warned limited hours, transportation and strict program rules will hinder many families from benefiting from such vital programs. The Alabama Legislature did not allocate the necessary $15 million for the program by the end of the last session. However, Clifford Wood noted there is a chance the program will be funded in the summer of 2025.

As legislators focus on next year's budgets, Clifford Wood stressed the need for funding next summer's EBT program. She pointed out Alabama Arise is calling for lawmakers to allocate funds from the Education Trust Fund to combat child hunger, affecting one in four children in the state.

"This is a program that's been tested for 13 years," Clifford Wood emphasized. "It's had three rigorous evaluation periods, and it was shown to improve the diet of children and decrease children's food hardship by a third."

Clifford Wood believes prioritizing children's needs and addressing food insecurity is a form of preventive care and serves as an early investment in the state's overall wellness.

The Food Research and Action Center said funding the e-benefits program would also benefit the economy - adding anywhere from $98 million to $117 million. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is expected to vote on the budget next week.

California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.