Cal Poly’s annual meal plan analysis found that some dining plans provide enough weekly meals to make students ineligible for CalFresh benefits.
Although most meal plans’ dollar value did not change, Cal Poly’s summer review resulted in higher estimates of how many meals certain plans provide. Students whose meal plans provide more than half of their weekly meals are not eligible for CalFresh, according to the CalFresh Outreach team.
Students on the First-Year Plus plan are no longer eligible, which includes 2,641 students, according to Campus Dining.
“I wish we could get some more transparency on why they made the decision,” said Andrew Diwa, a statistics freshman enrolled in the First-Year Plus plan.
Cal Poly Outreach conducts the analysis annually with the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services, University Spokesperson Keegan Koberl wrote in an email to Mustang News.
“Because meal plans change annually, related guidance may also change,” Koberl wrote.
CalFresh is a California program that allows eligible recipients to receive benefits. It can provide students with up to $298 a month for groceries, according to the CalFresh Outreach team.
First-Year Limited and all community dining plans, which are for non-freshmen and faculty, are still eligible for CalFresh grocery benefits, according to CalFresh.
Students enrolled in the First-Year Max or Resident Advisor plans were previously not eligible.
“This is very devastating news for all of us. We just got the news two weeks ago,” said Carina Chan, a nutrition junior and CalFresh Outreach team member.
Lauren Lam, an animal science sophomore, lives on campus and receives CalFresh benefits.
“They give you a kitchen for a reason,” Lam said. “They should be able to get food with EBT.”
The Local Programs that Increase Employability remain available to college students in certain major programs. The program allows students to receive CalFresh benefits, according to the California Department of Social Services.
However, if students are on one of the ineligible meal plans, that supersedes the LPIE major status, and they cannot receive CalFresh benefits.
​First-year students may switch to the First-Year Limited meal plan if they feel that it better fits their needs, but they must wait until the spring semester.