Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Increasing student basic need with campus based strategies such as food pantries is important, however college students eligible for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) remain under enrolled. An estimated 150,000 New York undergraduate students are SNAP eligible.   For New York students that get enrolled in the program, SNAP can provide an average of $211.42 per month toward groceries for an individual student, and more for student parents or caregivers providing for a household. 

If you are eligible for SNAP, you can get monthly benefits to spend at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets. To be eligible, you must meet certain income requirements. The amount of benefits you receive depends on things like your household size, income and expenses.

At the State of the University address, Chancellor King identified supporting students facing food insecurity as a priority for student success. The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is one way that certain eligible students can receive funding for groceries. However, many college students who are eligible for SNAP do not apply, due to confusion or difficulty with the process.

Milligan's Food Pantry is here to provide support and information to students interested in applying for SNAP through our partnership with local Nutrition Outreach and Education (NOEP) Coordinators. 

Nutrition Outreach and Education (NOEP) Coordinators offer one-on-one help applying for SNAP. They can tell if you may be eligible for SNAP and help you gather the documents you need, and fill out and send in your SNAP application. You’ll also get information on other programs that may help stretch your food budget, like school meals and summer meals for kids. The service is free and confidential.

Complete this pre-screening to see if you might be eligible Find a NOEP near you with Hunger Solutions NY Find more resources for food insecurity at Community Access Services

This website is a pre-screening tool which provides a quick and easy way for people who live in New York State to find out if they might be able to receive:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Temporary Assistance (TA)
Special tax credits
Home Energy Assistance
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Various Health Insurance programs for individuals, families, children, and sole proprietors
WIC - Women, Infants and Children
HIV Uninsured Care Program

This website will take you about 10 minutes to use. They will ask you about the people in your home, the money you get from a job or other places, your housing costs and a few other bills. What you tell them will stay private and secure. Some advantages of using myBenefits include: the privacy of working at home, the ability to use any internet connected computer anytime or anywhere, the flexibility to work at your own pace and easily accommodate your busy schedule.

When you're finished, they'll tell you if you might be able to receive help through programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. If there are children in your home, they'll also look to see if they may be able to get meals at school or during the summer. If you are an older adult or have an older adult living in your home, they'll look to see if you may be eligible for help in paying for your Medicare plan. Older adults might also be able to get help in paying for prescriptions and other assistance that can help them live in their homes as they get older. And they'll look to see if you might be able to get tax credits for people with lower incomes.

Please keep in mind that this website is just a test to see if you might be able to receive benefits. The test results are based on the information that you provide. Therefore, if the information you provide is not complete or is incorrect, the test results listed may not be accurate. You'll have to apply for these programs to get a final decision about benefits, but they'll let you know how to do that.

NYS MyBenefits