Low income students can now pay for groceries at Campus Market using food stamps

TAYLOR KEEFER - November 19, 2019

Campus Market is now accepting CalFresh payment on approved items.  

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CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal program that provides low-income individuals with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to purchase nutritious foods at grocery stores and farmers markets.

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An EBT card allows a recipient to transfer benefits from a federal account to a retailer account to pay for products. A student may be eligible to receive an EBT card if they have limited income. If eligible, the average student receives $150 per month on their CalFresh card.

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Now that Campus Dining’s application has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the EBT cards will be accepted at Campus Market. Village Market in Poly Canyon Village is also going through the application process to accept CalFresh payment.

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Lead student coordinator for the CalFresh Outreach Program Haley Wintsch said the USDA defines approved items as “foods for the household.” This includes grocery items, produce, snacks, frozen food or salads from the salad bar at Campus Market.

The CalFresh benefits do not cover prepared food that is hot at checkout, personal hygiene products, alcohol or school supplies.

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“I’ve never talked to a student who didn’t need it or benefit from it,” Wintsch said. “Making EBT acceptable makes it that much more accessible for students to get the fresh, healthy food they need to be successful.”