A commute often means leaving home before breakfast and getting back after dinner. These are the food options colleges offer people who live off campus, from small meal plans to the food pantry, along with the SNAP rules that apply to students.
Meal plans made for commuters
Many colleges sell small commuter meal plans with a set number of meals for the term, or a stored balance on your ID card that you spend at campus cafes. These are often sold apart from the full residential plans, so ask dining services what is offered to students who live off campus. Before you choose a size, check whether unused meals or balance carry over to the next term.
A plan makes sense when you know you will be on campus at mealtimes several days a week. If your schedule shifts from term to term, a small plan topped up as needed tends to waste less than a large one bought in advance.
The campus food pantry
Many campuses run a food pantry open to every enrolled student, commuters included. Some ask only for a student ID, and others use a short intake form. Pantries often keep grab-and-go items for students who are on campus all day, as well as groceries to carry home.
Pantry hours are sometimes set around residence hall life, so check whether they fit the days you are on campus. If you are skipping meals often, the dean of students or the basic needs office may know about meal vouchers or emergency help beyond what the pantry handles.
Pantries often keep grab-and-go items for students who are on campus all day, as well as groceries to carry home.
SNAP while you are in school
Students enrolled at least half-time and aged 18 to 49 generally need to meet an exemption to receive SNAP. Exemptions include working at least 20 hours a week for pay, taking part in work-study, caring for a young child and being physically or mentally unable to work. Your state SNAP agency decides, and the campus basic needs office can explain how to apply.
Commuters who live with family should know that SNAP looks at the whole household, and parents and their children under 22 who live together are usually counted as one household. Ask the state agency how your household would be counted before you apply. Some campus markets accept EBT cards, so ask dining services whether yours does.
Steps to take
- Ask dining services about commuter meal plans
- Find the food pantry's hours and location
- Check whether a campus market accepts EBT
- Pack food for any day longer than six hours
Who decides
Your college's basic needs office or dining services
Commuter meal plans and the food pantry are there for students who live off campus, and the state agency decides SNAP.