Although the state’s recent move to implement a universal financial aid application policy for high school seniors is a step toward informing young people of the support they can receive to pursue higher education, a report published by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) in February considers how receiving CalFresh and Medi-Cal benefits can impact the financial burdens many college students still face.
Reducing College Costs for Low-Income Students found that although low-income students tend to qualify for the maximum need-based financial aid, they still struggle to cover associated expenses and a rising cost of living as they attempt to further their academic careers.
“This burden can be eased by two of California’s largest safety net programs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal, which help low-income residents pay for groceries and access health care coverage,” the report states.
Even after financial aid, a low-income University of California (UC) student may have up to $4,000 in unmet needs. That number is $8,900 for those enrolled at a California State University (CSU) and $9,000 for a California Community Colleges (CCC) student. Living situations can affect these estimates as CCC students who live with their parents, for example, can have all costs covered by financial aid and leave them with a surplus of funds.
Low-income individuals make up the majority of CCC students at 71 percent and are 48 percent of the CSU student body and 39 percent of the UC population. Sixty-nine percent of undergraduate students in California are between age 18-26.
Many students are eligible for additional support from safety net programs but experience barriers like navigating eligibility requirements.
“CalFresh can reduce the financial burden of a UC student living on campus by about half; it can erase the financial burden of a student living off campus and leave the student with cash to cover other needs,” according to PPIC. “It can reduce the financial burden of a CSU student living on campus by about 52 percent, while the reduction for an off-campus CSU student is about 24 percent. CalFresh lowers the financial burden of a CCC student living off campus by 24 percent and bolsters the disposable cash of a student living with parents.”
Similar benefits can be seen with Medi-Cal enrollment.
“UC students who enroll in Medi-Cal and receive a fee waiver can have their financial burden reduced by 90 percent if they live on campus, or by more than 100 percent if they live off campus,” the report states. “A UC student who lives on campus and participates in both Medi-Cal and CalFresh could see their financial burden replaced by $1,782 in disposable cash to spend on other needs; a UC student living off campus would have their financial burden replaced by $3,982 in disposable cash.”
Accessing these resources can allow students to work fewer hours, leaving more time to focus on their studies, acquiring less debt and potentially improving their chance to complete college with these hurdles out of the way.
The report encourages collaboration between financial aid offices and basic needs centers, connecting Medi-Cal navigators to basic needs centers on campuses and using data to identify and connect low-income students to services.
At the K-12 level, many local educational agencies foster relationships between their families and CalFresh and Medi-Cal services. Glendale Unified School District, for example, participates in the CalFresh Healthy Living Program.
“Through this program, we provide nutrition education classes, increased access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity,” the district’s website states. “We partner with students, families, teachers, staff and administrators to make the healthy choice, the easy choice!”
