GAO Report Highlights Need to Help Connect Students with SNAP Benefits
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
While the FAFSA Simplification Act created new requirements for the Department of Education (ED) to notify low-income students of federal benefits, a new report has found that the department is not sufficiently supporting states and institutions with FAFSA data that could connect eligible students with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The report, released publicly in April by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), examines the work ED and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have done to implement FAFSA data-sharing provisions of the FAFSA Simplification Act, and contacted students about their potential eligibility. Additionally, the report examines how selected states and institutions have used student data to help connect students with SNAP benefits. The selected states were California, Massachusetts, and Washington, and seven institutions within those three states.
This report was conducted from May 2023 to March 2025, and was developed following an inquiry from Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Angie Craig (D-Minn), ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture, and David Scott (D-Ga.), to review food insecurity among college students.
NASFAA, along with other higher education organizations, were interviewed in this review to share their experience and communication with ED.
A key part of GAO’s report was the changing guidance from ED on how to use and share student data for SNAP outreach. Starting in July 2024, the FAFSA Simplification Act gave ED the authority to enter into data sharing agreements with certain state and federal agencies for purposes of means-tested benefits outreach and access.
This provision of the FAFSA Simplification Act allowed agencies to receive FAFSA data directly from ED, given students’ prior consent, and use it to administer federal benefits, including SNAP benefits. However, ED told GAO it does not have a written, formal plan or a timeframe on moving forward with FAFSA data sharing.
ED did share with GAO a general explanation how it would go about sharing FAFSA data with benefits agencies, which would first include obtaining student consent to share their FAFSA data. According to ED, this could be done through adding consent language to the FAFSA form. Next, ED would have to establish data-sharing agreements with agencies that administer benefits, such as the USDA Food and Nutrition (FNS) which administers SNAP.
“Given the complex, multi-step nature of this work, without a written plan, Education may not be prepared to implement these FAFSA data-sharing authorities,” the report reads. “This could lead to delays in vulnerable college students getting information that could help them access food and benefits they are eligible for.”
The report also examined ED’s approach to notifying potential eligible students for SNAP benefits through the FAFSA submission summary report. Specifically, ED targets students who are eligible for a Pell Grant and have indicated their household has received at least one federal benefit.
GAO found that through this approach, using ED data from 2020, that the department may have missed 40% of students who were potentially eligible for SNAP.
GAO asked ED about its approach to notifying students, and ED said it has not analyzed data to assess the effectiveness of its target notifications. Furthermore, ED told GAO it has not consulted USDA’s FNS when creating this targeted notification.
The report also examined ED’s communication with states and institutions. ED officials told GAO the department has not shared important information with states and institutions about its targeted notification to students about potential SNAP eligibility aside from a brief mention in the FAFSA Specifications Guide.
NASFAA told GAO it is important that ED provides information to both states and institutions about targeted notifications and content going to students.
“Education’s Federal Student Aid strategic plan for fiscal years 2023 to 2027 states that the agency will provide accurate and timely information and support to its stakeholders,” the report reads. “Yet, Education has not done so for these benefit notifications. Providing quality information to colleges and state agencies about these notifications could better support their efforts to connect students with benefits.”
GAO noted in its letter to lawmakers that in fiscal year (FY) 2023, ED spent approximately $31.4 billion on Pell Grants for over 6 million students. However, this “substantial federal investment in higher education is at risk of not serving its intended purpose if college students drop out because of limited or uncertain access to food,” the report reads.
“FAFSA Simplification Act provisions created new avenues for Education to use FAFSA data to help connect students with SNAP benefits,” the report reads. “However, without a written plan, Education may not be prepared to implement FAFSA data sharing with SNAP administrators, especially considering the complex, multi-step nature of this work. Additionally, without evaluating its approach—in consultation with FNS—Education’s efforts to notify FAFSA applicants of their potential SNAP eligibility may not be reaching students who could benefit from the information.”
The report noted several strategies that states and institutions found helpful for identifying and informing students about their potential SNAP eligibility.
For example, state officials and institutions told GAO that it was easier for them to identify students potentially eligible for SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic with FAFSA data. During the pandemic, students who had an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0, or who were eligible for Federal Work-Study (FWS), were made temporarily eligible for SNAP benefits (given that they met other eligibility rules). This temporary student exemption ended in June 2023.
Since the student exemption ended, state officials and institutions told GAO they have used other available FAFSA data to identify students for potential SNAP benefits, such as Pell Grant eligibility.
Other strategies that states and institutions have employed to reach students include using students’ eligibility or receipt of state need-based grant aid, or using state-designated employment and training programs as a way to reach students about SNAP benefits.
As part of the report, GAO made five recommendations – three for ED and two for USDA – to better help students access SNAP benefits. First, GAO recommends that ED develop a written plan for implementing provisions of the FAFSA Simplification Act to share FAFSA data with SNAP administrators.
ED, with consultation from USDA, should also evaluate its plan to identify and notify FAFSA applicants who are potentially eligible for SNAP benefits – and adjust its plan if needed. ED should inform institutions and state higher education agencies that FAFSA notifications are being sent to applicants who are potentially eligible for SNAP benefits.
The USDA should, in consultation with ED, issue guidance to state SNAP agencies to clarify permissible uses of student data, including FAFSA data, for SNAP outreach, GAO recommends. Lastly, USDA should issue guidance to state SNAP agencies to clarify the permissible uses and disclosure of SNAP data.
This report was shared both with ED and USDA to provide comments, which ED did not provide.
Rep. Bobby Scott said in a statement it is crucial for ED and USDA to collaborate effectively so students can receive the benefits they need. He urged the Trump administration to take immediate steps to improve access for students.
“Another impact of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and fire thousands of staff is that students will lack the support they need to succeed,” Scott said. “If these efforts continue, students will continue to experience hunger and the academic barriers that come with it.”
Publication Date: 4/23/2025
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