The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) will provide local college students with plenty of opportunities to learn more about the benefits of CalFresh, the nutrition assistance program formerly known as food stamps.

Working in partnership with the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and Los Angeles Community College School District (LACCD), DPSS will host CalFresh Enrollment Days on the campuses to provide information about the nutrition benefit available to students.

According to the Government Accountability Office, there are almost two million college students nationwide who were potentially eligible for nutrition assistance but did not report receiving benefits in 2016. In California, recent surveys found that 40 percent of student respondents from UC campuses and 42 percent from CSU campuses experience food insecurity. Research shows that when students can’t afford food they usually tend to have poorer physical health, symptoms of depression, psychological stress and higher dropout rates. CalFresh can help students get the nutrition they need to succeed in school.

CalFresh Days College Enrollment
CalFresh Enrollment Days are being held in anticipation of CalFresh Awareness Month, the County of L.A.’s annual public awareness campaign. Kicking off May 1, DPSS and its community partners will work together to bring awareness about the health and nutrition benefits of CalFresh to eligible households. The DPSS Medi-Cal Outreach District team will be on hand at the events answering questions and providing CalFresh application assistance.

To help the enrollment process, students applying for CalFresh are encouraged to bring personal identification (CA driver’s license, CA ID, etc.), Social Security Card, verification of income (assets and expenses) and verification of citizenship or legal residency.

Below is a list of the April CalFresh Enrollment Day events:

April 8: UCLA – CalFresh Enrollment Day
April 9: CSU Northridge – CalFresh Enrollment Day
April 9, 15, 16: Mt. San Antonio College – CalFresh Enrollment
April 23: Santa Monica College – CalFresh Enrollment Event
April 25: CSU Long Beach – CalFresh Enrollment Day
April 25: Rio Hondo College – CalFresh and Medi-Cal Enrollment
*These events are intended for students only*

For a complete calendar of similar events, visit the DPSS Calendar.

About CalFresh
CalFresh is the name of California’s Food Stamp Program. The program was established to improve the nutrition of low-income households by increasing their food-buying power to help them put healthy and nutritious food on the table.