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This project will examine eligibility for and usage of safety net benefits among college students by linking de-identified, individual-level data from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), the University of California (UC) and the UC Consumer Credit Panel (UCCCP). Using linked UCOP-CDSS data we will measure current student participation rates in CalFresh (aka SNAP), then supplementing them with CSAC data we will simulate eligibility for CalFresh and other safety net programs. Using the combined datasets, we will calculate take-up rates and assess differences in takeup gaps across student subgroups. In future phases, we hope to use the combined data to examine whether data available to colleges (from financial aid applications, enrollment records, and potentially Credit Bureau data) can be used to identify students eligible for benefits, as well as assess the effect of program participation on student outcomes.

The aim of this project is to measure regional variation in the educational pipeline into and out of community colleges. We will construct a student-level dataset of California public high school students who go on to enroll in the Community College system by linking administrative data from California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) and from the California Department of Education (CDE). Using this linked data, we will build measures of college readiness as well as of success in college and will estimate the regional variation in college success, controlling for students’ preparedness prior to matriculation. The project will support the Chancellor’s Office in its goal of reducing geographic disparities in outcomes such as degree attainment, program completion, and transfer to four-year institutions.

As of January 2021, eligibility for CalFresh (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in California) has been temporarily expanded to include students with zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or who are eligible for Work Study. To notify zero EFC students of this expansion and encourage CalFresh participation, CSAC is sending emails to the 285,731 zero EFC students in California from February 8th, 2021; the higher education segments are separately notifying the (partially overlapping) group of students who are eligible based on their Work Study status. This study will evaluate the impact of the zero EFC notifications on CalFresh participation. The primary research question is: Does outreach to college students with zero EFC induce them to apply for and enroll in CalFresh? Our main analysis will use random variation in the timing of the notification emails, and will explore whether people who receive earlier emails register sooner for CalFresh. A secondary analysis will use a regression discontinuity design, comparing students who just qualify for the zero EFC expansion with similar students who just miss qualifying. We will use each design to measure impacts on CalFresh application and enrollment. If we find that there are substantial impacts, we will also use the same designs to examine impacts on college enrollment the following term, and potentially on longer-term student outcomes.

As of January 2021, eligibility for CalFresh (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in California) has been temporarily expanded to include students with zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or who are eligible for Work Study. To notify zero EFC students of this expansion and encourage CalFresh participation, CDSS and CSAC sent email notifications to 285,731 zero EFC students in California in February 2021. In this first phase of the project (https://osf.io/8rkvw/), CPL worked with CDSS and CSAC to randomly vary the timing of the notification emails in order to evaluate whether people who received earlier emails registered more quickly for CalFresh. In the second phase of the project, launching in May 2021, CDSS and CSAC are sending a second round of outreach to 285,325 zero EFC students in the form of emails and postcards. CPL has provided support to enhance the notification emails, design additional postcard notifications, and design and implement this outreach in a randomized controlled trial in partnership with CSAC and CDSS. Our main analysis will test variation in the messaging language and modality of outreach and explore whether students who receive a de-stigmatizing message about accessing CalFresh benefits, and/or a postcard in addition to an email, are more likely to apply for and enroll in CalFresh benefits.

This project will examine eligibility for and usage of safety net benefits among college students by linking de-identified, individual-level data from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), and the University of California Office of the President (UCOP). Using linked UCOP-CDSS data we will measure current student participation rates in CalFresh (aka SNAP), then supplementing them with CSAC data we will simulate eligibility for CalFresh and other safety net programs. Using the combined datasets, we will calculate take-up rates and assess differences in takeup gaps across student subgroups. In future phases, we hope to use the combined data to examine whether data available to colleges (from financial aid applications and enrollment records) can be used to identify students eligible for benefits, as well as assess the effect of program participation on student outcomes.

Food insecurity is widespread among college students in the United States. CalFresh food benefits, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can help students in California pay for food, but may not reach all eligible students. CalFresh enrollment rates among students have been difficult to estimate due to incomplete data on California students’ eligibility for and enrollment in the CalFresh program.1 To overcome these issues, the California Policy Lab (CPL) partnered with the California Community College system (CCC), the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), and the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to build a linked database of student-level administrative data on college enrollment, financial aid, and CalFresh participation.This work has been supported, in part, by the University of California Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives grants MRP-19-600774 and M21PR3278.

Many California college students face food and housing insecurity.1 CalFresh food benefits, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can help students pay for food, but most students eligible for this support are not receiving it. To address the gap between eligibility and participation, the California Policy Lab (CPL) is building a new data system — in partnership with higher education and safety-net agencies in California — to examine the extent to which college students use safety-net benefits to help meet their basic needs, to estimate how benefit receipt affects educational outcomes, and to evaluate strategies designed to increase participation. As part of this portfolio of work, and to better understand the factors that may limit student participation in CalFresh, CPL collaborated with Jesus Chavarin-Rivas, a graduate student at UC Berkeley, to conduct 29 interviews with a selection of students, basic needs specialists, and local and state government representatives in California. While this work2 was not a representative study of college student experiences statewide, it provided an initial picture of common barriers that may warrant further investigation by researchers and program administrators. This preliminary work suggests that some college students may lack awareness about CalFresh, be deterred by stigma and fear of adverse consequences, and face both misinformation about the complicated eligibility criteria for students and complex administrative processes when applying for food benefits.This work has been supported, in part, by the University of California Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives grants MRP-19-600774 and M21PR3278.