Wisconsin College Students Fear Losing SNAP Benefits as Holidays Near 

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College students worry that the loss of food assistance would make it harder to afford both groceries and their education as Wisconsin challenges the Trump-era SNAP cuts.

We accept EBT poster in front of 7-Eleven. Credit: Adobe Stock images

With Thanksgiving just days away, Jadah Webb isn’t planning a big dinner; she’s hoping she’ll have enough to make one at all.

The 22-year-old Mount Mary University student relies on SNAP benefits to buy groceries for her household. But as Wisconsin sues former President Donald Trump over his administration’s cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Webb worries that this year’s holiday season could bring more stress than celebration.

“Usually, I’m excited to cook and spend time with family,” Webb said. “This year, I’m just trying to make sure we have enough to get through the week.”

Wisconsin State Capitol. Credit: Adobe Stock images

The state’s lawsuit challenges Trump-era policies that made it harder for adults, including students, to qualify for federal food assistance. For thousands across Wisconsin and especially for college students balancing rent, tuition, and part-time jobs, those benefits are important.

At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, that need is growing. Alexandria Lynn Dorshorst, who helps run UWM’s Food Center and Pantry, said pantry visits jumped 25 percent from September to October.

Food pantry groceries. Credit: Dreamtime.com

“Programs like SNAP are very important to college students,” Dorshorst said. “They help reduce food insecurity, support academic success, and stretch limited funds.”

More than half of UWM students, 52.4 percent, experience food insecurity, meaning they skip meals, eat less, or aren’t sure where their next meal will come from. As the holidays approach, those numbers weigh heavily on students like Webb.

“People assume we’re being lazy or not budgeting right,” she said. “But most of us are doing everything we can, working, going to class, and still struggling to afford food.”

If Wisconsin loses the lawsuit, Dorshorst said the effects could affect campuses statewide. While UWM’s pantry and community programs will continue to help out, they can only do so much.

“We’re here to connect students with community resources through the Dean of Students Office,” she said. “But losing federal aid would have a serious impact on student health, performance, and overall well-being.”

Jadah Webb sitting at Brown Deer Park. Credit: Sky Abner

For Webb, that impact hits even closer to home.

“I use EBT to commute to class as well,” she said. “Without it, it’s harder for me to get my education. This is my first year back from taking a break, and I wanted to take my education seriously.”

Still, Webb plans to make the best of what she has for the upcoming holidays.

Frozen turkeys in a grocery store. Credit: Adobe Stock images

“It’s not about the biggest meal,” she said. “It’s about having something to share, even if it’s small. That’s what I’m thankful for, having something at all.”

For students across Wisconsin, that small comfort is what’s being taken away in the state’s lawsuit, not just a matter of policy, but the ability to learn, live, and eat with certainty that everything will be fine for their future.