FAQs for Staff & Partners

Food insecurity is a serious issue nationally and in North Carolina for college students; studies have shown that college students face food insecurity at consistently higher rates than the national prevalence.  SNAP is the largest program in the United States aimed to alleviate hunger by providing individuals and families with funds to purchase food.

EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards are used to administer benefits to individuals eligible for SNAP benefits. EBT cards work like debit cards and allow participants to purchase food products in-store or online from certain stores.

No. SNAP benefits do not impact student financial aid, and SNAP benefits do not impact taxes.

North Carolina FNS is the name of the state program responsible for providing SNAP benefits. They are the same program and often referred to informally as food stamps.

ePass is an online system in North Carolina where people can apply for benefits like SNAP.

If you are attending a business, technical, trade, or vocational school and enrolled in a program that requires a high school degree or equivalent, you are considered enrolled in an institution of higher education.

You are considered a student if you are enrolled at a college or university at least half-time in a regular curriculum program, regardless of whether the program requires a high school degree or equivalent. To read more about institutions of higher education and SNAP, visit USDA’s website.

You are considered enrolled half-time if you are taking at least 6 hours as an undergraduate student or 4.5 hours as a graduate/professional school student.

Students may be asked to provide a range of documentation verifying enrollment status, financial aid, and employment. Students may need help verifying hours worked if paystubs do not include hours worked and are a monthly stipend.