Georgians have endured a whirlwind of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) changes these past couple of months with no end in sight. Most recently on Nov. 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Georgia Department of Human Services announced SNAP work requirement changes for ABAWDs (able-bodied adults without dependents), following the passage of the federal H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In short, more Georgians will have to meet the SNAP work requirements to receive benefits beyond three months. This work requirement can be met by completing 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month in work, volunteer, or training opportunities. More details about the SNAP changes can be found in Ife Finch Floyd’s latest research with the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute.
The SNAP changes that we really need
There are varying opinions on the recent SNAP changes and the rumored SNAP changes to come, but one thing Georgians can be thankful for is that the ABAWD work types did not change. USDA still accepts volunteer and training hours for adults, but unfortunately, USDA has never accepted volunteer and training hours for students.
As of Dec. 19, 2025, the SNAP for Students work exemption requires students to work at least 20 hours a week in paid employment. If the student is self-employed, he or she must work at least 20 hours a week and receive weekly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours.
Historically, student advocates have asked for the 20 hours a week paid work requirement to be removed but removing it has not received favorable support. Instead of removing the paid work requirement in SNAP for Students, USDA should accept volunteer and training hours for college students, just like they do for able-bodied adults without dependents. For college students, volunteer and training hours would account for their campus and community involvement including, but not limited to, student clubs and organizations, student athletics, student research, and community service.
The hungry student-athlete
Imagine how many hours a student-athlete at a Georgia post-secondary institution spends within the student athletics department. Student athletes expend weekly hours in practice, in training, watching film, in athletics meetings, compliance meetings, and coach meetings, playing in home games, playing in away games, and traveling for away games, and the list of activities continues. The number of weekly hours these activities add up to would vary by the college, sport, and individual. However, it seems that the NCAA and colleges try to restrict this time to four hours a day and 20 hours a week through the CARA (Countable Athletically Related Activities) policy. This policy contains partial lists of common activities that count and do not count against the CARA daily and weekly time limits.
There is no public data that measures and reports how well the CARA policy is upheld by Georgia colleges and Georgia coaches, but for the sake of SNAP for Students, the CARA policy tells us that a student athlete can spend at least 20 hours a week in athletic activities. These activities should be categorized as training hours since student athletes are training to become professional athletes upon college graduation.
According to USA Today’s 2024 NCAA Finances: Revenue & Expenses by School Report, the University of Georgia ranked No. 5 with more than $203 million in total revenue and Georgia Tech ranked No. 17 with more than $106 million in total revenue. Hungry student-athletes help generate this revenue for the college and for the state with their time and talent. At the very least, they should be eligible for SNAP benefits by reporting their 20 hours a week in training, so they can continue their academic and athletic pursuits unburdened by food insecurity.
The hungry student-leader
Secondly, imagine how many hours a student-leader at a Georgia post-secondary institution spends within the student affairs/student life department. Most students are members of student organizations, student clubs, sororities, or fraternities that relate to their personal and professional interests. Georgia colleges promote these activities to help students grow soft and hard skills, to help students build community, and to help students prioritize their well-being.
The average student-leader can spend at least 10 hours a week in meetings, events, and other activities for the club/organization. For a student-leader who majors in political science and who is the president of the Student Government Association (SGA), his or her weekly time leading SGA should be considered as training hours in the SNAP for Students program. For a student-leader who is the chair of the Community Service Committee of the on-campus Habitat for Humanity, his or her weekly time planning and attending local builds and fundraisers should be considered as volunteer hours in the SNAP for Students program.
Since Georgia colleges encourage their students to become student-leaders, students should be eligible for SNAP benefits by reporting their 20 hours a week in volunteer and training. With this change, students can continue leading their campus and community unburdened by food insecurity.
The hungry student-researcher
Lastly, imagine how many hours a student-researcher at a Georgia post-secondary institution spends in a research lab. If a student wants to get a full-time job after college graduation, he or she may focus on getting professional work experience. On the other hand, if a student wants to go to graduate school after college graduation, he or she may focus on getting undergraduate research experience. Graduate programs require that applicants have letters of recommendation from recommenders who can speak to the student’s ability to perform independent research and some of them require students to have as low as 100 research hours and as high as 2,000-plus research hours.
For a student to have a strong graduate school application, he or she must prioritize research hours over part-time work hours, and those research hours should be considered as training hours within the SNAP for Students program. With this change, students can continue researching problems and solutions unburdened by food insecurity.
Georgia can be the change agent for U.S. students
During the 2025-26 Georgia General Assembly regular session, Rep. Lydia Glaize, a member of the Higher Education Committee, took action on behalf of food insecure Georgia college students by sponsoring House Resolution 272 (HR 272). In summary, HR 272 is a resolution encouraging the United States Congress to adopt legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to modify eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for students enrolled in institutions of higher education and for other purposes. Rep. Robert Dickey, the chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, co-sponsored HR 272 along with Rep. Rick Townsend, Rep. Miriam Paris, Rep. Lisa Campbell, and Rep. Debbie Buckner.
SNAP is a federal program that is administered by the states. USDA funds the program, sets the eligibility criteria, and sets the work requirements; Georgia handles the applications, sets local policies, and distributes the benefits. With that being said, Georgia state leaders can advocate for these changes, but ultimately, Georgia federal leaders and USDA Food and Nutrition Services leaders will have to see it through.
Advocacy is at the center of change, and Georgia has stepped up as the change agent for all U.S. college students. Georgia college students should remain hopeful that in the midst of the ongoing SNAP changes, the SNAP for Students work requirements will also change to accept volunteer and training hours. Whether it happens now or later, Georgia community leaders will continue to advocate on behalf of hungry college students across our campuses.
