Florida Student Food Stamp Use Up 44 Percent

Reader Comments

Back to blog

I am in the same position. I applied and got expedited Food Stamps and now that they have finished interview and everything because I go to school I do not qualify. WTF!! Are we not supposed to better ourselves? I am in the process of filing a disability claim and am unable to work. What am I supposed to do now?

Kelly of FL 1:07PM April 24, 2012

I was told that because I am going back to college I can not recieve food stamps for my family, if I was sitting at home doing nothing I could! I am getting unemployment and looking for a job, but I guess it is only those who want to be chronically poor that get food stamps in Florida. What is wrong with our country?

Common sense of FL 10:56AM December 14, 2011

I am in the position. 46 year old that was unemployed 2 years ago and still can't find work. I enrolled in school because the workforce solution said it would help better myself and secure me a job....NOPE..still looking and now I have 30,000 to repay. I am still in school because with this debt an associates degree is not going to land me a job that pays much so I am going to get my bachelors. My unemployment was exhausted last month and because I am in school full time and have no dependents and am not mental I do not qualify. How rediculious is this?? I had to move and now live with a family member. I just cannot believe this! Thought I would share my story.

btw....I have worked most of my life and never received unemployment or tried to apply for public assistance until now.

L. Mckenney of VA 4:40PM July 18, 2011

Here is my problem: I was laid off on Nov 17, 2009 from Mantria Corporation (Google them and find out as to why.) I filed for food stamps, and NEVER received my last paycheck. I enrolled in University of Phoenix online, trying to better myself and become more competitive within the work place; if the opportunity for work does present itself. At the time of enrollment I was collecting food stamps and actively seeking employment. Time came for recertification of my food stamps. I denoted my full time student status and then they just shut off my food stamps. THERE IS NO WORK PEOPLE.

Anthony White of FL 9:52PM June 17, 2010

I am a 40 year old single female with no children-a fulltime college student with almost 40 thousand dollars of debt. When I get my grad degree I will be 80 thousand in debt. I am taking 21 hours (combined school and study I spent over 80 hours a week) no time for a job and I cannot get food stamps. I can't even eat. Try living on stale bread and peanut butter for six months. Now if I was working and going to school I could get them, but like I said I spend over 80 hours a week studying and going to school. But.....if I wasn't going to college and sitting on my butt- no frickin problem, the gov't will pony up. Now tell me what is wrong with this picture.

T Smiith of LA 6:04PM September 29, 2009

The delivery of services for those applying for food stamps in florida vary. if you are an ex-convict recently getting out of prison or a person who has no intention of bettering their life then you qualify!! if you are a single parent that is homeless with 2 children and attending school full-time and a former veteran in the United States Army you wil have to keep applying and continue to send in paperwork and try to call in for an interview which just might take you 1 hour to be put on hold for another 30 minutes. Do not sound too distressed when you finally get to talk to your worker about this catch-22 situation because she may hang up on you. You can call customer compliance and they will check out your case ... one of these good old days. The program is set up to keep people from applying with all of the paperwork that they ask for and that silly interview(my 10 year old is often mistaken for me on the phone) needless to say how can the state of Florida sort through all of the paperwork that they require for each individual? Social work in which I am a student of, is the field of study to better the lives of the downtrodden. When a person fills out an application for food stamps the federal government standards should be the foremost deciding factor.

If a person applies for food stamps and the word HOMELESS WITH

KIDS appear on the application those children should have food to eat within 2 days, especially if the parent is not netting

over the $1464 the federal government has mandated as the cap.

I write this as this my situation. My next step is to bring media attention to this matter and beleive me I know how to do just that.

Cynthia A. Griffin of FL 2:47PM March 19, 2009

I am trying to find out if a married couple with two children, children born here, wife is a legal resident with green card who works. father is citizen who is unemployed, are they entitled for food stamps. They make less than 130% if poverty figure.

Thanks

al mann of FL 6:04PM March 15, 2009

There are enough people out there on food stamps that just want to keep having kids so they do not have to work and you all are worried about STUDENTS???????????? Come on, lets look at the real problem here, I say cut off those that have been on food stamps and have not gone to school nor worked in the last few years or ever. These people are just abuseing the system. Hell if my 26 yr old sister can raise a child and hold a full time job plus go to college and graduate WITHOUT assistance then why can't others be required to either WORK or GO TO SCHOOL to recieve these benifits? CHEW ON THAT for awhile!!!!!!!!

of FL 12:16AM October 07, 2008

The first 3 comments on this page are just way out there!!!!!!!

What does eating have to do with voting? Do any of you 3 know what it is like to pay over 20,000.00 in college loans??? and a part time job.......wont even cover the cost of RENT!!!! Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouths. I am a 36 yr. old, married, new full time college student and I can promise you the cost of living is so high that it is hard for my husband to pay the necessary "living" bills. I could not imagine what it would have been like to do this when I was younger!!!!! I say feed them and in return someday they WILL feed those that need it in return!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tracey of FL 12:09AM October 07, 2008

Wow. We can see who is uneducated and has not walked in the steps of a student. I have two degree's and $27,000 in debt. Did I mention that my interest rate is 8.9%. Is that what you pay on your house, car, ect? Oh no?! It' less than that? Lucky you. Thank God for food stamps for college students. It's like you can use them on booze and smokes, so get over it.

Joy of IN 1:04PM October 02, 2008

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

The Paper Trail

Nobody knows a college better than its student newspaper. And nobody knows campus newspapers better than this blog. We sift through thousands of student newspaper headlines every day to bring you the latest, most important, or just plain weirdest news from campuses across the country. Heard bigger news or a crazier story? Send tips to papertrail@usnews.com.