California’s two largest safety net programs — CalFresh and Medi-Cal — can reduce the cost of attending the state’s public colleges and universities by thousands of dollars, but more could be done to help eligible students enroll in the benefits, a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California finds.
PPIC researchers analyzed how the two programs can significantly lessen low-income students’ financial burden, defined as the gap between the financial aid packages they receive and the cost to attend school. For students with no unmet financial need, the programs can add to their disposable cash.
For example, PPIC calculates that a University of California undergraduate living on campus and enrolled in CalFresh food assistance benefits, which help people pay for groceries, would see their financial burden typically decline 54% from $4,035 to $1,857. Low-income California State University and California Community Colleges students, as well as students living off campus or with their parents, also typically would experience savings through CalFresh participation, the PPIC analysis finds.
Researchers also quantified the potential financial benefits for UC students enrolled in Medi-Cal, since UC requires students to buy a health care plan. By enrolling in Medi-Cal, UC students can waive their UC insurance and get a $3,639 insurance fee refunded.
But PPIC notes that many low-income students who could benefit from the two social safety net programs don’t participate in them.
PPIC suggests that better coordination between financial aid offices, campus basic needs centers and the California Department of Health Care Services could help students understand their options. Colleges and universities also could use financial aid and admissions data to inform students likely to be eligible for the programs.
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