EATS Act Removes SNAP Restrictions for Students: New Eligibility Rules Start January 2026

The Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2025, or the EATS Act, is a straightforward piece of legislation designed to make it easier for students to access food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If you’re a student juggling tuition, rent, and a part-time job, this bill is geared toward removing a major bureaucratic hurdle to put food on the table. The entire package is set to become effective on January 2, 2026.

The College Student Loophole Closure

Currently, students enrolled in higher education face specific, restrictive rules that often make them ineligible for SNAP, even if they are low-income. The EATS Act cuts straight to the point by removing the specific section of the Food and Nutrition Act that imposes these extra restrictions on college students. This isn't just a minor tweak; it’s the removal of a significant barrier that has prevented many students from getting assistance. For a student working toward a nursing degree or completing a trade certification, this means one less layer of complexity standing between them and basic nutrition.

Defining the 'Bona Fide Student'

Section 2 of the bill also clarifies who counts as a student eligible for this new access. It defines a “bona fide student” as anyone taking at least half the required classes to be considered full-time at any recognized school, training program, or college. This clarity is helpful. It means whether you are in a traditional four-year university or a vocational program, as long as you are at least a half-time student, you meet the basic definition for household purposes.

What This Means in the Real World

Think about the young adult who is working 20 hours a week to pay for community college while trying to keep up with classes. Under the old system, they might have been denied SNAP because they didn't meet one of the specific, often complex, exemptions required for students. This bill sweeps those specific exemptions away. The practical impact is that student eligibility will now be assessed largely the same way as any other low-income adult, removing the penalty for pursuing education.

This change isn't just about college students, either. It applies to recognized training programs. If someone is enrolled in a half-time apprenticeship or a technical certificate program to boost their career prospects, they will also benefit from the simplified access to food assistance. This recognizes that pursuing education or training often comes with a period of financial strain, and hunger shouldn't be part of the curriculum.

The Technical Cleanup

Because the bill removes and renumbers several sections within the Food and Nutrition Act, a large portion of Section 2 deals with technical cleanup. This is the unglamorous but necessary work of lawmaking: updating every place in federal law that referenced the old rules to point to the new, corrected sections. For instance, references to the old student section 6(o) are updated to the new 6(n). This ensures that other federal programs, like those under the Social Security Act, that rely on these definitions remain functional and consistent. While this doesn't affect your grocery budget directly, it’s crucial for making sure the whole system works correctly when the changes go live in 2026.