Campus ID News
Card, mobile credential, payment and security
FEATURED
PARTNERS
slider foodstamp 1

Wisconsin mulls student use of food stamps on campus

Andrew Hudson   ||   Mar 10, 2017  ||   

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is considering a new policy that would allow eligible students to use federally issued food stamps to pay for meals on campus.

As reported by The Journal Times, University Housing officials are currently working on a plan that would enable students and other individuals receiving aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to use their government benefits at campus dining halls and other dining locations.

A concrete program could be in place as soon as the start of the fall 2017 semester. Should the initiative reach completion, it would make UW-Madison the first institution in the country to accept food stamps for use in on-campus dining establishments.

Student advocates pushing for the program suggest it’s a way for the university to better meet the needs of low-income students, while also helping to better include those relying on government assistance by enabling them to eat at dining halls with their peers.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federally funded benefit program formerly known as "food stamps." Benefits provisioned through SNAP are loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a credit or debit card.

University officials are yet to fully work though the logistics of the proposed program, so no official start date has been announced. According to the Journal Time report, University Housing must apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approval to become a SNAP retailer, and federal inspectors will have to visit campus dining facilities.

Federal regulations also limit what types of food may be purchased with government assistance, meaning University Housing and Dining departments will have to go through all of the items it sells to determine what would be eligible to sell to SNAP cardholders.

Related Posts

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

RECENT ARTICLES

Integrated Payments Dashboard screen
Apr 02, 25 / ,

Data analytics: The new imperative for higher education's future

Higher education is facing a new reality. As enrollment numbers fluctuate and budgets contract, colleges and universities must either embrace data-driven decision-making or risk obsolescence. The implementation of sophisticated data analytics platforms has evolved from a mere advantage to an essential survival tool. Modern universities compete not only through academic excellence but through operational innovation. […]
mobile ordering on phone
Apr 01, 25 /

Mobile ordering, flex, and meal swipes cut wait times in half at Berkeley

Berkeley Dining expanded its Grubhub mobile ordering to allow both flex dollars and meal swipes at four on campus dining locations. Previously, flex dollars could only be used to purchase food through the Grubhub app from off campus restaurants, but now both flex dollars and meal swipes can be used for pickup at campus restaurants. […]
NACCU video shoot promo
Mar 27, 25 /

Going to NACCU? Do a quick video interview and get a $50 gift card

At the CampusIDNews booth (#113) in the NACCU exhibit hall, the CampusIDNews team is shooting short (5-8 minute) video interviews with campus leaders and exhibitors profiling things happening, shaping, or confronting their programs and our industry. I would like to invite you to participate and share your insights with other NACCU members and higher ed […]
CIDN logo reversed
The only publication dedicated to the use of campus cards, mobile credentials, identity and security technology in the education market. CampusIDNews – formerly CR80News – has served more than 6,500 subscribers for more than two decades.
Twitter

Attn: friends in the biometrics space. Nominations close Friday for the annual Women in Biometrics Awards. Take five minutes to recognize a colleague or even yourself. http://WomenInBiometrics.com

Feb. 1 webinar explores how mobile ordering enhanced campus life, increased sales at UVA and Central Washington @Grubhub @CBORD

Load More...
Contact
CampusIDNews is published by AVISIAN Publishing
315 E. Georgia St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.AVISIAN.com[email protected]
Use our contact form to submit tips, corrections, or questions to our team.
©2025 CampusIDNews. All rights reserved.