According to a recent AP article, grocery prices have increased by 5 percent over the course of the year. Necessities such as bread and milk have escalated by more than 30 percent.
The economy is plummeting, making it a challenge to find a job and afford to pay for essentials. On top of attending classes and studying for tests, students have to discover a way to pay for rent, gasoline, and groceries.
To be approved for food stamps, students must qualify for a state or federally funded work-study program, work a minimum of 20 hours a week and have a child under the age of 12, among other requirements.
After their freshmen year, St. Cloud State University students do not have to receive a meal plan, which leaves them purchasing more bags of groceries on a more frequent basis.
For the students whose parents' do not supply them with extra spending money, sometimes a food shelf is the only way in which they can feed themselves.