Taking exams at end of SNAP month linked to lower college admission exam results

Economic researchers analyzed how the monthly timing of SNAP benefit receipt impacted low-income high school students’ test scores on a college admission exam. Using state-by-state variation in SNAP benefit cycles, they found that the timing of benefits does have an impact on exam performance. Students taking the college admissions exam in the last two weeks of the SNAP benefit cycle— when household food availability tends to be more limited—was associated with lower test scores and a lower probability of enrolling in a four-year college. These findings on the connection between nutrition and student achievement highlight how immediate resource insufficiencies can influence student life course trajectories. #education #foodsecurity