A previous version of this story incorrectly said the maximum amount a college student in California can receive in EBT is $234. The most a college student in California can receive in EBT is $292.

Editors’ note: Some sources are referred to as their first initial or first name for privacy reasons.

Just under half of all University of California (UC) students struggle with food insecurity. 

Many of them depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). At UC Santa Cruz, that’s around 3,700 undergraduates. However, with the distribution of food stamps being halted due to the government shutdown, students will have to look elsewhere for help. 

One resource will be Cowell Coffee Shop.

Cowell Coffee Shop is an on-campus cafe, but unlike the other dining options at UC Santa Cruz that depend on monetary transactions, Cowell Coffee Shop is free. 

The UCSC Center for Agroecology established Cowell Coffee Shop in 2018 as one of its several basic needs programs aimed at increasing students’ access to food. Jess Wright, a fourth-year student and kitchen manager, believes that the coffee shop’s mission has become increasingly important.  

Cowell Coffee Shop kitchen manager Jess [left] cleans dishes as Gio [center] and Kylie [left] prepare vegetables.

“Things are difficult right now, and I know a lot of people’s [SNAP] benefits aren’t getting renewed in November because of the government shutdown,” Wright said. “People are going to be relying on us more than ever.”

The coffee shop feeds hundreds of students every day; last year Cowell Coffee Shop served over 24,000 free meals. Ismael Alcazar, a second-year and a regular visitor, spoke about the difficulties of getting enough food as a student. 

“Especially living off campus, it’s really hard to stay fed throughout the day with how expensive the dining halls are without a meal plan,” Alcazar said. “If you go to the cafes, just a coffee and pre-made salad could be almost $20.”

Even with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), the most a college student in California can receive is $292 in benefits each month. This is substantially less than the cheapest meal plan at UCSC, which costs around $492 a month. 

“My EBT just got taken away, so I’m coming here every day after class, and I’ve come to rely on it,” said V, a UCSC graduate student. “The least [the university] can do with the price of tuition is these free pantries. I think it’s really awesome and important that it provides these resources.”

While Cowell Coffee Shop is funded by state grants, it is also student-run from farm to table. For sourcing, students collect produce from UCSC’s farm and recover food from local businesses’ overstock. From there, students plan, cook and serve a variety of dishes daily based on seasonal availability — squash-bean-and-cheese tacos are a recent highlight. 

Cowell Coffee Shop employee Macy hands a customer a mug over the front counter.

“I’m so excited that people not only get to eat here for free, which is such an amazing resource,” said Ellie Weir, a third-year and cook at Cowell Coffee Shop. “But it’s also good food, and that’s so special.” 

Moving into November, thousands of students will be left to handle the costs of tuition, rent and groceries – without the help of EBT. Cowell Coffee Shop will become a space to turn to for partial relief.

Beyond that, Alcazar expressed that the space offers community and sanctuary to those who may feel they are fighting an uphill battle. 

“It’s just humans providing other humans with what they need without any expectation of something in return. All the relationships here are built on genuine connections.” 

The Cowell Coffee Shop kitchen fridge, with motivational sticky notes and a whiteboard detailing the day’s menu.