Student Defense Calls For Colorado To Extend SNAP Certification Period to 12 Months
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2026
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Student Defense Calls For Colorado To Extend SNAP Certification Period to 12 Months
DENVER — Student Defense today called for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) and the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to extend the SNAP certification period in the state from 6 months to 12 months, which would help reduce food insecurity and support student success in the state.
In a new memo, Student Defense made the case for a 12-month SNAP certification period, explaining “the time-consuming and bureaucratic process of certifying eligibility is one of the primary reasons eligible Americans do not access SNAP benefits.”
The memo also highlights that “food insecurity is a significant barrier to college completion,” and “Colorado’s unnecessarily burdensome food assistance policies are exacerbating the problem for the state’s students.” It’s estimated that “approximately two-thirds of eligible postsecondary students in Colorado are not currently accessing SNAP benefits.” Extending the SNAP certification period would ideally encourage more students to apply for the benefits they qualify for. The annual recertification period would better align with the academic calendar, reducing the likelihood that students would have to worry about the recertification process during final exams.
Federal law requires most SNAP recipients to recertify “at least annually” and requires state agencies to assign “the longest certification period possible based on the predictability of the household’s circumstances.” Most states certify eligible recipients once a year. However, Colorado requires recertification every six months, causing “eligible individuals to encounter barriers to continued enrollment more frequently than the residents of other states.”
Student Defense argues a 12-month certification period would “reduce the risk of procedural errors or delays that interrupt benefit access.” It would also decrease the workload for CDHS staff, allowing more bandwidth to “process initial applications, periodic reports, and recertifications,” and to “prioritize outreach to hard-to-reach populations experiencing food insecurity.”
“Colorado should be doing everything in its power to expand access to SNAP benefits. Instead, students and families are expected to spend time twice a year filling out endless paperwork and attending interviews just to keep food on the table,” said Madeline Wiseman, Student Defense Senior Counsel. “Extending the SNAP certification period will make it much easier to ensure all Coloradans can access the resources they need and deserve to feed themselves and their families.”
The memo calls for Gov. Polis and Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) Executive Director Michelle Barnes to “take steps to make this change and keep SNAP benefits in the hands of eligible students and families.”
CDHS is scheduled to conduct a comprehensive review of its SNAP rules in 2027. However, it has committed to being “open to accepting feedback on rules at any time.” Student Defense asks for Colorado to extend its default SNAP certification period to 12 months as soon as possible.
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About Student Defense
The National Student Legal Defense Network (“Student Defense”) is a non-profit organization that works, through litigation and advocacy, to advance students' rights to educational opportunity and to ensure that higher education provides a launching point for economic mobility.
