President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful” tax and spending bill, signed on 4th July, carries a devastating cost for millions of American children. The legislation slashes $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade — a move that threatens to leave 18 million children without access to free school meals.Food insecurity is already a pressing issue in classrooms nationwide. Teachers frequently witness students arriving hungry, struggling to focus, and unable to engage fully in their education. As Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA), wrote in Time magazine, “School meals are more than a budget line item. They are lifelines that help millions of students learn and grow.”Hunger is a barrier to learningResearch from the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) shows that children who participate in school breakfast and lunch programmes perform better academically, demonstrate improved behaviour, and have higher attendance rates. Yet, under this new law, SNAP benefits will be cut, eligibility restricted, and administrative costs shifted to states — making it harder for vulnerable families to access these crucial supports.Currently, more than 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits to help buy food, with children constituting a significant portion of beneficiaries, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). But the new bill tightens eligibility rules and requires states to pay a larger share of benefit costs. Many states face the difficult choice of raising taxes, cutting other services, or restricting food aid — all of which could mean fewer children receive the meals they need to thrive.The scale of the problemAccording to official data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average state error rate on SNAP payments is about 10.9%, which will force many states to cover up to 15% of the programme’s food benefit costs. For example, California alone could owe $1.8 billion by 2028, based on projections from Feeding America. Such financial burdens come amid already tight budgets and cuts to education and public services.States with high numbers of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals, especially in rural and southern areas, will be hardest hit. According to Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) data, nearly two-thirds of students in Texas qualify for free school meals, and in Mississippi, that figure is an astonishing 99.7%. The bill’s cuts will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities, widening inequalities and harming children’s ability to learn.Teachers are stepping in — but it’s not enoughEducators nationwide are already going above and beyond to support hungry students. Many spend their own money on snacks, organise food drives, or implement creative programmes to ensure no child goes hungry during the school day. However, as Pringle warns, “This isn’t about whether we can afford to feed kids — it’s about whether we choose to.”Without federal support, schools will struggle to fill the gap left by SNAP reductions, and food banks will be unable to meet the increased demand. The long-term consequences could be severe — diminished academic achievement, poorer health, and lifelong disadvantages for millions of children.A national crisis in the makingThe “big beautiful” bill is a stark example of how policy decisions reverberate far beyond Capitol Hill, affecting the daily lives and futures of America’s children. By cutting food assistance and shifting costs to states, it jeopardises the wellbeing and education of millions of students.Ensuring that no child goes hungry at school should be a bipartisan priority. As this law takes effect, educators, policymakers, and communities must come together to protect the essential programmes that keep children fed and ready to learn.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
