Yes Food Program

What is the Yes Food Program?

The Yes Food Program was created by Undocumented Student Services with the support of the Basic Need Hub to offer undergraduate and graduate students e-gift cards to popular grocery stores, food delivery services, and restaurants.Program support ranges from $50-200 monthly and it is sent directly to the student. Neither eligibility for financial aid nor financial aid awards are affected by this program.

Completing this application allows our team to assess students’ food security level and provide support accordingly. Upon review of the application, students receive an email stating the award amount they will receive along with a list of gift card vendors to choose from.

The Yes Food Program aims to ensure that students have access to food if food security is an issue but ideally that households have plenty of food so students do not just survive, but rather thrive and keep their focus on their academics.

Eligibility

1. Student must have AB540 status and have a CA Dream Act application on file.

Note: Graduate students must request confirmation of AB540 status from the Registrar’s Office and may need to submit a CA Dream Act application to demonstrate proof of eligibility.

2. Student must be enrolled in classes at UC San Diego while seeking and receiving program support.

Note: During the summer, eligibility #2 is waived for students who took classes in the spring quarter and are enrolled for the fall quarter.

Students enrolled exclusively in a UC San Diego Extension program or who are visiting students are not eligible for the program. Students who do not meet these qualifications may contact The Hub for support accessing alternative programs.

Month-to-month vs. Three consecutive months of program support

Eligible students may complete an application at any time to begin receiving support and may reapply monthly to continue to receive the support. Alternatively, if the student completes an application and meets with the USS program manager or program coordinator, they are automatically eligible for three consecutive months of program support.

Notes:

Application and meeting must occur no more than 30 days apart. The order of application or meeting does not matter. Students may make an appointment with the program manager or program coordinator here.

If you are planning to do the month-to-month option, you will need to reapply to the program every month you need support. Please keep this in mind. We highly recommend meeting with our staff so you can secure 3 consecutive months of the Yes Food program. The meetings are quick and can be conducted virtually or in-person.

Prorated program support

As mentioned before, students may apply for the program at any time during the month to receive support, but their award may be prorated if their application is received after the first week of the month. The student will be notified if this is the case.

Changes to award and award amounts

The support provided by this program is not guaranteed. There is also no guarantee that the award provided will be the same month to month unless the student is receiving the support for three consecutive months.

YesFood! Application

Students are you interested in applying for the Yes Food program? Apply here! The most up-to-date applications can be found on our LinkTree. Contact Program Manager, Dayan Castañeda Muñoz (dlcastaneda@ucsd.edu), for additional information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Yes Food Program?

The Yes Food Program was created by Undocumented Student Services with the support of the Basic Needs Hub to offer undergraduate and graduate students e-gift cards to popular grocery stores, food delivery services, and restaurants as an alternative to CalFresh.

Why was the Yes Food program created?

Who is eligible for the award?

Undergraduate and graduate students who are recipients of the CA Dream Act and AB 540, and attending UC San Diego.

How much does a student get awarded?

Program support ranges from $50-200 monthly and it is sent directly to the student via an electronic gift card. Neither eligibility for financial aid nor financial aid awards are affected by this program.

How does the award amount get decided?

The Yes Food program application provides a series of questions that assess the need and food insecurity of the student. Our team has developed a formula to determine the award amount based on the student's responses. We advise students to take their time completing the application and to provide additional context in the designated space whenever necessary.

How does one qualify for 3-month award versus a 1-month award?

Students who schedule a meeting with the Program Coordinator or Program Manager before submitting their application are automatically considered to receive support for a three-month award. Those who do not schedule a meeting will only be considered to receive a one-month award.

I was awarded a prorated amount, why?

Students can apply for the program at any point during the month to receive support. However, if their application is received after the first week of the month, their award may be prorated. For example, if a student applies for the first time in November and is awarded $200 for the month, but applies during the last week of November, they will receive a prorated amount based on the remaining weeks in the month. Since there are typically four weeks in a month, they would receive $50 if there is only one week left in November. Students will be notified if their award is prorated.

How can students select their vendor of choice?

If students are approved to the Yes Food program, students will receive a detailed email stating the amount and the month(s) they are being awarded. In this email, they will also receive a link with a list of vendors to choose from which will include a wide variety of grocery stores, food delivery services, and restaurants both on and off campus.

When should students reapply?

Students should submit their reapplication for the next month's cycle during the final weeks of the preceding month. For instance, if your last awarded month is November, you should reapply during the last week of November. This ensures that your application will be reviewed in the final week of November, and you will receive aid for the month of December.

Can students receive the Yes Food program during the summer?

Yes, the Yes Food program is available year-round. However, students must be enrolled in classes at UC San Diego while seeking and receiving program support. During the summer, this requirement is waived for students who took classes in the previous spring quarter and are enrolled for the upcoming fall quarter.

Why do I need to submit a financial aid screenshot?

Even though the Yes Food Program award is not processed as a financial aid award, we need to confirm that you have a California Dream Act application and AB 540 on file to ensure you qualify for the Yes Food Program. Having a screenshot of your financial aid package is the only way we can verify this.

Please ensure your screenshot is in PDF format, and follow the steps here to access the file in the correct format: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16B4cs5rCiNLkcoAPWOULE4-03NkARXnD/view

When should students expect to receive the award?

The USS team processes gift cards weekly to ensure that students receive their awards by the end of each week. If you have applied to the program and have not received your award or an email from us, please contact us at undoc@ucsd.edu.