Application

September 2025 Announcement:

Beginning Fall Quarter, all Yes Food Program appointments will only be with Nancy, our Graduate Specialist. Meetings with other staff won't count, so please plan ahead. This change will help the program run more smoothly and better support students.

To be considered for the 3-month Yes Food award, you must meet with the Graduate Specialist before applying. The meeting and application must take place within 30 days of each other.

If you have not yet met with the Graduate Specialist, even if you have a scheduled appointment, you may only apply for the 1-month award at this time.

After your meeting, you can apply for the 3-month award in the next cycle, as long as you apply within 30 days of your appointment.

Schedule your meeting here.

About 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. Neither eligibility for financial aid nor financial aid awards are affected by this program.

This program serves as an alternative to CalFresh for undocumented students who are ineligible to apply for the CalFresh program.

Program support ranges from $150-300 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.  

 

Proposition 209 Disclaimer: 
In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories.

More information about Proposition 209 can be found here.

More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.

Eligibility  

1. Student must have AB540 status and have a CA Dream Act application on file, and not eligible for the CalFresh program at UC San Diego. 

        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.

PLEASE READ UPDATED September 26, 2025

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. 

If the student submits an application prior to the scheduled meeting, the student will be considered for the one-month program. Once the student attends their schedule meeting, the student can submit another application for the following month for the three consecutive months program. Please note that the meeting must be scheduled in advance—walk-ins will not be accepted. Appointments with any other staff do not count toward eligibility. 

Notes:

To be considered for the 3-month award, you must first meet with the Graduate Specialist before submitting your Yes Food Application. The application and meeting must take place within 30 days of each other. Students may make an appointment with the Graduate Specialist here.

Otherwise, please select the one-month period. If you are awaiting an appointment, please select the one-month period to be considered for the current month. Once you have attended your scheduled appointment you can apply for three consecutive months the following month as long as you submit your application within the 30 days of your appointment.

Once your award period ends, you will need to reapply for the program. This applies to both month-to-month and three consecutive month award recipients.

We strongly recommend meeting with our Graduate Specialist to secure three consecutive months of the Yes Food program. The meetings are brief and can be conducted either 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. 

  

Data Protection
We take privacy seriously. Information provided on this form will not be shared with government agencies, including immigration enforcement agencies unless required by law. Unidentifiable data may be used for reporting purposes.

 

Upload a screenshot of your current financial aid package in PDF format. (see sample). Submitting the document in a form different from PDF will cause delays in your acceptance. 

Here is a tutorial for how you can access your financial aid.

If you are a graduate student, please complete the CA Dream Act if you have not done so already or provide an alternative document showing that you have been approved as AB540.

The following assessment is composed of questions adapted from the Self-Administered Food Security Survey Module for Youth Ages 12 and Older developed by researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi in collaboration with Economic Research Service United States Department of Agriculture. This assessment will be used to determine your level of food security.

The following statements are about the food situation in your home during the last month. Please provide honest answers that best describe your food security situation.

Undocumented Student Services (USS)

 

Triton Food Pantry and Basic Needs Hub

The following assessment is composed of statements adapted from the Self-Administered Food Security Survey Module for Youth Ages 12 and Older developed by researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi in collaboration with Economic Research Service United States Department of Agriculture. This assessment will be used to determine your level of food security. Please provide honest answers that best describe your food security situation. 

 

Do you know about the Personal and Career Experience (PACE) Fellowship program? It provides undocumented students with AB 540 and CA Dream Act status (who do not have work authorization) the opportunity to build their resumes and receive a scholarship. Eligible students can earn up to $7,200! Learn about it here!

 

This is the end of the application. Please hit the submit button to complete your submission.