What does SNAP mean? SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as food stamps. This program began more than eighty years ago. Through several acts of Congress we have a fully functioning program that assists low-income families across the United States, with each state having its own version of the program. There is a wide variety of people who can apply for this program, including struggling college students. This program has been abused over the years. This SNAP program had its origins in the second half of the 1930s, around the Great Depression. One of the worst problems of this era in our history has been feeding everyone. The SAMP was first introduced in New York in 1939 and they actually used orange and blue stamps, thus creating the term “Food Stamps”. John F. Kennedy helped fuel the second phase of the process through his campaign. Between 1961 and 1964 there was a pilot program full of studies, reports and legislative proposals” (FNS). “The Federal Food Stamp Act of 1964 is the most significant food plan in the United States” this act started it all. “Provides food vouchers to needy people which can be exchanged for cash in authorized shops” (Cornell). The same year the law was passed “there were 380,000 people in twenty-two different states.” Who is eligible for this program? Food stamps are intended for “individuals who work low wages, are elderly or disabled, and have a low income…” (Cornell). Most don't realize it, but students who attend school and live far from home are entitled to it. The qualifications of the individual or family wishing to access the program determine the amount they will receive. Some of the basic eligibility requirements… half of the paper… It has been a long time since the first official program began in 1939. It has helped millions of people. However it has several flaws in the system. The system is becoming more electronic and fraud is decreasing. Even though the Governmental Accountability Organization's report shows that the program is ineffective, there are people out there who have truly been helped by the program. Work requirements seem like a simple solution, it would eliminate a lot of fraud from the system. When the government simply distributes these benefits with simple requirements, people will take advantage of them and, in turn, become dependent on them. The problems with the program are solvable, but from the information on the government's Food and Nutrition website it basically states that they don't want to put in the effort to fix some of the problems raised in this essay.