Record numbers of college students on food stamps

HAYWARD, California - College students, like many other Americans, are feeling the pinch of the economy.

One California college is seeing an increase in the number of students who can't afford to eat, so they're turning to food stamps.

The financial aid department at Cal State East Bay is seeing an increase in students applying for assistance.

Cal State East Bay Financial Aid Director, Rhonda Johnson says, "We literally have students coming to us and saying, I'm out of food. You know, I can't eat."

She says 119 of the school's students are on food stamps and that number is likely to increase when school is in full swing.

In June, the Department of Agriculture announced that more Americans than ever before received food stamps.

More than 35 million Americans received assistance during the summer months.

Those numbers are 22% higher than in June 2008.

The numbers are one indicator that Americans continue to struggle with the country's economic downturn.

June was the eighth straight month that the number of people on food stamps rose.