Low-income college students struggling to pay tuition shouldn’t have to worry about being able to afford their next meal.

That’s the idea behind a new bill introduced by Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator, and Florida Congressman Al Lawson to combat the ongoing hunger crisis on college campuses.

The College Student Hunger Act of 2019 would expand eligibility for SNAP benefits (formerly known as “food stamps”) to students with financial need who qualify for Federal Pell Grants — government money to help low-income students pay for college — including those who are homeless, in foster care or who are veterans.

“As more and more students struggle to pay for college, 30% may be going hungry,” Warren tweeted. “Students shouldn’t have to choose between paying tuition and eating.”

The new bill would also require the Department of Education to alert low-income students that they are eligible to apply for SNAP. A major hurdle in addressing the campus hunger problem is that many low-income students are unaware that they qualify for SNAP, student welfare advocates say.

“They don’t know about it or they’re unaware that they are actually eligible,” Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at Temple University who has studied and advocated around campus food insecurity, told MarketWatch.

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California senator Kamala Harris, another Democrat seeking the presidential nomination, is also a sponsor on the bill, as is Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey.

The new legislation comes on the heels of a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office that revealed a staggering 2 million college students who could qualify for SNAP did not receive benefits in 2016. Nearly half of college students — 45% — didn’t have enough money for food last year, a nationwide survey released earlier this year found.

The College Student Hunger Act of 2019 would also cut SNAP’s work requirement for students from 20 hours to 10 hours a week. The work requirement can often cause students to drop out of college because they struggle to balance work with classes and homework, Goldrick-Rab said.

“Students are not saying we are unwilling to work, they’re already working,” Goldrick-Rab said. “It’s about finding enough work to get 20 hours a week, and make your class schedule work. I’m seeing people trying to do two jobs and that comes with two employers, plus commuting times and it tends to drive people out of college.”

Lawson argued that the increase in college tuition over the last decade has forced students to choose between buying food or paying for housing, books and other basic living expenses. He says the new bill will help relieve some of the financial burden.

Students’ waning ability to pay for college is bringing more urgency to the food crisis on campuses. Just 27% of public, four-year schools are affordable for low-income students, according to a report by the National College Access Network. Less than half, or 48%, of the country’s community colleges are affordable for students who qualify for Pell grants.

Colleges and universities around the country have started to do their part to help students in need get access to affordable food. More than 656 colleges have implemented or are in the process of developing food pantries, according to data from the College and University Food Bank Alliance.

Jillian Berman contributed to this story.