In today’s post, we are going to review food stamps for college students. There is a lot of confusion about this topic including whether or not college students can get food stamps. We’re going to break down this down for you and answer any questions you may regarding food stamps for college students. This post will answer the following popular questions about students and food stamps:
- What are food stamps?
- Can college students get food stamps?
- How can I get food stamps as a college student?
- How do I apply for food stamps as a college student?
To find out the answers to the questions listed above and learn more about food stamps for college students, keep reading our post below.
Food Stamps Program
The food stamps program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides low-income households with benefits to purchase food for proper nutrition. Food stamp benefits are distributed electronically to recipients’ debit-like Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card on the same day each month. Benefits can be used to purchase food at over 246,000 EBT approved grocery retailers, as well as at select specialty stores, discount stores, gas stations, and farmers markets. Food stamp benefits can not be used to buy prepared foods such as fast food or takeout pizza.
If you would like to know if you can get food stamps as a college student, continue reading below.
Can College Students get Food Stamps?
To start off our article about food stamps for college students, we are going to answer our most frequently asked question – Can college students get food stamps? The short answer to this question is yes, college students can get food stamps. However, there are certain requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible for food stamps as a college student. If you are wondering how can you get food stamps as a college, we will go over that below.
How can I get Food Stamps as a College Student?
There are certain requirements that you must meet in order to get food stamps as a college student. Before you can apply for food stamps, you must first find out if you are eligible to receive them. Eligibility for food stamps as a college student is based off several factors. In most cases, college students between ages 18 and 49 enrolled in higher education are not eligible for food stamp benefits. However, this does not mean you can not get food stamps as a college student. To see if you are eligible for food stamps, read the eligibility requirements for students below.
College Students Eligible for Food Stamps
You may be eligible to receive food stamp benefits as a college student if you:
- Are already getting public assistance benefits (Title IV-A Program of the Social Security Act)
- Participate in a work-study program financed by the state or federal government
- Work at least 20 hours a week
- Take care of a dependent household member under the age of 6
- Work at least 20 hours a week or participate in a work-study program and take care of a dependent household member between the ages of 5 and 12 and do not childcare for them to attend school
- Are a single parent with a child under the age of 12 and enrolled as a full-time college student
- Are placed in a college through any of the following:
- The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014
- The Trade Act of 1974 under Section 236
- An employment and training program through the Food Stamp Act
- An employment and training program run by the state or local government
If you did not meet any of the conditions listed above, then you will not be able to receive food stamps for college students. If you do meet one of the items listed above, then you may be eligible to receive food stamps for college students. You must also meet traditional food stamp eligibility requirements for income and asset limits. Check out our post about Food Stamps Income Limits and Eligibility for more information.
Food Stamps for College Students Exemptions
There are certain circumstances or conditions that may make you exempt from food stamp benefits. You will not be eligible to receive food stamps for college students if you:
- Attend college for less than half-time, as defined by the school
- Live in dorms and receive more than half of your meals from a meal plan
If either of the conditions listed above does not apply to you and you would like to apply for student food stamps, please keep reading below
How to Apply for Food Stamps as a College Student
If you met the eligibility requirements including income and asset limits listed above and would like to know how to apply for food stamps as a college student, we are going to tell you how to do that. To receive food stamp benefits you will have to apply for benefits in the state where you live. If the college you are attending is not in the state where you are from, then you will apply for benefits in the state where your college is located. For this article, we are going to review the application process for food stamps for college students in Georgia. The Georgia food stamp application process is very similar to other states so you can use this as an example of how complete the application for benefits.
Food Stamps for College Students in Georgia
If you live in Georgia or are attending college in Georgia and would like to apply for food stamp benefits, follow the application process listed below on how to apply for food stamps as a college student. We will walk you through the steps to get food stamps for college students in Georgia.
Food Stamps for College Students Application Process
Before completing the application process for student food stamps, check with your college to see if they offer food assistance support. Many universities and colleges offer help with SNAP benefits for low-income students or an on-campus food pantry. To apply for food stamps for college students in Georgia, follow these steps:
Step 1
Visit the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) website
Step 2
Under their list of Services, select Food Stamps. You will be taken to the Georgia DFCS Food Stamps page.
Step 3
Print off the Georgia SNAP Application for food stamp benefits. You can also request to have a paper application sent to you by mail. Call your local DFCS or the Customer Contact Center at 1-877-423-4746 to do so.
Step 4
Complete all the information on the Georgia SNAP Application. You will be asked to provide your contact information, SSN, monthly income, assets, and monthly expenses.
Step 5
Once the application is completed, mail or drop off the application at your local DFCS office. Visit this page to find the local DFCS office in your county.
Step 6
After your application has been received and processed, a DFCS employee will call you to schedule an interview. You can complete the interview in-person or over the phone.
Step 7
After your interview, you will receive a letter in the mail within 30 days stating whether or not you have been approved for food stamp benefits. If you have been approved, you will be sent an EBT card in the mail. When you receive your EBT card and activate it, you can start using your food stamp benefits!
We hope this post about food stamps for college students was helpful to you! Would you like more about information about the food stamps program? Be sure to check our blog. If you have questions regarding food stamps for college students, leave those in the comments section below. If you liked this post, found it useful or just want to say hi, then you can do that in the comments section too. We always love to hear from you!