HARRISBURG, Pa. (WKBN) — Some college students may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under a new flexibility, the Shapiro Administration announced Tuesday.
The new flexibility will allow certain college students who meet eligibility requirements to receive SNAP benefits but who traditionally do not qualify because of their status as a student.
In order to quality, students must be enrolled in a qualifying employment and training program.
Generally, college students enrolled at least half-time are ineligible for SNAP unless they qualify for existing exemptions from a work requirement. Existing exemptions are based on factors such as college enrollment status, income, caregiver status, age and disability status, among others.
Under this new flexibility, a student enrolled in certain programs meets the new exemption if that program:
- Primarily serves students from households with low incomes
- Is operated by a state or local government, or an instrumentality thereof
- Provides the equivalent of at least one allowable activity under SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) criteria
Colleges can submit a formal request for an employment and training program to be reviewed and approved. To do so, they must complete the SNAP College Program Checklist (doc) and email it to DHS at RA-PWSNAPIHEElig@pa.gov.
To find out more about SNAP, including eligibility requirements, visit the Department of Human Services website. For more details about SNAP benefits for college students, visit SNAP for College Students (pa.gov).
