County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalFresh Program Guide Students Number Page 63162 1 of 7 Revision Date 05012019 Background Students who meet certain exemptions may be eligible for CalFresh All higher education students who apply for CalFresh must be evaluated for student exemptions at intake and recertification Students who do not meet any of these exemptions are ineligible to CalFresh This section is being revised to remove the student exemption for Cal Grant A for students attending California Community Colleges CCCs A pilot program for CCCs offering a Baccalaureate Degree is being added as a student exemption Purpose This section defines student eligibility for CalFresh Policy631621 ApplicabilityStudent eligibility requirements will not apply to customers who are Aged 17 or younger or aged 50 or older Physically or mentally unfit for employment Request verification if the unfitness is not apparent Verification may consist of the customer receiving temporary or permanent disability benefits issued by government or private sources Verification may also be a statement from a physician or licensed or certified psychologist Attending high school Participating in the job training portion of onthejobtraining programs as opposed to the class attendance portion Enrolled less than halftime in an institution of higher education Enrolled less than halftime in a regular curriculum in an institution of higher education Enrolled fulltime in schools and training programs which are not institutions of higher education Higher Education Student For CalFresh program purposes a higher education student is eligible to participate in the CalFresh if they meet the student eligibility requirementscriteria A CalFresh Student is an individual who is Enrolled or registered at least halftime as defined by the school in an institution of highereducation and Age 18 through age 49 and Physically and mentally fit for employment Halftime enrollment has been expanded to include the following definition A student is considered to be attending at least halftime when they are enrolled in at least half of the number of credits needed each semester or term to graduate within four years of enrollment as a firsttime freshman or within two years of enrollment as a transfer student The age requirement for ongoing cases begins the month following their 18th birthday County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalFresh Program Guide Students Number Page 63162 2 of 7 Institution of Higher Education An institution of higher education refers to A business trade technical or vocational school at the posthigh school level that normally requires a high school diploma or equivalency certificate for enrollment Students enrolled in a business trade and technical or vocational school must be enrolled at least halftime to be eligible A junior community twoyear or fouryear college or university private college or graduate school regardless of whether a high school diploma or equivalency certificate is required Students enrolled in a college university or graduate school must be enrolled at least halftime and enrolled in a regular curriculum to be eligible A regular curriculum means the standard requirements for graduation in a particular field of study If a college normally requires a high school diploma or equivalency certificate but does not require either of these for a particular program or course enrollment in such a program or course does not constitute enrollment in an institution of higher education eg ESL classes GED classes 631622 Student Exemption Criteria In order to be eligible for CalFresh students must meet at least one of the exemptions listed below on the date of the interview Review for the following exemptions during the intake and recertification interview Works an average of 20 hours per week or an average of 80 hours per month and is paid for this work If selfemployed works for an average of 20 hours per week or an average of 80 hours per month and receives gross monthly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours per week or by 80 hours per month Is responsible for the care of a dependent household member under the age of 6 If two people exercise parental control in the assistance unit allow exempt status to only one person See section CFPG 63602 for an example Exerts parental control over a dependent household member who has reached age 6 but is under age 12 and there is no adequate child care available that will allow the parent to attend class and work 20 hours per week or participate in workstudy Consider the following when determining if adequate child care is available Nearness of the child care facility to the childs home and school Convenience and hours of the child care facility and its fit with the students school schedule Appropriateness of the child care services to the age and special needs of the child Is a single parent enrolled fulltime in an institution of higher education responsible for the care of a dependent child under the age of 12 This applies to the childs natural adoptive or stepparent regardless of marital status If there are two parents in the home natural adoptive or stepparent neither parent would qualify for this exemption Be approved for state or federally financed workstudy for the current school term as defined by the institution and anticipates participating in workstudy during the school term Students shall be considered participating in workstudy if they reasonably expect being assigned a workstudy job until they receive notice from the school they have been denied participation in workstudy This exemption begins the month the school term starts or the month the work County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalFresh Program Guide Students Number Page 63162 3 of 7 study is approved whichever is later It will continue until the end of the month the school term ends or it becomes known that the student refused a work assignment The exemption does not continue between terms when there is a full month class break or longer unless the student is participating in workstudy during the break Students are not disqualified from this exemption if there are no workstudy jobs available Receives CalWORKs Is voluntarily participating in State Funded Programs that increase employability This includes programs for lowincome students that are operated by state or local governments and are similar to Employment and Training programs Here are some State Funded Programs that qualify as an exemption for students please note the student might know them under a different name The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act WIOA Extended Opportunity Programs and Services EOPS Educational Opportunity Program EOP EOP at the University of California and California State University is comparable to EOPS at the California Community Colleges College Disabled Students Programs and Services DSPS CSU Student Academic Services SAS Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education CARE Program McNair Scholars Program Puente Project Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement MESA Program Job Opportunities and Basic Skills JOBS program under Title lV of the Social Security Act Programs under Section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974 Trade Adjustment Assistance Program Fresh Success State or local government employment and training programs for low income individuals that provide one or more of the components equal to one of the components of the Employmentand Training Program Refer to Attachment A for local programs exclusive to San Diego County Voluntarily participating in programs that increase employability for current and former foster youth Here are some programs that allow the student exemption for current and former foster youths Guardian Scholars Program Foster Youth Success Initiative FYSI Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support CAFYES Chafee Education and Training Voucher ETV Program Extended Foster Care AB12AB 212 Unaccompanied Refugee Minors URM Program Receiving Cal Grant A or B Students attending a California State or University who receive Cal Grant A or B and meet TANF requirements of being Currently unmarried and County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalFresh Program Guide Students Number Page 63162 4 of 7 25 years of age or younger and Has parental or student income of 50000 a year or less Students will receive written notification from the California Student Aid Commission CSAC verifying receipt of a TANF funded benefit indicating their potential CalFresh eligibility California Community Colleges CCCs offering a Baccalaureate Degree Students participating in this program must receive Cal Grant A or B Refer to Attachment B for a list of the CCCs participating in this program 631623 Ineligible Students Any student who does not meet one of the exemption criteria listed above 631622 will be considered an excluded household member Income and resources of an ineligible student are exempt The income of the ineligible student will not be used in the CalFresh budget 632443 631624 Enrollment Status of a Student Enrollment status begins on the first day of the school term Once a student enrolls in the institution and begins classes they are considered to be a student through vacation and school recess unless the student graduates is suspended or drops out Student eligibility criteria will be applied on the date of the interview To all applicants who are students and To all applicants who are noncontinuing students in the final month of student status 631625 Reporting of Student Status A students status is to be reported at application and at recertification Student eligibility is not a mandatory midperiod reporting requirement and is not considered Verified Upon Receipt VUR If the household reports a student status midperiod it is not required to take action but required to document in case comments voluntarily reported changes that do not impact the CalFresh benefit 631626 Dormitory Meals CalFresh cannot be used to pay for college cafeteria meal plans Students who live in dormitories and receive more than half their meals from a meal plan are ineligible for CalFresh benefits Refer to CFPG 631019 Residents of Institutions If a student purchases a meal plan that provides them with less than half of their meals ten meals per week they may be eligible for CalFresh benefits Procedures Processing Guide 16201 0955 HHSA CalFresh Student Eligibility Worksheet Student Eligibility Desk Aid Impacts No Programs References ACL 1932 1827 ACL 1705 ACL 1705E ACIN No I8915 MPP 634061 Federal minimum wage httpwwwdolgovgeneraltopicwagesminimumwage Processing Guide 16201 httpscwcsdcountycagovsitesEligibilitycfipFormsProcessing20Guideaspx 0955 HHSA CalFresh Student Eligibility Worksheet 052019 httpscwcsdcountycagovsitesEligibilitycfipFormsProcessing20Guideaspx County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalFresh Program Guide Students Number Page 63162 5 of 7 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance by 05312022 Approval for Release RICK WANNE Director Eligibility Operations Attachment A In San Diego County the following local employment and training programs qualify as an exemption for students ACE Program at California State University San Marcos CSUSM Disability Support Services and WorkAbility III at Southwestern Community College SWCC CASP Hope Scholars at University of California San Diego UCSD Torero Renaissance Scholars Program at University of San Diego USD Attachment B Below is the list of the California Community Colleges CCC participating in the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program Listed next to the CCC is the field of study that is offered California Community College CCC Field of Study Antelope Valley College Airframe Manufacturing Technology Bakersfield College Industrial Automation Crafton Hills College Emergency Services Allied Health Systems Cypress College Mortuary Science Feather River College Equine Industry Foothill College Dental Hygiene West Los Angeles College Dental Hygiene Mira Costa College BioManufacturing Modesto Junior College Respiratory Care Skyline College Respiratory Care Rio Hondo College Automotive Technology Mesa College Health Information Management Santa Ana College Occupational Studies Santa Monica College Interaction Design Shasta College Health Information Management