Beginning on June 10, 2023, the CalFresh program in California will no longer enable a greater number of college students to qualify for food assistance benefits.
CalFresh eligibility was expanded at the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic to include students eligible for federal or state work-study and those whose families cannot financially contribute to their education.
How Can Students Qualify For CalFresh Benefits?
Many low-income students who rely on CalFresh benefits will be affected by the expiration of these temporary eligibility standards. A college student in California can receive up to $281 per month through the state’s food assistance program.
As of September 2021, over 143,000 low-income students were receiving food assistance through CalFresh. Nonetheless, according to a state report from 2020, the number of California college students eligible for CalFresh under the permanent rules is between 416,000 and nearly 700,000.
Due to the absence of monitoring, it is impossible to estimate how many students will lose eligibility for food assistance once the temporary rules expire.
Over 40 percent of the 484,000 students in the California State University system reported experiencing food insecurity in 2018, while 50 percent of the 40,000 students surveyed at the state’s community colleges had recently experienced food insecurity.
In 2020, 39 percent of undergraduate students in the University of California system reported that they were food insecure.
To qualify for CalFresh under the permanent eligibility rules, students must satisfy the regular eligibility requirements that everyone, whether a student or not, must meet, as well as at least one of more than a dozen eligibility criteria.
This lengthy list of eligibility requirements has long been regarded as a formidable obstacle for students. Numerous campuses now have CalFresh coordinators who assist students in determining their eligibility and submitting an application.
Students who believe they may still qualify under the temporary rules are urged to register before June 10 as soon as feasible. Existing CalFresh recipients must annually recertify their eligibility. In addition to the conclusion of the transitory eligibility requirements, CalFresh recipients received an increase in monthly benefits during the pandemic.
These “emergency allotments” concluded in February, and the final allotments for families receiving this monthly increase of at least $95 were distributed in March. Many students and their families will be affected by the changes to CalFresh eligibility, highlighting the ongoing difficulties in addressing food insecurity among low-income students in California.
The temporary expansion of CalFresh eligibility for California college students will conclude in June, following the conclusion of the federal public health emergency.
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Eligibility For Students May Soon End
The temporary expansion permitted college students eligible for work-study and those whose families are required to contribute zero dollars toward their education expenses to qualify for the state’s largest food program.
Food assistance programs can help college students extend their grocery budgets and encourage healthier diets. Currently, two out of every five college students qualify for CalFresh, and a single student can receive up to $281 per month in food benefits.
According to county officials, students currently participating in the food program remain eligible under the temporary exemptions in place until their annual recertification. Students who desire to enroll in CalFresh for the first time after June 10 must qualify under one of the permanent student exemptions.
Permanent student exemptions include students who receive financial aid or CalWORKs, who work 20 hours per week, who are unmarried parents with children under the age of 12, and who are 17 years old or older.
Due to targeted outreach efforts, calFresh student enrollment has increased over the past two years. Local campuses have resources devoted to informing students about the program and providing them with access to affordable, nutritious foods.
Residents of Riverside County can apply for CalFresh online at BenefitsCal.com, over the phone at 1-877-410-8827, or in person at the local DPSS office.
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