CalFresh - Am I Eligible?

Eligibility Basics

Most college students are eligible! If you meet the program guidelines, you may qualify for CalFresh if you answer "yes" to questions 2 and 3 below:

Determining Household Size

In CalFresh, a household is a group of people who regularly buy and eat food together. The people in a household do not have to be related to each other.

• Households can be as small as one person
• The same address can have more than one household
• You don't need to have a home to receive CalFresh

Income Requirement

Is your household's gross monthly income (before taxes and deductions) within the limits in the chart below?

Note: Student Financial Aid is not counted as income for CalFresh. Individuals receiving SSI/SSP in California are not eligible for CalFresh, but other members of the household may be.

Household = a person living alone or a group of people living together who purchase and prepare food together. *Minimum amount is $16/month.

Citizenship

Does anyone in your household have a social security card or is anyone in your household a lawful permanent resident?

College Student Eligibility

If you are a student between the ages of 18 and 49, enrolled in at least 6 units, have no meal plan (or have a meal plan that provides ten or less of your meals/week), you must also meet any one of the following:

• Working and getting paid for an average of 20 hours per week or a total of 80 hours a month.
• Approved (or awarded or accepted) for federal or state work study, anticipates working, and has not refused a work assignment (can still be eligible even if a work study job has not begun or is not currently available).
• Receiving TANF funded Cal Grant A or B and in the last 12 months.
• Be enrolled in a Local Program that Increases Employability (LPIE) - also known as Career & Technical Education courses.
• Be exerting parental control over a dependent household member under the age of 6 or between the age of 6 and 12 with no adequate childcare (as determined by the county on a case-by-case basis).
• Be a single parent of a dependent household member under the age of 12 and enrolled full-time (12+ units).
• Participating in the CalFresh Employment and Training Program (CFET) or be a recipient of CalWorks or AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children).

Other Things to Consider

• Unpaid internships or volunteer work do not count towards the work requirement.
• Students who live with their parents must be 22 years of age or older to apply as an individual household.
• International, DACA, and DREAM students may not be eligible, even with a work VISA/SSN.
• Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) may be eligible.
• Students with a state certified disability only need to meet basic eligibility.

Contact

For Basic Needs Inquiries:
Basecamphq@siskiyous.edu

For CalFresh Inquiries:
calfresh@siskiyous.edu

Phone: (530) 938-5376

This website was funded by USDA, SNAP, known in California as CalFresh, an equal opportunity provider and employer, and the California Department of Social Services.