45. What if I am a college student?

Special SNAP eligibility rules apply to college students who are between the ages of 18 and 49 and enrolled half-time or more in a post-secondary institution (a college that requires students to have a high school diploma or GED to enroll). Most colleges consider half-time as typically two courses, 6 to 11 credits and full-time as typically 12 credits or more.

While the student rules sound complicated, many students are SNAP eligible in Massachusetts! You may qualify for SNAP benefits if you are low-income and meet any of the following:

• you attend a Community College, the Ben Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology or Quincy College (a municipal college)
• you are enrolled in an adult career and technical education program (many offered by Voc/Tech high schools in MA)
• you receive MASSGrant as part of your financial aid package
• you have a work study job (any hours of work), or your college awarded you work-study and you have not refused a job offer
• you in a DTA-approved SNAP education or training activity, another government agency-sponsored education and training program or a non-government on-the-job training program
• you care for a child living with you who is under age 6, or a child age 6 to age 12 and you are a single parent enrolled full time or you lack childcare to both attend school and work part-time
• you receive TAFDC cash benefits as a family or a pregnancy,
• you receive a disability-based benefit such as Social Security or SSI, EAEDC cash benefits, Veterans benefits or MassHealth as disabled
• you have an impairment or disability that impacts your ability to both attend college and work 20 hours/week
• you are enrolled in college through the Mass Rehab Commission or a mental health or substance abuse rehabilitation program OR
• you are working an average of 20 hours a week or more, or an average of 80 hours/month.

The student eligibility rules are here: 106 C.M.R.§§362.400 through 362.420.

For more information, including Know Your Rights fliers and SNAP outreach fliers and infographics on SNAP for students, see: Masslegalservices.org/Food4Students