Who is Eligible for CalFresh?
Anyone can apply for CalFresh and there is no difference in benefit amounts based on student status.
To be qualified as a student in the CalFresh program, you must:
- Be between the ages of 18-49 years
- Are physically and mentally “fit” for employment.
- Enrolled at least half-time (6 units or more).
CalFresh Student status also requires the student meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in an educational program that has an approved employment and training
component to increase employability for CalFresh.
- Learn more about approved Local Programs that Increase Employability (LPIE) in the CalFresh Approved Major list below.
- Be a single parent or guardian of child/children under the age of 12.
- Be a part-time student with a child age 6-11 without adequate childcare.
- Be awarded or eligible for Federal/State Work Study (per Financial Aid package).
- Be awarded Cal Grant A or B (per Financial Aid package).
- Be enrolled in CalFresh employment and training or another job training program accepted by CalFresh; (EOPS, Guardian Scholars, etc.).
- Be currently receiving CalWORKS or Medi-Cal benefits.
- Be employed or self-employed at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month.
These are some general questions to consider before applying for CalFresh:
-
How many people do you purchase and prepare food with?
- Based on your household size, are you under the gross monthly income limit? Please refer to the chart below.
| Number of People In Household | Gross Monthly Income Limit | CalFresh Allotment Range |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
$2,430 |
$23 - $291 |
|
2 |
$3,288 |
$23 - $535 |
|
3 |
$4,144 |
$23 - $766 |
|
4 |
$5,000 |
$23 - $973 |
|
5 |
$5,858 |
$23 - $1,155 |
-
Does your household include at least one US citizen, a person with a Green Card, or lawful permanent resident (LPR)?
-
Does anyone in your household receive the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)?
-
Is anyone in your household provided less than half (10 or less) meals per week from another source (like a campus meal plan)? Please note that Santa Monica College does not have any meal plans.
-
Is anyone in household physically/mentally unable to work and/or is receiving disability benefits from any source?
-
Is anyone in household a college student per CalFresh Food guide-lines: enrolled at least half-time (6 units) and between ages of 18-49? If so, do any of the following situations apply to you?
- Enrolled in an educational program that has an approved employment and training component
to increase employability for CalFresh.
- Learn more about approved Local Programs that Increase Employability (LPIE) in the CalFresh Approved Major list below.
- Single parent or guardian of child/children under the age of 12.
- A part-time student with a child age 6-11 without adequate childcare.
- Awarded or eligible for Federal/State Work Study (per Financial Aid package).
- Awarded Cal Grant A or B (per Financial Aid package).
- Enrolled in CalFresh employment and training or another job training program accepted by CalFresh; (EOPS, Guardian Scholars, etc.).
- Currently receiving CalWORKS or Medi-Cal benefits.
- Employed or self-employed at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month.
- Enrolled in an educational program that has an approved employment and training component
to increase employability for CalFresh.