Can CalFresh pay for college tuition or sponsor education expenses?

CalFresh doesn't directly pay for tuition or books - it's specifically a food assistance program. However, what they might have been referring to is that college students can sometimes qualify for CalFresh while studying, which is normally difficult due to student restrictions. If you're a student, you usually need to meet special exemptions to get CalFresh, like working 20+ hours/week, having a young child, or participating in certain education/training programs. There's also the CalFresh Employment and Training (CFET) program at some colleges that can provide support services like books, transportation, and childcare while you're in approved education programs. That might be what they meant by "sponsorship.

no they dont pay tuition lol! that would be nice tho

There's actually a special program that might be what they meant! I'm in community college right now and participate in the CalFresh Employment & Training Program (CFET). While CalFresh itself is just food benefits, this program does provide some support for students. They've helped me with textbooks, transportation, childcare assistance, and even some school supplies. It's not tuition exactly, but it definitely helps with school costs! The confusing part is that not all colleges offer it, and you have to be CalFresh-eligible first. You should check with your college's financial aid office or student support services to see if they participate in CFET. Total game-changer for me as a single parent.

I tried navigating this last year and it was so confusing! The CalFresh student rules are really complicated. Just to clarify what others said - CalFresh itself only helps with food, BUT if you're a parent of a young child, you're exempt from the strict student rules and can get food benefits while in school. I ended up calling my county office because the online info was super confusing, and they took FOREVER to answer. I spent like 2 hours on hold just to ask a few questions about student eligibility. Super frustrating!

There's a lot of misinformation about this topic! As someone who works with student support services, let me clarify: 1. CalFresh is ONLY for food assistance - never for tuition 2. Most college students CAN'T get CalFresh UNLESS you meet exemptions (having a dependent child under 6 is one) 3. The CFET program mentioned above is available at SOME colleges and provides supportive services (books, supplies, childcare assistance) but again, not tuition 4. What your community college person MIGHT have been referring to is that maintaining CalFresh eligibility could help you qualify for other programs like California College Promise Grant (formerly BOG waiver) which DOES cover tuition for community college I recommend speaking with both your county CalFresh office AND your college financial aid office to understand how these programs can work together. Also look into CalWORKs if you have a dependent child - that program has specific educational supports.

my cousin was told she couldn't get calfresh AT ALL when she started college classes even tho she has 2 kids and works part time... the whole system is messed up if u ask me

Just an update - I checked with my counselor today, and if your community college has a CAFYES/NextUp program (for current/former foster youth) or EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs & Services), they might be able to help with more substantial financial support for education. This is separate from CalFresh but might have been what the person was referring to when they mentioned "sponsorship." Worth looking into!

Hey Ava! I went through this exact same situation a couple years ago. What really helped me was creating a checklist of all the programs people mentioned here. Here's what I'd recommend doing: 1. Call your county CalFresh office first to confirm your student exemption status (you should qualify with a 4-year-old) 2. Ask your community college's financial aid office about CFET, EOPS, and the California College Promise Grant 3. Look into CalWORKs since you have a dependent - they have a WTW (Welfare-to-Work) program that can actually help with education expenses The key thing I learned is that while CalFresh itself is just food benefits, being CalFresh-eligible opens doors to other programs that CAN help with school costs. It's like a domino effect - one program leads to another. Don't give up on your degree dream! There are more resources available than most people realize, they're just not well-advertised.