Does financial aid count as income for CalWORKs and CalFresh eligibility?

Great question! Financial aid is treated differently depending on the type and which benefit program you're talking about: For CalWORKs (Cash Aid): - Student loans don't count as income - Pell Grants and Cal Grants used for tuition, books, transportation, supplies, and childcare don't count - Any portion of grants used for living expenses (rent, food, etc.) DOES count as income For CalFresh: - Most financial aid doesn't count if you're eligible for CalFresh as a student - This includes grants, scholarships, and loans Make sure to tell your worker exactly what the aid is for. Keep receipts for books, supplies, etc. to show how you're spending the grant money on educational expenses. When you report on your SAR7, clearly mark which portions are for educational expenses versus living expenses.

When I started school last year, I had the SAME exact worry! What helped me was I got a letter from financial aid office breaking down exactly what my aid covered - tuition, books, supplies, etc. I showed that to my CalWORKs worker and they only counted the small portion that was considered "extra" for living expenses. My Pell Grant was $6,895 last semester, but after tuition and educational expenses, only about $1,200 was counted against my Cash Aid. My CalFresh wasn't affected at all! Make sure you're also talking to the CalWORKs office AT your college - most community colleges have special programs for CalWORKs students with extra support services. They helped me A LOT with navigating this!

You should definitely report it on your SAR7, but if the disbursement puts you over your IRT (Income Reporting Threshold), you need to report it within 10 days. Check your last Notice of Action to see what your IRT is - it's usually around 130% of your MAP (Maximum Aid Payment) for your family size.

dont beleve what people tell you here. my sister got financial aid and they cut her cash aid completly!!!! the county workers always looking for ways to cut benifits. she had to pay back $1400 because they said she didnt report it fast enuff.

im in my second year of college and on calworks. wat worked for me was gettin a letter from financial aid office showing how much goes to tuition and books. i also keep ALL my receipts for school stuff in a folder to show my worker. loans dont count at all dont worry about those.

This is actually one of the biggest challenges for CalWORKs participants trying to pursue education. The regulations for how financial aid is treated are in MPP Section 44-111.435. Here's what you need to know: 1. Keep DETAILED records of all educational expenses 2. Submit verification from your school's financial aid office showing your award breakdown 3. Maintain receipts for textbooks, supplies, transportation to/from school 4. Request the "Student Educational Expense Agreement" form from your worker 5. Ask about the CalWORKs Student Support Program on your campus Most importantly, make sure your Welfare-to-Work plan includes your education. This can help you meet your WTW hours through education and training, and your worker can better track your educational expenses. One more thing - if you're having trouble reaching your worker to discuss this, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you through to your worker quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

Has anyone had their worker trying to count their whole financial aid package as income? My worker tried to do this last semester and I had to fight it. You should know they CANNOT count aid that's used for: - Tuition & fees - Books & supplies - Transportation to/from school - Required tools or equipment - Childcare related to education If your worker tries to count all of it, ask for a supervisor or file for a state hearing. I had to do this and won my case.

Just to follow up with some additional information - you asked about having to tell your worker immediately or waiting for your SAR7. The rule is you must report financial aid on your SAR7, but if the amount puts you over your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT), you need to report it within 10 days of receiving it. Also, you should look into the special CalWORKs exemptions for students. While you're in an approved educational program, certain activities like study time can count toward your Welfare to Work hours. This could reduce your other WTW requirements and give you more time to focus on school. And definitely connect with your college's CalWORKs office - they can often provide additional support like book vouchers, childcare referrals, and school supplies that won't count against your benefits.

So I just went through this exact thing last semester!!! It's honestly so confusing. What saved me was I got an itemized statement from my school showing EXACTLY what each dollar of my financial aid was for. Like $3,426 for tuition, $800 for books, $500 for supplies, etc. I brought that to my recertification interview and my worker accepted it. But my roommate goes to a different college and her worker counted part of her Cal Grant against her. So I think different counties handle it differently? Either way GET DOCUMENTATION from your financial aid office!!!

I'm just starting to look into going back to school too and this thread is so helpful! One thing I'm wondering about - if I get work-study as part of my financial aid package, does that count differently? I know work-study is technically a job where you earn money, but it's also part of financial aid. Also, are there any limits on how much financial aid you can receive before it affects your benefits? Like is there a dollar amount where they automatically start counting more of it as income?