CALFRESH AWARDS PEOPLE UP TO $291 PER MONTH FOR GROCERIES!

CalFresh, also known as SNAP/EBT, is a long-term food assistance program for people with low-income who meet federal income eligibility rules and want to add to their budget to put healthy and nutritious food on the table. 

CalFresh funds are loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card each month and can be used to purchase groceries at most grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers' markets, Amazon.com, Walmart, and Instacart. 

CalFresh benefits are accepted on campus in the Segundo Market, Tercero Market, Cuarto Market, Silo Market, Sage Street Market, Memorial Union Market, ARC Market, and Farmers Market.

CalFresh Eligibility Overview

CalFresh Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

• What are the minimum/maximum benefits one can receive?
• The benefit amount is based on household size and household income, with deductions allowed for some expenses, such as rent and/or utilities. See the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) website for specific information.
• How will I receive CalFresh benefits?
• The County can mail you the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card or you can pick it up from their office. Benefits will be put on the card when your application is approved. Sign your card when you receive it. You will set up a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use your card.
• How do I use my CalFresh benefits?
• CalFresh benefits are issued on an EBT card that works like a debit card. You can use it at most grocery stores and many farmers markets. Here is a list of locations near you that accept EBT.
• What can I buy with CalFresh benefits?
•  

  You CAN buy	You CANNOT buy
  breads and cereals	beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
  fruits and vegetables	any nonfood items: pet food, soaps, paper product, household supplies
  meats, fish, and poultry	vitamins and medicines
  dairy products	hot foods and food that will be eaten in the store

• Will I have to pay back the benefits?
• You will not have to pay back any benefits you were eligible to receive. However, if there is a mistake (either user or admin) and you receive more than you are eligible for, you will be responsible for paying that amount back.
• How often do I need to report?
• If your initial application is approved, you will then be required to report changes every six months and whenever your household exceeds its Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) for CalFresh.
• Can I keep CalFresh if I am no longer a student?
• Yes, as a non-student the same citizenship and income thresholds apply, but you no longer need to meet a student eligibility exemption.

Expedited Services

• What is Expedited Service?
• If a household qualifies for Expedited Service, they can get their CalFresh Food benefits in three days or less, and submit any required documents within 30 days.
• How is a household eligible for Expedited Service?

• A household must meet one of the following to qualify for Expedited Services:
  - Have less than $150 of gross monthly income and less than $100 of cash on hand or in their checking or savings accounts; or
  - Housing cost (rent/mortgage and utilities) are more than their monthly gross income and cash on hand or in checking or savings accounts; or
  - Migrant or seasonal farmworkers with less than $100 in checking or savings and their income has stopped, or their income has started but they do not expect to get more than $25 in the next ten days.

Interview

• I never hear back from the county for an interview, what should I do?
• If the student lives in Yolo County, and we have appointments available, we can have the student apply through our center regardless of how long ago they have applied as long as there is not an active case.
  If we have limited appointments, students can call the county at (855) 278-1594 around 10:00 AM in the morning for the shortest wait time. Please note that if you want to go in person to Yolo County Human Services, only the Woodland location accepts in-person interview. Davis office located at 600 A St, Davis, California, 95616 does not process interviews.
• I missed my interview, what should I do?

• Depends on if we have appointments or not, we could reschedule another interview for students. Students can also call (855) 278-1594 around 10:00 AM in the morning for the shortest wait time.

Household Size

• What are “mandatory households”?
• There are certain people who are considered to be in the same household regardless of whether they purchase and prepare food separately.
• Who is included in “mandatory households”?
• A married couple who lives together; or
  Anyone under 22 and living with their biological, adoptive or stepparents; or
  Unmarried couple living together with a common child.

Income

• What if I have a job?
• You can have a job and still may be eligible for CalFresh. However, your income from the job will be included in CalFresh application and used to determine the amount of benefit you could receive.
• If I do not work, can I still qualify for CalFresh?
• Students are not required to work in order to qualify for CalFresh. However, you still must meet all CalFresh requirements in order to qualify.
• What are the income limits for CalFresh?
• Most CalFresh households are subject to a gross income determination test. Gross income is all non-excludable income (before taxes) from any source including all earned income and all unearned income (i.e. Social Security, unemployment benefits, etc.). See the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) website for CalFresh income limits.
• What if I have money in my bank account?
• Liquid resources are no longer considered in the eligibility determination for most households. 
  
  Note: This does not apply to CalFresh Expedited Services (ES) requests – where, if eligible, the county must complete your request for ES within 3 days. During triage to determine if you are eligible to an ES appointment, you will be asked about money in your bank account(s). For most households, even if you are not eligible for ES, you may still qualify for regular CalFresh processing/benefits, regardless of your liquid resources.
• Can I apply for CalFresh if I don’t get FAFSA?
• Yes. but they will request for your financial aid statement even if you do not receive any funding. Please fill it out so that you can provide a copy to the county when it is requested. 
• Can I get CalFresh if I am receiving government aid or academic financial aid?
• Sometimes.
  Income that counts toward the CalFresh income threshold: non-federally funded financial aid, graduate student stipends, unemployment, and PUC CARES.
  Income that doesn't count toward the CalFresh income threshold: government economic impact stimulus payment and in most cases federally funded financial aid; these forms of income will still need to be reported. See CDSS website for further information on income thresholds.

Citizenship

• Can you still apply if you have non-citizen household members?
• You may still potentially be eligible to CalFresh Food benefits even if there are household members who are non-citizens.
• Will personal information regarding non-citizen household members be shared with ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)? 
• No, the County CalFresh Food program will not share personal information with ICE.

County

• I’m not currently in Davis, why can’t I apply in Yolo County with Aggie Compass?
• While CalFresh (SNAP) is a federally funded program, it is different in each state. Within California, each county also handles their own CalFresh cases. Therefore your application will be sent to the individual county and reviewed by the social worker in that county based on your current address (not future address).
• My permanent address is different from Yolo County. Should I use Yolo County or my home county?
• Even if the student’s permanent address is not in Yolo County, as long as they are currently living in Yolo County, they should apply within Yolo County.
  
  Most students will be living in Yolo County during the school year which makes up the majority of the year. If a student is away to visit a family member for only a short period of time, the CalFresh address should not be affected as long as it’s not a long term move.
• I'm not in Davis for a break, can I apply now or should I wait until I return?
• Students can apply for CalFresh at anytime, but they need to apply in the county they currently lived at. The county worker will ask the student where they currently live and a proof of address is required.

Student Exemption

• What is the Local Program Increase Employability?
• Local student programs that provide employment and training such as job retention, job search training, work experience, vocational training, self-employment training, on-the-job training, and/or education are called LPIEs. Once a program is approved, all counties in the State of California will acknowledge the program’s stand as LPIE, and use it towards approving students for CalFresh.
• What if my county worker asks for student exemption?
• Please use this form: CF 6177. This is the official form that all counties are using for student exemption. If the student is participating in a LPIE, please have them check "Enrolled in a Local Program that Increases Employability (LPIE)". This form includes the link to the most recent LPIEs.
  
  You can also access the List of Approved LPIEs at CalFresh Student Eligibility: List of Approved LPIEs. This is an excel sheet that's sorted by county. UC Davis is among the last few rows, and you should see your program included in this excel. If the county worker has questions about their program eligibility, please refer them to this website.
  
  Please also attach an unofficial transcript that indicates your enrollment in the program during your application process.
• I have work-study or $0 EFC, but the county denied my benefit. Why?
• During COVID-19, Eligible for Work-Study and $0 EFC are temporary exemptions for students. Beginning June 10th, 2023, those temporary CalFresh student exemptions end. The student will need to meet another exemption to potentially qualify
• I received CalGrant A, but the county worker asked me to provide something starting with T?
• While CalGrant A or B is listed on the student exemption, the CalGrant must also be funded by TANF (CalWORKs in California) in order for it to be a student exemption.
  
  CalGrants funding came from a lot of different sources, some of them includes TANF, SLOF, and CaLottery etc. There are some restrictions on how the fundings works inside CalGrant. For TANF, there are some specific requirements to use that fund: the use of TANF funding for CalGrants is limited by the number of grant recipients who are unmarried, age 25 and under, and have annual parent and student income of no more than $50,000.
  
  Students can email or call CSAC (California Student Aid Commission) at 888-224-7268 or Studentsupport@csac.ca.gov and for a verification of their CalGrant funding type.
  
  Here is a sample verification: 2020-21 Cal Grant Program Award CalFresh Notification