This section explains who is considered a student for the Washington Basic Food Program, which students are eligible for Basic Food, and when a client's student status begins and ends.
Starting January 16, 2021, Basic Food has been temporarily expanded to the following two populations in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency as allowed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021:
Students determined eligible to participate in state or federal work study by the institution of higher education; or
Students with an expected family contribution (EFC) of $0 in the current academic year.
These expansions will continue until 30 days after the federal COVID-19 public health emergency is lifted.
An adult who is enrolled and taking at least six credits (half time) in an institution of higher education is ineligible to receive Basic Food unless they meet one of the exemptions described in this section.
An individual is considered enrolled in an institution of higher education if the individual is enrolled in a business, technical, trade, or vocational school that normally requires a high school diploma or equivalency certificate for enrollment in the curriculum or if the individual is enrolled in a regular curriculum at a college or university that offers degree programs regardless of whether a high school diploma is required. Institutions of higher education can also include online schools (for example: University of Phoenix) and correspondence schools as long as the entry criteria or degree program characteristics are met and the student is considered attending at least half time.
Colleges or universities normally require diplomas or certificates but allow exceptions for some students who are not high school graduates to enroll in classes. These institutions are still considered institutions of higher education.
NOTE:
If a client is determined to be an ineligible student as they meet no exemption during the Basic Food interview, the application should be denied. Do not pend the application to allow the client time to begin meeting an exemption. If the client wants to qualify for Basic Food through meeting student eligibility, the client must reapply after their circumstance changes.
Example: Patrick is a student of higher education and applies for Basic Food. During the interview, he discloses he has a job interview, but hasn’t been hired. Patrick meets no other exemptions. Do not pend his application for the results of the job interview. He can reapply once he is meeting the 20 hours a week average if he is hired or if he meets another exemption.
All Washington State public universities, technical, and community colleges consider 6 credits to be half time. If someone is attending a private college or university, half time status must be verified with the school.
A student is not considered enrolled in an institution of higher education if the student attends only for the purpose of participating in one of the following programs:
EXAMPLE:
Kurt attends a technical college that offers both a two-year degree program and a one-year certificate program. The degree program requires a high school diploma or GED for enrollment, while the certificate program has no such requirements. Kurt is enrolled in the one-year certificate program curriculum. Since the certificate-only program that he is enrolled in does not require a diploma or GED, Kurt is not considered to be enrolled in an institution of higher education. Therefore, Kurt does not have to meet student eligibility requirements for Basic Food.
Student status ends when the student:
Employed students meet the eligibility criteria when they work at least 80 hours each month or average 20 hours per week. It is not necessary that they work 20 hours each week.
Self-employed students meet the eligibility criteria when:
In order for a client to be an eligible student based on their need to provide care for a dependent member of the AU, the client must be responsible for more than half of the care.
Because of this, one child cannot make more than one student eligible for Basic Food. See Worker Responsibilities below for recommended interview questions and documentation requirements for allowing student eligibility based on dependent care responsibilities when both parents live in the household.
Income-in-kind is not considered payment for work and cannot be used to establish hours of workweek.
EXAMPLE
Melanie works for the college during her summer break. Instead of paying her wages, the school deducts the income from her fall tuition costs. We cannot use the value of the work or the hours worked when we determine if she is an eligible student.
Starting January 16, 2021, a student determined "eligible to participate" or participating in state or federal work study will be considered an eligible student for basic food.
This is effective until 30 days after the federal COVID-19 public health emergency ends for new applications.
Expected family contribution (EFC) of $0:
Starting January 16, 2021, a student with an EFC of $0 is an eligible student for basic food.
This is effective until 30 days after the federal COVID-19 public health emergency ends for new applications.
If a client attends school, determine if the client meets the definition of “student” for Basic Food before looking at whether or not that client is an eligible student. We don’t consider someone to be a student if they are:
If a client claims to be physically or mentally unable to work and the client's statement is questionable, verify the claim by:
Before allowing student eligibility based on dependent care responsibilities when both parents live in the household, determine why the other parent cannot care for the child in place of the student parent. Ask the following questions during the interview:
All responses to these questions must be documented in the case and/or the worker must thoroughly document why it was decided to allow or not allow student eligibility based on dependent care responsibilities
EXAMPLE:
A student and her spouse have a 4 year old child. The non-student parent is not employed but is actively looking for work. The student parent cares for the child about 60% of the time. In this case the worker documents that since the non-student parent is actively looking for work by filing job applications and attending interviews the student parent needs to care for the child more than half the time to allow for the other parent’s job search activities. The student is eligible for Basic Food.
Student income must be evaluated and verified for all students, even if the student does not have to meet student eligibility criteria.
Mark is a student at Western Washington University, attending half-time. He is 53 years old and does not have to meet student eligibility requirements. You must determine if he receives any countable or exempt student income.
Unearned:
Payments for the educational assistance of an AU member enrolled at a recognized institution of post-secondary education, school for the handicapped, vocational program or a program that provides for completion of a secondary school diploma or GED.
Work study program wages are earnings from a program operated by a post-secondary school in which the student works and earns money during the year. Federally funded work study is non-countable income, whereas state-funded work study is countable income.
Income-in-kind is not considered payment for work and cannot be used to establish hours of work week.
All educational income excluded under WAC 388-450-0035 is excluded and not counted in the eligibility or benefit determination. This includes, but is not limited to:
Some of the educational assistance sources named above (except funding from Title IV –HEA and BIA education assistance) will have funds not used for attendance costs that must be counted as unearned income. Make sure you refer back to WAC 388-450-0035 for specific rules about when you can exclude the entire educational assistance amount.
Subtract all attendance costs allowed in sub-sections (2) (a) and (b) of WAC 388-450-0035 from the student's educational assistance. Budget the amount left as unearned income to the AU. Average this income over the period of time the VA states the assistance covers.
Exclusions apply only to monies from an educational source and not to educational payments made from income available to the AU such as earnings, contributions from parents, TANF, etc. All educational assistance income must be verified.
See WAC 388-450-0035 to determine how a client’s educational income may impact their benefits.
Educational income is not counted as a resource during the period of time the income is expected to cover (usually the school term).
Jake received a GSL of $5,000 for the school term of September 1 through May 24. He put the money into a savings account to use as needed during the school months. The $5,000 is excluded as a resource until it is no longer considered income (May 25).
Document in a case record how you determined that a student was eligible for Basic Food along with how you verified that the student is eligible for benefits. The verification may be obtained from the student, source, or school. Examples of verification are: