SNAP Eligibility As A Student in New York

A student is any person who is:

  • 18 through 49 years of age
  • Physically and mentally fit
  • Enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education

Institution of Higher Education:

Any institution at the post high school level that normally requires a high school diploma or equivalency certificate for enrollment, including but not limited to:

  • Colleges
  • Universities
  • Business schools
  • Vocational schools
  • Trade or technical schools
  • Correspondence schools
  • Online courses
  • Colleges or universities that offer degree programs regardless of whether a high-school diploma is required

Determining Student Eligibility:

When working with students who are applying for SNAP, you must first determine if they meet the criteria to be considered an “eligible student” under SNAP rules.

Under these rules, students who are 18 to 49 years old and enrolled at least halftime in an institution of higher learning cannot get SNAP unless they meet at least one of the following exceptions:

  • Employed an average of 20 hours a week or more
  • Self-employed, working an average of 20 hours a week and making an average income equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours
  • 17 years old or younger
  • 50 years old or older
  • Physically or mentally unfit for work: the individual has an illness, condition or life circumstance, whether temporary or permanent, that reduces or affects their ability to work 20 hours a week.
  • Primary caretaker of a household member who is under age 6 or is incapacitated
  • Primary caretaker of a household member between the ages of 6 and 11, if no adequate childcare is available that would make it possible to work and go to school
  • A single parent enrolled full time who is responsible for the care of children under age 12
  • Receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Receives unemployment benefits
  • Participating in state or federal work-study
  • Attends a State University of New York (SUNY) or City University of New York (CUNY) community, comprehensive, or technology college and is enrolled in a qualified certificate or degree Career and Technical Education (CTE) program
  • Attends an Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) and is enrolled in a qualified CTE program, remedial courses, basic adult education, literacy, or English as a second language
  • In school through SNAP Employment and Training (E&T), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) or the Department of Labor program

For help determining if a student meets any of these exemptions, see the Student Eligibility Checklist.

Students Who Do Not Qualify for SNAP:

Students who do not meet one of the above exceptions are excluded from the SNAP household, and neither the income nor the resources of the ineligible student will be used in determining eligibility for the rest of the household. However, if the student makes any cash contributions to the remaining members of the household, this will count as income. The rest of the household members may still be eligible.

Continuing Eligibility of Students:

Eligible students remain eligible between school breaks (vacations, summer, etc.) unless the student graduates, is suspended or expelled, drops out, or does not intend to register for the next school term (excluding summer semesters).

Exception: Students who have work-study lose their SNAP eligibility between semesters if the break is a full month or longer and in summer months, unless the work-study continues or they fit into another exemption.

Ineligible students remain ineligible between school breaks (vacations, summer, etc.) unless the student graduates, is suspended or expelled, drops out, or does not intend to register for the next school term (excluding summer semesters).