CalFresh Eligibility
There are many ways UCI students may be eligible for CalFresh!
Please see below for specific instructions on how to apply for CalFresh for your eligibility.
If you have any questions, please contact our CalFresh team at calfresh@uci.edu.
Instructions:
Eligibility Part I:
You MUST meet ALL of the requirements below.
- Students MUST be U.S. citizens, Legal Permanent Residency (LPR), or have someone in their household who is able to apply for CalFresh.
- Students MUST be currently enrolled students at UC Irvine AND enrolled in at least 6 units (We cannot help incoming students or those on leaves of absence).
- Household’s monthly income before taxes MUST NOT exceed the allowed amount.
Note: Not eligible? Students who are not eligible for CalFresh can apply for our Emergency Meal Swipes!
Eligibility Part II:
You MUST meet ONE of the student eligibilities below.
Cal Grant A/B TANF-Funded
Required Documents:
- You will need this CalGrant TANF email, which verifies that you have a CalGrant funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It would’ve been sent by: studentsupport@csac.ca.gov.
- This email would’ve been sent to the email address you used to apply for the FAFSA – for most students.
- Below is an example of the email:
- If you can’t find this email, it may mean you don’t have a TANF-funded CalGrant, and you’ll need to find another eligibility to qualify for CalFresh.
- TANF emails are typically sent in late September – mid-October of the academic year.
- If you’re unsure whether you have a TANF email, you can email us at calfresh@uci.edu
Federal Work Study
Requirements:
- Students qualify for CalFresh if they’ve been offered and accepted Federal Work-Study (not President’s Work-Study).
- You don’t need to have a work-study at the time of application, anticipating work is acceptable.
Campus Employment Program
Students employed by the University of California, Irvine — are considered to be participating in the Campus Employment Program.
Required Documents:
Students will need to submit their Employment Verification Form. The Employment Verification Form can be obtained from UC Path, by logging in and going to the Income & Taxes tab. After selecting Income & Taxes, student will need to click on Verification of Employment and will then be able to Generate Summary Report and download their form.
Employed 20 Hrs/Week or 80 Hrs/Month
Requirements:
- Students qualify for CalFresh if they work at least 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month.
- Make sure income is below the income limit for your household.
- Paystubs will need to show work of 20 hours or more every week.
Student Success Initiatives (SSI)
Required Documents:
- Students part of Student Success Initiatives (SSI) can email their assigned counselors to request their verification form.
- If you are a Summer Bridge Scholar, contact Rosemary Sanchez at rosemas1@uci.edu or Tatiana Apelu at tapelu@uci.edu
- If you are a TRIO Scholar, contact Stephanie Aguilar at celiasa@uci.edu
- If you are a FYRE Scholar, contact Martha Contreras at m.contreras@uci.edu
Parenting Students
Requirements:
Students qualify for CalFresh if they are a:
- Full-time student responsible for a child under 12
- Part-time student responsible for a child under age 6
- Part-time student responsible for a child between ages 6 and 11 without Adequate Child Care
If you yourself are not a US Citizen or Legal Permanent resident, but your child is, you can still apply for benefits for them!
- Make sure you meet the prorated income limit for your household.
- Social Services will only take into account the income proportional to the number of eligible members in the household.
Example: Both parents are not eligible, but 1 child is a citizen, so only 33% of total income is counted and held to the income guideline of a 1 person household.
Research and Teaching Assistants
Requirements:
Students hired for a research or teaching assistant position, whether paid or unpaid, or part of a training program, are considered to be participating in a Research and Teaching Assistantship Program.
Please submit proof of employment as a research/teaching assistant.
Academic and Professional Programs
If you would like to see if your academic or professional program has been approved as student eligibility, visit Student Program List
If your program is on the Student Program List, please download the list as a PDF and upload it with your application.
- This list includes undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and more.
- Some programs may require additional verification forms, please check the notes of the Verification Forms Document, to see if this applies to your program and how to request them.
How are programs approved?
Approved academic and professional programs have been reviewed and approved by the California Department of Social Services. These programs are known as Local Programs that increase Employability (LPIE). The programs all have a Education and Training (E&T) component, which is defined as a service, activity, or program designed to help students gain skills, training, or work experience. These activities must be required of all students.
Examples of E&T components include:
- Internships and Practicums
- Professional Development
- Labs with hands-on activities where students are practicing technical skills that simulate a potential work environment.
If you believe that your academic program has a required activity and is not on the approved list of programs, please reach out to us at calfresh@uci.edu. We continue to review programs regularly and would be happy to review yours.
Cannot Find a Student Eligibility?
Our Fresh Finances: Sprout Your Wealth Program is also a CalFresh STUDENT eligibility!
Looking to build your Financial Wellness alongside fellow Anteaters?
Enroll in the FRESH Finances: Sprout Your Wealth Program!
Designed to educate students on seven personal finance topics, the Fresh Finances Program also serves as a CalFresh student eligibility! Please keep in mind that you must still adhere to the U.S. Citizen/Legal Permanent Resident, school enrollment, and income requirements in order to apply for CalFresh.
Program Details
In the Fresh Finances Program you will:
- Gain knowledge and skills to navigate the complex world of personal finance!
- Set realistic financial goals and create a strategic plan to achieve them with trained Basic Needs Advocates!
- Meet like-minded students looking to take proactive steps towards securing their financial future.
Program Requirements
To maintain your CalFresh eligibility with Fresh Finances, you MUST:
- Currently be enrolled at UCI in at least 6 units.
- Schedule at least 2 Financial Wellness Consultation throughout the academic year with a Basic Needs Advocate.
- Attend at least 1 Financial Wellness Workshops offered throughout the academic year.
- 2 workshops are offered every quarter (summer, fall, winter, and spring) and the schedule will be made available at the beginning of each quarter.
Have questions regarding the Fresh Finances Program? Visit the Fresh Finances webpage or contact the program lead Sandra Cuyuch at scuyuch@uci.edu or call (949)824-7723.
Additional Information
Income
Individual/household must have a gross income that does not exceed the limit for the total number of applicants. Please refer to the chart below for household sizes. For households greater than 8, please add an additional $858 to the monthly gross income for every additional member to reflect the household income limit.
Calfresh Income Guidelines
Effective Oct. 1st, 2023
| Household Size | Max Gross Monthly Income | Max CalFresh Allotment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,430 | $291 |
| 2 | $3,288 | $535 |
| 3 | $4,144 | $766 |
| 4 | $5,000 | $973 |
| 5 | $5.858 | $1,155 |
| 6 | $6,714 | $1,386 |
| 7 | $7,570 | $1,532 |
| 8 | $8,428 | $1,751 |
| + ( 1 ) Household Member | + $858 | + $219 |
Mixed-Status Families
Mixed-status families can still apply for CalFresh if they have eligible members in their households! The California Department of Social Services is not allowed to share immigration information with federal agencies and the information is kept strictly confidential.
For example, undocumented parents can apply for benefits for their citizen children.
Take into consideration!
- Students who have a meal plan must have a meal plan of 120 or less
- Students cannot apply for CalFresh if they have an active case in another county
- Students who apply to CalFresh may have their Medi-Cal automatically transferred to the county they applied for CalFresh in.
- To continue to receive Medi-Cal benefits in their county of origin, students must call their Medi-Cal caseworker and ask them to stop the inter-county transfer of their Medi-Cal case.
- Students who applied for CalFresh Benefits in Orange County can contact the county to check on the status of their CalFresh case at 1-800-281-9799.