Virtual & In-Person CalFresh Appointments

Virtual & In-Person CalFresh Appointments

Eligible for CalFresh? Apply with us!

If you live with family members and
buy/share food with them…

  • You are required to apply with your family.
  • Please consult your family before signing up for an appointment with us.
  • We will need everyone’s documents on the application, including everyone’s IDs, Social Security Numbers, and pay stubs for every employed family member.

Not sure if you’re eligible? Visit the Eligibility page for more information!

A chart showing the basic eligibilities for CalFresh.

Expedited Appointments

Our expedited CalFresh events are in partnership with the County of Orange Social Services Agency (OCSSA). OCSSA staff will be periodically available to provide students with CalFresh assistance from the county. This means initial applicants can submit their application and complete their interview on the same day, cutting down the typical wait time to receive an EBT card from 30+ days to within a day to a week.

These appointments are for students applying for CalFresh with an OC address. All slots for expedited events are in-person and by appointment only. A confirmation email will be sent out one week prior to the event to confirm your appointment time.

CalFresh Enrollment Party

Our CalFresh Enrollment Parties are recurring single-day events where students can submit their CalFresh application AND complete their interview on the same day.

These events are only for those who do not have an open case (new applicants).

The location for Enrollment Parties may differ for each event date. Please take careful note of the location for the date you register for.

11/20 EP FULLY BOOKEd

OCSSA Support Hours

OCSSA staff will be available to support students with submitting their CalFresh application and completing their interview on the same day.

County representatives can also provide support with pending cases, SAR7/Recertifications, and other case questions.

All appointments take place at the CalFresh HQ at the Basic Needs Center.

book your appointment

Non-Expedited Appointments

CalFresh Appointments

The Basic Needs Center offers 1-on-1 CalFresh application assistance with our trained Basic Needs Advocates (BNA) for students residing in any county. Our BNAs also offer assistance with SAR7/Recertifications.

Unlike the CalFresh Enrollment Parties and OCSSA Support Hours, initial applications through these appointments are not expedited and follows the standard 30-day processing time.

These appointments are offered both online over Zoom and in-person.

book your appointment

If you cannot find a CalFresh appointment, this means we are currently fully booked as we experience high demand for this service in early Fall quarter. Please continue to check the link below/above for any available appointment as cancellations take place. Additionally, appointments open two weeks in advance, meaning that more appointments are posted on a rolling basis.

If you have questions about your existing case, please email our team at calfresh@uci.edu or text/call (949) 473-2806

Appointment Materials

The following documents are needed to complete the application.
Examples of these documents are hyperlinked in their respective sections.

(Most documents are accessible online, you do not need to print paper copies)

Proof of Student Eligibility

If applying with a TANF Funded CalGrant as your Student Eligibility, please find and download the following documents:

  • TANF Email: Look for this email titled “CalFresh Notification.” This email is sent by California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and will not be in your UCI inbox; look for it in your deleted or spam if necessary.

If applying with Federal Work Study as your Student Eligibility, please find and download the following documents:

If applying with Campus Employment Program as your Student Eligibility, please find and download the following documents:

  • UCI Verification of Employment: Visit UC Path and click on:
    • “Employee Actions”
    • “Income and Taxes”
    • “Verification of Employment”
    • “Generate Summary Report”
    • Download or Screenshot

If applying with your Major/Program (LPIE) as your Student Eligibility, please find and download the following documents:

  • Program Verification (If Applicable): Check this list to see if your program requires additional verification! Follow the directions on the list to request your Verification from your respective department. Below is an example of a law student’s (JD) verification form that they would receive after their request.
Form of Identification
  • Drivers license
  • State issued ID
  • Passport
  • Birth certificate
Pay Stubs (Previous 30 days)

If applicable, you can obtain your paystubs through an employee portal or request it from your employer.


For students who have on-campus employment with UC Irvine, follow these steps to access your paystubs:

  • Visit ucpath.uci.edu
    • Click on the button “Log in to UCPath Online”
    • Select “University of California, Irvine”
    • Login with your credentials
  • Under “Income and Taxes” click “View paycheck”
    • From this menu, you can access all past paystubs and download them
Class Schedule

Undergraduate students upload their Degreeworks In-Progress, and graduate students upload their Study List.

Financial Aid Award Letter

Visit ZotAid and click on:

  • Download
  • Use NetID and Password to Log in
  • Click on “Messages” on the top right corner
  • Click on the “envelope button” of the most recent offer letter. This button will be on the left side of the screen

Proof of Living Expenses

Look at your housing portal (if applicable) or your emails for your official lease agreement.

If you sublease or are informally housed, Zelle, bank, or Venmo screenshots suffice. You must also write out a short explanation of your housing arrangement (Zelle your roommate, Venmo your landlord, pay cash, etc.).