Welfare programs in the United States are largely federally funded but administered by the states. Qualified welfare recipients may receive food stamps to help purchase food, Medicaid to cover medical expenses and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which is monthly cash allowance to help with bills and necessities. To qualify for any of the welfare programs, a recipient must meet general requirements such as income limits, citizenship and cooperation with child support enforcement. Students who are enrolled more than half time in a higher learning program may also need to meet additional requirements to qualify.
Food Stamps
To receive food stamps, a student must fall into one of the following categories: be a TANF recipient; be physically or mentally unfit; be participating in a work-study program or on the job training program; be working at least 20 hours per week; be enrolled in a Title IV Job Opportunities and Basic Skills program; or have a dependent child.
Temporary Cash Assistance
All recipients of cash assistance must participate in a "work activity" unless they have a child under three months, are receiving SSI or Social Security disability benefits or are not work eligible according to the federal guidelines. In some cases, continuing education can meet the "work activity" requirement to receive cash assistance.
Medicaid
Medicaid eligibility is not generally affected by your status as a student. Medicaid eligibility is determined by income and need. As a rule, you must have dependent children or be pregnant to qualify for Medicaid. For those students who don't qualify for Medicaid, many states have enacted healthcare programs for low-income individuals and families, with monthly premiums based on the recipient's income.
References
- State of Indiana: Family and Social Services Health Care
- Department of Health and Human Services. "U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines Used to Determine Financial Eligibility for Certain Federal Programs." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- USDA. "Exploring the Causes of State Variation in SNAP Administrative Costs." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Illinois Department of Human Services. "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Medicare.gov. "What's Medicare?" Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Health and Human Services. "TANF: Total Number of Recipients Fiscal Year 2019." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Health and Human Services. "TANF: Total Number of Adult Recipients Fiscal Year 2019." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Health and Human Services. "TANF: Total Number of Child Recipients Fiscal Year 2019." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Chart Book: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Josh Levin. "The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth.” Little Brown and Company, 2019. Accessed April 20, 2020.
- The Presidency Project. "Radio Address to the Nation on National Security and Administration Goals." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Congressional Research Service. “The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Legislative History.” Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Medicaid. "October 2019 Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data Highlights." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- The Kaiser Family Foundation. "Births Financed by Medicaid." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. "Medicaid Enrollment Changes Following the ACA." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- USDA. "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation and Costs." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- USDA. "WIC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- USDA. "National School Lunch Program." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Social Security Administration. "Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Social Security Administration. "SSI Monthly Statistics, November 2019." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Social Security Administration. "Table 2. Recipients, by Eligibility Category and Age, November 2018 - November 2019." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- IRS. "Earned Income Tax Credit Income Limits and Maximum Credit Amounts." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Policy Basics: The Earned Income Tax Credit." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Rental Assistance." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Public Housing." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Policy Basics: The Housing Choice Voucher Program." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Department of Health and Human Services. "LIHEAP and WAP Funding." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Rasmussen Reports. "Americans Say Too Many Rely on Government Aid." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Mother Jones. "Mitt Romney on Obama Voters." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Vox. "Why So Many People Who Need the Government Hate It." Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Tax Foundation. "Which States Rely the Most on Federal Aid?" Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Congressional Research Service. "Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Public Assistance: Policy Overview," Appendix A. Accessed April 20, 2020.
- Kaiser Health News. "Medicaid Helps Hospitals Pay For Illegal Immigrants’ Care." Accessed April 20, 2020.
Writer Bio
Renee Booker has been writing professionally since 2009 and was a practicing attorney for almost 10 years. She has had work published on Gadling, AOL's travel site. Booker holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Ohio State University and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University School of Law.