Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A) Who is considered to be an ineligible
student?
(1) An individual who is enrolled at
least half-time, as determined by the school, in an institution of higher
education is
to be ineligible to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance
program (SNAP) unless the individual qualifies for one of the exemptions in
paragraph (B) of this rule.
(2) An
individual is considered to be enrolled in an institution of higher education
when 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 when 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 necessary.
(B) What are the student exemptions?
To be eligible for the program, a student as defined in
paragraph (A) of this rule is to meet at least one of the following
criteria:
(1) Age: the student is age
seventeen or younger or age fifty or older.
(2) Unfit to work: the student is physically
or mentally unfit for work in accordance with rule
5101:4-3-11 of the
Administrative Code.
(3) Recipient
of Ohio works first (OWF): the student is considered to be a recipient of an
OWF cash payment.
(4) Enrolled
through work activity programs: the student is enrolled in the institution of
higher education as a result of participation in an OWF work activity
program.
(5) Employed: the student
is employed for a minimum of twenty hours per week and is paid for such
employment or, when self-employed, is employed for a minimum of twenty hours
per week and receiving weekly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum
wage multiplied by twenty hours. The twenty hours per week is specific. The
total hours worked in a month cannot be averaged.
(6) Participation in a work study program:
the student is participating in a state- financed or federally-financed work
study program during the regular school year. To qualify under this provision,
the student is
to be approved for work study at the time of application for SNAP, the
work study is
to be approved for the school term, and the student
is to
anticipate actually working during that time.
The exemption is to begin with the month the school term begins or
the month work study is approved, whichever is later. Once begun, the exemption
is to
continue until the end of the month the school term ends, or it becomes known
that the student has refused an assignment. When it is determined that a
student had been approved and anticipated performing work study hours that did
not materialize, no claim is to be created. When a determination is made that
the student deliberately gave wrong or misleading information, a claim is to be
created. The student work study exemption is not
to continue between terms when there are breaks
of a full month or longer unless the student is participating in work study
during the break.
(7)
Participation in on-the-job training: the student is participating in an
on-the-job training program. An individual is considered to be participating in
an on-the- job training program only during the period of time the individual
is being trained by the employer.
(8) Care of a child under age six: the
student is responsible for the care of a dependent assistance group member
under the age of six.
(9) Care of a
child between six and eleven years of age: the student is responsible for the
care of a dependent assistance group member who has reached the age of six but
is under age twelve when the county agency has determined that adequate child
care is not available to enable the student to attend class and comply with the
work requirements of paragraphs (B)(5) and (B)(6) of this rule.
(10) A single parent with a child under age
twelve: the student is a single parent enrolled in an institution of higher
education on a full-time basis (as determined by the institution) and is
responsible for the care of a dependent child under age twelve. This provision
applies in those situations where only one natural, adoptive, or stepparent
(regardless of marital status) is in the same assistance group as the child.
When no natural, adoptive, or stepparent is in the same SNAP assistance group
as the child, another full-time student in the same assistance group as the
child may qualify for eligible student status under this provision when he or
she has parental control over the child and is not living with his or her
spouse.
(11) Enrolled in an
institution of higher education as a result of participation in:
(a) A program under the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Public Law 113-128)
(7/2014);
(b) A program under
section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296)
(6/2015);
(c) An employment and
training program other than the SNAP employment and training (E & T)
program, for low-income assistance groups that is operated by a state or local
government where one or more of the components of such program is at least
equivalent to an acceptable SNAP E & T program component. The JFS 07600
"Student Verification" is to be completed by the institution of higher
education and used when determining that the following criteria is met:
(i) The individual is enrolled in a program
under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of
2006 (20 U.S.C.
2302) designed to be completed in not more
than four years at an institution of higher education as defined in section 102
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2296); or
(ii) The individual is enrolled in an
accredited institution of higher education with a major that leads to an
in-demand occupation. A list of in-demand occupations can be found on the Ohio
means jobs website: "
https://topjobs.ohio.gov/top-jobs-list";
and
(a) Is eligible to participate in a
state-financed or federally-financed work study program during the regular
school year, as determined by the institution of higher education; or
(b) Has an expected family contribution of
zero dollars in the current academic year; or
(d) An E & T program under Chapter
5101:4-9 of the Administrative Code, subject to the
condition that the course of study or program;
(i) Is part of a program of career and
technical education as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302) designed to be
completed in not more than four years at an institution of higher education as
defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2296);
or
(ii) Is limited to remedial
courses, basic adult education, literacy, or English as a second
language.
(C) How is enrollment status determined?
The enrollment status of a student is to begin on
the first day of the school term of the institution of higher education. Such
enrollment is
to be deemed to continue through normal periods of class attendance,
vacation and recess, unless the student graduates, is suspended or expelled,
drops out, or does not intend to register for the next normal school term
excluding summer school.
(D) How is an ineligible student's income and
resources handled?
An individual who is subject to the requirements of this rule
and who does not meet any of the criteria in paragraph (B) of this rule
is to be
considered ineligible to participate in the SNAP program. The income and
resources of the ineligible student is not
to be counted in determining eligibility or the
level of benefits for the assistance group, as specified in rule
5101:4-6-15 of the
Administrative Code.
(E)
How is eligibility determined for students who are participating in a meal plan
at an institution of higher education?
(1) The
county agency is to determine when students participating in a meal plan
receive a majority of their meals through the meal plan.
(a) The circumstances should be fully
explored to determine how to treat meal plans and to determine the scope of the
meal plan. Meal plan structure may vary from institution to institution and the
value of a meal plan may be counted by the number of meals, points, or dollars
included. Additional information may be obtained from the student for
clarification when it is unclear how many meals are received from the meal
plan.
(b) For example, when a
student receives breakfast and lunch every weekday through their meal plan,
that is equivalent to ten meals per week. While this is two of three daily
meals, the county agency would not consider the student to be receiving the
majority of their meals as ten meals per week is less than the majority of
twenty-one total weekly meals.
(2) Students will be considered a resident of
an institution when the majority of their meals are provided through a meal
plan and will be ineligible for SNAP in accordance with rule
5101:4-2-03 of the
Administrative Code.
(3) Students
who are not provided with the majority of their meals through a meal plan are
not considered a resident of an institution and may be eligible for SNAP when
all other eligibility factors are met.
