2530 Households Containing Post-High School Students

 

  1. Any person who is:
     

    1. 18 or older and under 50;
       
    2. physically and mentally fit; and

      NOTE: For the purpose of this provision, persons "physically or mentally unfit" does not refer solely to those persons disabled   based on the disability definition contained in the Definition of Common Terms section. (See Appendix.) If the individual does not receive disability benefits and the claimed disability is not evident, a written statement from a medically-qualified source which supports the extent of the claimed disability will be considered verification for this provision.    
       

      Persons working with Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation and attending an institution of higher education are considered "physically or mentally unfit" for purposes of this provision. They can participate in the Food Assistance Program, if otherwise eligible without meeting the student criteria in 2531.
       

    3. enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education shall be ineligible to participate in the Food Assistance Program unless that person meets at least one of the 7 qualifying conditions given in 2531. An individual is considered to be enrolled in an institution of higher education if 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 if 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 required.
       
  2. Persons 17 or under or 50 or over, persons physically and mentally unfit for employment, high school students, persons participating in on-the-job training, persons not attending school at least half-time, or persons enrolled full-time in schools, training programs or courses not considered institutions of higher education do not have to meet one of the qualifying conditions of 2531. In addition, persons attending institutions of higher education through the Work Investment Act (WIOA) do not have to meet one of the qualifying conditions.

 

2531 Student Participation Criteria - No person described in 2530 (1) may participate in the Food Assistance Program unless that person meets at least one of the following criteria:

 

  1. is employed for a minimum of 80 hours a month (an average of 20 hours per week when divided by 4) and paid for that employment; or, if self-employed, works a minimum of 80 hours a month (an average of 20 hours per week) and earns at least 80 times the federal minimum wage each month (To find the current minimum wage click this link, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage, then scroll down and click on ‘What is the Minimum Wage?’);
     
  2. approved to participate in a federal or state financed work study program during the regular school year;
     

    NOTE: To qualify under this provision, the student must be approved for work study and the student must anticipate actually working during the school term. Eligibility under this criterion shall begin with the month in which work study is approved . Once begun, eligibility shall continue until the end of the month in which the school term ends, or it becomes known that the student has refused a work study assignment. Eligibility under this criterion also continues during vacation and break periods if the student will continue work study after the break. See 2532.
     

  3. is receiving cash benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Families (TANF) Program;
     
  4. is responsible for the care of a dependent child under the age of 6;
     
  5. is responsible for the care of a dependent child who has reached the age of 6 but is under age 12 when it has been determined that adequate child care is not available to enable the individual to attend class and work 20 hours per week or participate in a work study program; (In other words, the student cannot work 20 hours per week to meet the criteria of item (1) because adequate child care is not available.)
     

    NOTE: For the purpose of this provision, if the student has to go outside of their home to find child care, then they are not considered to have adequate child care. In two parent situations, the other parent must be available and capable of providing child care for it to be considered adequate. Others in the household such as older siblings and grandparents are not considered available and capable of providing care (even though they may actually be providing the care), when evaluating this criteria. It does not matter whether they pay for the child care or not.

     
  6. is enrolled full-time in an institution of higher education and is a single parent with responsibility for the care of dependent child under age 12 (regardless of the availability of adequate child care).

  7. is participating in an employment and training program for low-income households 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 food assistance employment and training program component. The Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Project (KHPOP) meets this requirement.

 

NOTE: For the purposes of (4), (5) and (6) of this provision, in defining responsibility of students for dependent children, the worker shall determine whether the student is responsible for the actual physical care of the dependent child. In addition, when the responsibility is shared, only one person may claim this eligibility criteria as the primary person responsible for the care of the dependent child.

 

Students governed by 2530 (1) who meet at least one of these criteria may participate in the Food Assistance Program if otherwise eligible. Students governed by 2530 (1) who do not meet at least one of these qualifications may not participate as a household member. Students who are not subject to this policy (explained in 2530 (2)) may also participate in the Food Assistance Program if otherwise eligible.

 

See the KEES User Manual for further information on system processing.

 

2532 Student Status During Vacations and Break Periods - The enrollment status of a student shall begin on the first day of the school term. A student covered by 2530 (1) will retain student status during normal periods of class attendance, summer vacations, and semester breaks unless the student graduates, is suspended or expelled, drops out, or does not intend to register at least half-time for the next regular school term (excluding summer school).

 

This continuation of student status during vacations and semester breaks means that a qualified student (one who meets at least one condition listed in 2531) will continue to receive benefits while on vacation or break as long as one of these conditions is met. Those students who do not meet any one of the conditions in 2531 during the regular school term will remain ineligible during vacation and breaks unless one of the conditions is met during the vacation or break period.

 

2533 Income, Resources, and Deductions of Ineligible Students - Refer to 5200 (6) and 6510 (2)(c) and 6520 (2)(c).

 

2534 Reserved