One of my biggest graduate school regrets is not applying for CalFresh sooner. As we all know, the heavy weight of our student debt continues to haunt us the next 2-4 years of school. Therefore, anything we can do to help alleviate that is a blessing. In this blog post, I’ll briefly explain the CalFresh program, go over eligibility requirements and the application process. Who doesn’t love free money?!
What is the CalFresh Program?
The CalFresh Program was built for low income individuals and households to encourage the consumption of healthy and nutritional food. In other words, this program is great for students who are accumulating debt, drowning in schoolwork, and need help getting food on their table. Money is deposited monthly into a plastic card called the California EBT Card, and can be used at most grocery stores in the area as if it were a debit or credit card. It’s a great idea to call ahead and ask if the stores take CalFresh (synonyms include Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP). Stores like H-Mart, Whole Foods, Ralphs/Albertsons accept food stamps!
How do I know if I’m eligible?
- The people in your home
- The money you get from a job or other places
- Your housing costs like rent, mortgage, and utilities
- Some of the things you own
- A few of your other bills
How do I apply?
While you can complete your application on the phone or in person, the easiest way to do it is by completing the 10 minute online application at https://www.getcalfresh.org/en/apply. After submitting your application, you must be PATIENT. It can take weeks for a response, so please submit your application AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Please note that submitting your application may NOT be the final step. It is possible that a county worker may call for more information or clarification, so pay attention to strange phone calls!
Now that I have my card, what do I buy?
After you have your card, you will receive a separate letter in the mail with your PIN. Once you receive that, you may start using your card as you please! I’m slowly learning what can be purchased and what cannot, but I’ve noticed that any food items with nutritional facts are usually fair game. This includes groceries (organic included!), snacks, and even seeds/plants that will produce food. Products like tobacco, alcohol, prepared foods, and vitamins however cannot be purchased with your food stamps.
A list of eligible food items can be found here https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items.
My three biggest tips:
- Make an online account ASAP at https://www.mybenefitscalwin.org/
- Here you can track your spending and easily update your case IN A TIMELY MANNER if there’s any changes (household size, income, etc.)
- Report if someone moves in or out of your household
- Financial changes like income, rent, savings, or child support
- I failed to do this early on, and got really behind because of snail mail. Online is the way to go! You can easily check your notifications here in case your social worker needs updates on your case as well. PLEASE report any changes IMMEDIATELY, because a delayed report can prevent distribution of funds for months, meaning loss money.
- Here you can track your spending and easily update your case IN A TIMELY MANNER if there’s any changes (household size, income, etc.)
- Download the Fresh EBT - Food Stamp Balance App
- Not only can you track your balance, spending history, and even view affordable recipes, you can also look on a map to see nearby stores and farmer’s markets that accept food stamps!
- Carry your CalFresh card everywhere, because you can get DISCOUNTS
- There are statewide discounts in California for those who have CalFresh. I’ll list some of the awesome ones below, but feel free to use this website https://lowincomerelief.com/california-ebt/ to check out exciting things to do in Los Angeles County as well!
- Discounted Amazon Prime memberships for customers who receive CalFresh or Medicaid
- Internet discounts from providers such as AT&T, Cox Communications, etc.
- Discounted cell phones and services
- There are statewide discounts in California for those who have CalFresh. I’ll list some of the awesome ones below, but feel free to use this website https://lowincomerelief.com/california-ebt/ to check out exciting things to do in Los Angeles County as well!
I hope you all enjoyed this really condensed version of what the CalFresh program is all about. I encourage you all to apply right away, as in right now after reading this post, because it’s very likely that you’re eligible! The worst that can happen is that you learn why you aren’t eligible, thus giving you the window of opportunity to apply if circumstances change. Please stay on top of your case, and check frequently for new updates on the website where you created your online account. Good luck with your studies, you can do it!