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Michigan
low-income
college
students
enrolled
in
career
and
technical
education
programs
can
apply
for food
assistance
Benefits
available
to
Perkins
program
enrollees
LANSING,
MI –
Michigan
students
in
college
career
and
technical
education
programs
are
reminded
they are
now
eligible
to
receive
food
assistance
if they
meet
other
eligibility
requirements.
The
Michigan
Departments
of Labor
and
Economic
Opportunity
(LEO)
and
Health
and
Human
Services
(MDHHS)
are
encouraging
students
to apply
for food
assistance
benefits
online
at
Michigan.gov/MIBridges.
LEO
and
MDHHS
developed
this new
initiative
in 2020
to
address
rising
food
insecurity
among
students
that has
been
made
worse by
COVID-19.
Close to
16,000
low-income
college
students
in
Michigan
who are
enrolled
in
career
and
technical
education
(CTE)
programs
are
eligible
to
receive
food
assistance
benefits
through
the
federal
Supplemental
Nutrition
Assistance
Program
(SNAP).
“As
many CTE
students
are back
on their
campuses,
what
better
time to
encourage
them to
take
advantage
of
critical
resources
that
will
support
their
lives as
they
prepare
for
high-demand,
critical
job
openings,”
said LEO
Acting
Director
Susan
Corbin.
“These
SNAP
benefits
will
help
them
focus on
their
educational
needs
and
prepare
for a
successful
future.”
Previously,
college
students
enrolled
in
qualifying
CTE
programs
who
attended
school
at least
half-time
could
not
qualify
for SNAP
benefits,
even if
they met
income
eligibility
requirements,
unless
they
fell
into
certain
categories
such as
working
at least
20 hours
per
week,
caring
for a
child,
or being
unable
to work.
“MDHHS
was
already
working
to help
more
people
put
nutritious
food on
the
table
prior to
the
pandemic,”
said
MDHHS
Director
Elizabeth
Hertel.
“COVID-19
made
this
priority
even
more
critical.
Due to
the
pandemic,
many
students
lost
their
jobs. As
a
result,
they
lost
their
SNAP
eligibility
through
no fault
of their
own.”
College
students
in
Michigan
are
eligible
for SNAP
if they
meet
income
and
other
program
requirements
and are
enrolled
at least
half-time
in an
occupational
program
that
leads to
employment
under
the
Strengthening
Career
and
Technical
Education
for the
Twenty-First
Century
Act of
2018
known as
Perkins
V.
Additionally,
CTE
college
students
who
enroll
in SNAP
can take
advantage
of an
additional
payment
provided
each
month
until
June,
which
amounts
to an
extra
15% to
help
recipients
affected
by the
COVID-19
pandemic.
The
Perkins
Postsecondary
Career
and
Technical
Education
Program
provides
funding
to 28
community
colleges,
three
public
universities
and one
tribal
college
to
support
pathways
to
high-wage,
high-skilled,
and
in-demand
careers
that
require
less
than a
bachelor’s
degree.
Those
institutions
offer
more
than
3,600
qualifying
programs,
offering
a
certificate
or
associate’s
degree
to
careers
in
fields
such as
information
technology,
health
care,
hospitality
and
manufacturing.
There
are
nearly
90,000
students
enrolled
in these
programs
in
Michigan.
Some of
those
students
may
already
be
receiving
food
assistance
benefits,
while
others
will
become
eligible
for this
new
opportunity.
For
anyone
currently
enrolled
in a
Perkins
program
with an
existing
food
assistance
case who
has
experienced
a loss
of
income,
their
MDHHS
caseworker
will
determine
Perkins
program
status
to
ensure
the
benefits
are
correct.
Any
Perkins
student
who
wants to
apply
for food
assistance
should
provide
documentation
from
their
school
that
outlines
their
major
and
program
or
course
of study
to
assist
in
determining
their
eligibility
for
SNAP.
Examples
could
include
a proof
of
registration
and a
document
showing
their
major,
program,
or
course
of
study. A
caseworker
will use
that
information
to
determine
eligibility.
Students
interested
in
applying
for food
assistance
can go
to
Michigan.gov/MIBridges.
Verification
of
enrollment
in a
Perkins
program
must be
provided
by the
student
or may
be
requested
from the
postsecondary
institution.
Learn
more
about
the
Perkins
Postsecondary
CTE
Program
at
Michigan.gov/LEO-Perkins.
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