As a first year living on campus at UC Merced, I had a meal plan and had all of my meals on campus. I never had to worry about grocery shopping or cooking my meals. However, once I moved off campus, this became a reality for me. I quickly found out that cooking was time consuming and most importantly, grocery shopping was definitely not cheap. At the time, I didn’t have a job and was trying to survive off my refund check. Thankfully, that is when I research CalFresh. I took a couple minutes to make sure I was eligible, I applied and I instantly felt a sense of relief.
What is CalFresh?
So let’s back up a bit, and explain exactly what CalFresh is. Calfresh is a federally funded program, which provides supplemental income for purchasing food for qualifying households. Essentially, CalFresh is free money for your groceries.
CalFresh was exactly what I needed in my situation. Realizing how expensive groceries can be was a surprising realization and it took a toll on my budget. I come from a low-income community so CalFresh was nothing new to me. However, I never thought that as a college student, I could also receive those benefits.
Do I qualify?
As college students, we qualify for calfresh if you meet some requirements. Our UC Merced Basic Needs office has a great page that clearly lays out the process. Specific eligibility can be found on UC Merced Basic Needs eligibility page. You can also fill out a pre-screening that will help determine your eligibility.
If you meet those requirements, you are one step closer to your grocery money! There are special additional student qualifications that we must meet. However, you only need to meet one out of all of them. All of the student qualifications are also included in UC Merced Basic Needs calfresh page.
At this point in the process, I was very hopeful because I found myself meeting all of the general qualifications. Once I looked over the additional student qualifications, I found that I met some of those too.
What happens next?
Once determining whether you qualify or not (hopefully you do), the next step is pretty self explanatory. You apply! There are many ways to apply; online, in person and even with the help of Basic Needs CalFresh Advocates. However, the easiest way for me to apply at the time was online through the CalFresh website. The application is simply providing general information about yourself; your name, your living situation, student enrollment and any income information is just some of the information that will be asked. The whole application shouldn’t take any longer than 10 minutes to complete.
Once you get your application in, if the county has any questions they will contact you for clarification. Once I submitted my application, I was contacted to schedule a phone interview with a county worker. The interview only took about 15 minutes and I was essentially asked the same questions as the ones on the application. After my interview, I submitted a copy of my Financial Award letter online, to prove that I met one of the additional student requirements.
Once my documents were received, I went to the CalFresh office and picked up my EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card. This EBT card can be used like any other debit card at the grocery store. The amount awarded may differ for everyone, as it is based on income, household size and other factors.
Starving is not a requirement.
I actually recently recertified my benefits (this has to be done semi-annually). The process was a little bit more different simply because, thankfully, I am now employed. I simply had to provide my two most recent pay stubs and had my supervisor complete an employment verification form, which is simply them certifying that I am one of their employees.
Most students are likely to qualify for CalFresh and I highly encourage you all to check your eligibility. Being eligible does not mean that you need to be starving or not have access to any food. As college students, we could all use a little bit of assistance (especially with groceries) and the CalFresh program is here to do just that.
I applied for the CalFresh program when I was only a second year in college, when I was on my own for the first time in my life. I am now a fourth year and I am so thankful for this program, it has helped me put healthy, home cooked meals on my table and it can do the same for you.
Check your eligibility and apply today.
Our Basic Needs team is here to support you with all CalFresh questions! You can reach them at CalFreshOutreach@ucmerced.edu
Author:
Melissa Rodriguez
Bobcat Financial Coach
Melissa is a Bobcat Financial Coach alumna at the University of California, Merced. Read more about her here!
