Alaska benefits for college students
What Alaska students can get beyond financial aid: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance, Alaska Medicaid health coverage, child care help, phone and internet discounts and tax credits, with each program's own rules and application. Each section links to the full rules.
Checked against official sources October 11, 2026. Some details were still changing when we checked, so confirm on the official page.
Food assistance: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Alaska's name for SNAP, run by Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance. If you are enrolled at least half-time, you need a student exemption to qualify, such as working 20 hours a week, work-study or caring for a young child. If you are enrolled less than half-time, the student rule does not apply and only the regular SNAP rules do. See every exemption →
Health coverage: Alaska Medicaid
Alaska has expanded Medicaid, so adults with low incomes, students included, can qualify based on income. All your health coverage options →
Child care help: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) - Parents Achieving Self Sufficiency (PASS)
Going to college or training counts as an approved activity in this state. Families can get help so parents can work, attend school, or take part in job training. For PASS II and PASS III (families not on Temporary Assistance) the parent must be employed or in an eligible job training or educational activity. Care covers class time plus one hour per credit hour each week for study, labs or required tutoring.
Apply for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) - Parents Achieving Self Sufficiency (PASS) · Help on campus (CCAMPIS) →
Phone and internet: Lifeline
We found no extra state Lifeline discount on Alaska's official pages, so the federal discount applies. Who qualifies →
Taxes
Alaska has no state Earned Income Tax Credit. Alaska has no individual income tax, so there is no state income tax return to file.
Free state filing · Federal education tax credits → · Free federal filing →
Keep looking
We explain programs; Alaska's agencies decide who gets them. Spot something wrong? Tell us.