Delaware benefits for college students
What Delaware students can get beyond financial aid: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance, Delaware 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
Food assistance: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Delaware's name for SNAP, run by Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Social Services (DSS). 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: Delaware Medicaid
Delaware has expanded Medicaid, so adults with low incomes, students included, can qualify based on income. All your health coverage options →
Child care help: Purchase of Care
Going to college or training counts as an approved activity in this state. Delaware's CCDF State Plan (FFY 2025-2027) counts attending an educational program as a qualifying activity: adult high school diploma/GED, one-year diplomas (36 credit hours), two-year degrees and four-year degrees (short 12-18 credit certificate programs are not checked). Parents can qualify through education and training without also having to work. There is a 20-hour minimum for work and for job training, but no minimum hours are listed for education. Families must be at or below 225% of the federal poverty level and children must be under 13.
Phone and internet: Lifeline
We found no extra state Lifeline discount on Delaware's official pages, so the federal discount applies. Who qualifies →
Taxes
Delaware residents who get the federal EITC can choose either a refundable credit of 4.5% of the federal credit or a nonrefundable credit of 20% of it, figured on DE Schedule II (PIT-RSS). Delaware's Division of Revenue lets residents file their state personal income tax return online free at tax.delaware.gov, with no income requirements. Free VITA tax help is also listed.
Delaware Earned Income Tax Credit · Free state filing · Federal education tax credits → · Free federal filing →
Keep looking
We explain programs; Delaware's agencies decide who gets them. Spot something wrong? Tell us.