Missouri benefits for college students

Food assistance: SNAP (Food Stamp Program)

Missouri's name for SNAP, run by Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division (FSD). 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 →

Missouri follows the federal student rules (its SNAP manual section 1135.025.00 lists the exemptions, such as working an average of 20 hours a week or being in a state or federal work-study program). Through 'DSS on Campus', run with the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, students, faculty and staff at participating colleges can apply for SNAP, MO HealthNet, child care and other benefits with an on-campus DSS social worker (participating schools include Lindenwood, Logan, Missouri Southern State, North Central Missouri College, Park, Rockhurst, Ozarks Technical Community College and STLCC-Forest Park; Harris-Stowe, STLCC-Florissant and STLCC-Meramec are listed as TBD).

Apply for SNAP (Food Stamp Program) · Missouri's page for students

Health coverage: MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid)

Missouri has expanded Medicaid, so adults with low incomes, students included, can qualify based on income. All your health coverage options →

Apply for MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid)

Child care help: Child Care Subsidy Program

Going to college or training can count, with limits. Families qualify if they need child care to work, look for work, take job training, or attend school, with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Under the eligibility manual, post-secondary study must be toward an undergraduate degree at a college or university offering associate's or bachelor's programs (or credits toward a specialty certification or transferable to such a school); online undergraduate programs count; post-graduate study does NOT count. Full-time students get full-time care; part-time students get part-time or half-time care; care can continue over normal school breaks.

Apply for Child Care Subsidy Program · Help on campus (CCAMPIS) →

Phone and internet: Lifeline

Missouri Universal Service Fund (MoUSF) Lifeline program: Missouri adds state support for Lifeline on landline and IVoIP voice service (not wireless): $18.75 a month for voice-only service, or $14.75 a month for voice bundled with qualifying broadband, paid to participating phone companies. Combined state and federal support can't exceed the company's local service rate plus subscriber line charge. A separate Disabled program exists for landline customers; you can't combine it with Lifeline. Who qualifies →

Apply for Lifeline (Missouri Universal Service Fund (MoUSF) Lifeline program)

Taxes

If you are allowed the federal EITC, Missouri gives a credit of 20% of it (tax year 2024 onward), but it is nonrefundable, so it only lowers Missouri tax you owe. Missouri has no state-run free filing tool listed; the Department of Revenue partners with Free File Alliance software (1040.com, 1040Now, FreeTaxUSA, OLT, TaxSlayer) so qualifying taxpayers can file federal and Missouri returns free (for 2025 returns, AGI limits from $32,000 to $89,000 depending on the provider, or EITC-eligible for TaxSlayer).

Missouri Working Family Tax Credit · Free state filing · Federal education tax credits → · Free federal filing →

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