Pennsylvania benefits for college students

Food assistance: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Pennsylvania's name for SNAP, run by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. 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 →

DHS has a page for college students. Financial aid and work-study earnings are not counted as income; if you are 21 or younger and live at home with your parents, their income counts. You must have no meal plan, or one with 10 or fewer meals a week averaged over the semester, and meet a student exemption. Pennsylvania adds two state exemptions: (1) community college students in certain career-driven majors, verified by the school on the Community College Verification form (PA 1959); (2) students enrolled through a DHS-approved program that increases employability: TRIO Upward Bound, TRIO Student Support Services (University of Pittsburgh; PennWest California, Clarion and Edinboro only), TRIO McNair Scholars (University of Pittsburgh), Kessler Scholars (University of Pittsburgh), GEAR UP, ELECT, Title II Adult Basic Education, Chafee Education and Training Grant, Act 101 programs, and the Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterEd). DHS says the list will be updated as more programs are certified.

Apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) · Pennsylvania's page for students

Health coverage: Medical Assistance (Medicaid)

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

DHS says that under the federal work requirements starting January 1, 2027 for some expansion adults ages 19-64 without a child under 14, going to school at least part time meets the full requirement; attending less than half time can be combined with other activities to reach 80 hours a month. Each school decides a student's enrollment status.

Apply for Medical Assistance (Medicaid)

Child care help: Child Care Works (CCW)

Going to college or training can count, with limits. School alone is not enough for adults: each adult must work at least 20 hours a week, or work at least 10 hours a week and go to school or an approved training program at least 10 hours a week. Subsidized care hours must line up with work, education or training hours. Teen parents must be enrolled in an education program full-time. Income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines to enter.

Apply for Child Care Works (CCW) · Help on campus (CCAMPIS) →

Phone and internet: Lifeline

We found no extra state Lifeline discount on Pennsylvania's official pages, so the federal discount applies. Who qualifies →

Apply for Lifeline

Taxes

A new refundable state credit equal to 10% of your federal EITC; anyone who qualifies for the federal EITC and files both a federal Form 1040 and a PA-40 automatically qualifies. myPATH, the Department of Revenue's own system, lets you file your PA-40 state return free online (state return only). The Department also lists free e-file vendors for qualifying taxpayers.

Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit (WPTC) · Free state filing · Federal education tax credits → · Free federal filing →

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