Virginia benefits for college students
What Virginia students can get beyond financial aid: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance, Cardinal Care (Virginia 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)
Virginia's name for SNAP, run by Virginia Department of Social 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 →
VDSS has a 'SNAP for College Students' page. It defines a student as someone enrolled at least half-time in higher education (colleges/universities, and business, technical, trade or vocational schools that usually require a high school diploma). It says the temporary pandemic exemptions (work-study eligibility alone, or a $0 Expected Family Contribution) ended June 10, 2023; students must now be actively participating in a state or federally funded work-study program to use that exemption. It lists no Virginia-specific exempt programs.
Apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) · Virginia's page for students
Health coverage: Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid)
Virginia 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 Subsidy Program
Going to college or training counts as an approved activity in this state. Virginia's basic eligibility list includes 'Participating in an education or training program' as its own qualifying activity, alongside work or job search, VIEW, and SNAP Employment and Training. The public page gives no hours minimum or degree-level limit. Many localities have waitlists (since July 1, 2024).
Apply for Child Care Subsidy Program · Help on campus (CCAMPIS) →
Phone and internet: Lifeline
We found no extra state Lifeline discount on Virginia's official pages, so the federal discount applies. Who qualifies →
Taxes
If you qualified for the federal EITC you can claim a refundable Virginia credit equal to 20% of it (or instead a non-refundable version or the Credit for Low Income Individuals, whichever helps most), but not if someone else claimed you as a dependent on their Virginia return. Virginia Tax lists Free File options: private software partners that let you file your Virginia return free if you meet each company's income/age/military limits (for example, federal AGI of $41,000 or less for one option). Others may file free through some approved software vendors.
Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit · Free state filing · Federal education tax credits → · Free federal filing →
Keep looking
We explain programs; Virginia's agencies decide who gets them. Spot something wrong? Tell us.