Need Extra Money For Food? 

If you need financial assistance to buy groceries, the CalFresh program can help. It is a nutrition assistance program sponsored by USDA that helps people purchase healthy foods. Benefits are loaded on an EBT card, which functions like a debit card that can be used at most grocery stores and participating local Farmer's Markets throughout Santa Clara County. Homeless, elderly, or disabled persons may purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants with their EBT cards. 

Effective June 1, 2019, SSI/SSP recipients in California are also eligible for CalFresh benefits, provided all other eligibility requirements are met.

Register for Cal Fresh
Turkey Giveaway

CalFresh Student Ambassadors

Questions about CalFresh, Student Exemption Eligibility, or Assistance with completing your CalFresh application? Are you in one of the following programs:

  1. ASPIRE
  2. Enlace
  3. EOPS
  4. Foster Youth
  5. Umoja Affirm

We have CalFresh Student Ambassadors that can help! CalFresh Student Ambassadors can also be found in the following offices:

  1. EVC First Stop Shop
  2. Financial Aid

Drop-In Services 

Questions about CalFresh, Student Exemption Eligibility, or Assistance with completing your CalFresh application? We can help!

Contact: Fresh Assistance Center 

Location: AR-120

 

Drop-in CalFresh Hours are also available inside of the EVC FRESH Market:

       Mondays & Wednesdays:

          1:30 pm-3:30 pm

Student Exemptions

For CalFresh purposes any student who is age 18 through 49; physically and mentally fit for employment, and enrolled at least half-time is determined ineligible to participate in CalFresh unless the student meets the criteria for at least one of the exemptions found below:

  • Approved for work-study
  • Not half-time or more due to taking non-credit courses
  • TANF-funded Cal Grant A or B
  • Working 20 hours/week or a total of 80 hours/month
  • Disabled or physically or mentally unable to work
  • Does not expect to be enrolled next term
  • Responsible for the care of a dependent under age 6
  • Responsible for the care of a dependent under 12 without adequate childcare
  • Single parent responsible for the care of a dependent under 12
  • Receiving CalWORKs or Tribal TANF
  • Part of a Local Program that Increases Employability (LPIE)
  • Is age 17 or younger or age 50 or older
  • Participating in an on-the-job training program
  • Temporary Exemptions (only in effect during the federal COVID Public Health Emergency)
  • Eligible for work-study
  • $0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

More information on each exemption can be found in ACL 20-08 and ACL 21-11

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs

Did you know that students enrolled in a Local Program that Increases Employability (LPIE) can receive a student exemption? Certain Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs here at EVC can be exempt as part of LPIE. Check out EVC's list of academic programs below:

Examples of CTE Program Exemptions include:

Accounting
Administration of Justice
Advanced Manufacturing
Automotive Programs
General Business
Nursing 
....and more

For a full list of eligible CTE Degrees and Certificates, please contact fresh@evc.edu

More information on each exemption can be found in ACL 20-08 and ACL 21-11