MDHHS offers many programs to assist you in accomplishing your educational goals including:
Food Assistance/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP can provide extra support that ensures you will be able to buy groceries and
not have to choose between a meal and school expenses. This line of support can make
a big difference in being able to afford your education and stay nourished. SNAP is
an entitlement program. This means if you receive SNAP, you are not taking benefits
away from “someone who needs it more.” Everyone who is found eligible always receives
the full benefit they are entitled to by law.
Students can get Food Assistance as long as you:
- meet eligibility requirements: Michigan Food Assistance Program (FAP) income limits such as the income limits. Your financial aid and/or work-study earnings are not
counted. NOTE: If you are 22 or younger and live at home with your parent(s), they
must be included in the FAP group and their income must be considered when determining
your eligibility.
- and, do not have a meal plan or you have a meal plan that provides 15 or fewer meals
per week averaged over the course of a semester.
- and, qualify for at least one of the following student exemptions:
Exemptions based on enrollment status
- Enrolled in school less than half-time, as determined by your school; or
- Attending a school or training program that is not an institution of higher education,
meaning a school (or special curriculum at a college) which doesn’t require you have
a high school diploma or GED to enroll.
- A Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program
- Enrolled under the Perkins Strengthening Career and Technical and Education Act.
- Physically or mentally unfit for employment
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Exemptions based on being a parent or caretaker
- Receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
- Caring for a child under age 6;
- Providing more than half of the physical care for a child age 6-11 if childcare is
unavailable and the local office has determined adequate childcare is not available
or
- Single parent caring for a child aged 6-11 AND going to school full-time.
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Exemptions based on work or training
- Working 20 hours per week and paid for such employment
- Self- Employment for at least an average of 20 hours a week and earning an average
weekly income at least equivalent to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours
- Participating in a work-study program, regardless of hours or earnings;
- Participating in an on-the-job-training program; or
- Enrolled in school through certain workforce development programs.
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Child Care
The goal of the program is to support low-income families with access to high-quality,
affordable and accessible early learning and development opportunities and assist
you in achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency.
Childcare can be approved for one or more of these need reasons at the same time.
- Employment – you may qualify for childcare assistance for up to 40 hours per work week. Additional
hours can be allotted for travel to and from work as well.
- High School Completion – child care assistance can be obtained when enrolled part-time or full-time in classes
that lead to a high school diploma or its equivalent. In addition to the hours of
instruction, hours for study also can be included. Every hour of class is afforded
an hour of study time. For example, if you attend 10 hours of instruction a week you
can qualify for 20 hours of childcare assistance.
- Approved Activity – This can include pre-approved employment preparation, employment training programs
and post-secondary education. As with high school completion, post-secondary education
study hours can also be included.
- Family Preservation – Childcare may be approved for a child whose parent/guardian is participating in
a court-ordered activity, participating in a treatment program, being treated by a
physician, educational or employment need that is part of the child protective services/foster
care services case plan.
Cash Assistance
Temporary cash assistance is available for eligible pregnant women and low-income
families with minor children. State Disability Assistance (SDA) provides cash assistance
to eligible disabled adults. If you are the caretaker of a disabled person or are
age 65 or older, you may be eligible for SDA.
State Emergency Relief (SER)
Immediate help may be available if you are facing conditions of extreme hardship or
emergencies threatening your health and safety. Emergency support is designed to
maintain low-income households that are normally able to make ends meet but occasionally
need help when unexpected emergency situations arise.
Healthcare
Medicaid is a government-funded program that provides health coverage to qualified,
low-income Michigan residents, including families with children and pregnant people,
medically needy individuals, the elderly and people with disabilities. You might also
get help paying for medical bills that you have acquired up to three months before
you applied for Medicaid. To receive help with past medical expenses, you must apply separately for past medical bill coverage.
Currrent OCC students can get started by completing the intake form and someone will respond to you with
in 48-hours.
Intake form MDHHS FERPA