CalWORKs Students and Financial Aid
From CalWORKs | Welfare Resources
Contents |
Your Rights
- Does Financial Aid Count?
- You must always report your income, whether it counts against your grant or not.
- Most student financial aid doesn’t count against your grant or food stamps.
- Any Title IV funds, undergraduate grants by the Federal Secretary of Education or based on need, loans with a written repayment agreement, and federal Work-study do not count at all.
- Other types of financial aid, such as private scholarship money, are counted except if used to meet educational expenses, such as tuition, books, fees, equipment, etc.
- You must document these costs for the county.
- State Work-Study doesn’t count against CalWORKs, does count against Stamps unless you show it’s used for school expenses.
- What Are Education Expenses?
- Think of any possible school expense! For example, child care for study time, transportation to study groups, general reference books, etc.
- For Food Stamps, you can’t count everyday living expenses, such as rent, personal clothing, or food eaten at home.
- Verification
- Report any financial aid on your income report. You may have to turn in proof.
- By law, the school can’t give out any student information unless they have your permission.
- Support Services
- The county can ask if you want to use your financial aid for supportive services. It cannot deny or reduce your CalWORKs supportive services if you say the financial aid is not available for these needs.
- CalWORKs supportive services should cover what you need to do your training, but may not cover everything you want. For example, it only pays for the least expensive transportation (usually a bus pass).
- You can use financial aid for other important needs (such as books that are recommended but not required; or child care for hours the student is studying), and leave the CalWORKs supportive services to pay for the things that it will cover.
- Just Say "No!"
- The county must have your permission to count your financial aid as meeting a support services need.
- Just check “no” on the WTW 8 form. Unless the financial aid award clearly limits how you can spend the money, you don’t have to use it in the way estimated by the school. You just have to use it for the general purpose of the grant or award.
- Example: The award estimates $600 for rent and $400 on books. You can use it all for your housing costs, and have CalWORKs pay for your books.
- If you already gave permission to use your financial aid for CalWORKs support services, you can always change your mind. Just ask for a new WTW 8 form and check “No.”
Solving Problems
- Get the list of financial aid that doesn’t count against your aid from your worker.
- Ask the college to help you prove the source of the money.
- Turn in a written list all your educational expenses.
- If you get a loan, put in writing how you will repay it.
- Loans can be from family or friends.
- All that matters is if you agreed to repay the loan. If you fail to make payments, this is between you and the person who loaned you the money, as long as the agreement was not a fraud.
- Problems? Ask for a state hearing! Fill out the back of any Notice of Action or call (800) 952-5253.
Need More Help?
For more legal help and information, you can use LawHelpCalifornia to contact a local legal advocate.
