do food stamps count as untaxed income?

[galoisien]

<p>If they’re restricted for a certain use, can it be really called income? I’ve googled this all over and found no answer.</p>

[swimcatsmom]

<p>Assuming you are talking about FAFSA then No</p>

<p>

Welfare benefits (including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF]). Enter the total amount of welfare benefits you (and your spouse) received, including TANF, in 2007. Report the amount you received for the year - not monthly amounts. Do not include the annual value of food stamps or subsidized housing.

</p>

<p>This is from
[Completing</a> the FAFSA 08-09/The Application Questions(1-31)](<a href=“http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2008_2009/ques.html]Completing”>http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2008_2009/ques.html)</p>

<p>which is the best source for answers to filling out FAFSA</p>

[galoisien]

<p>CSS profile, actually, when they ask for your other untaxed income…</p>

[swimcatsmom]

<p>No. It is in the css/profile instructions here
<a href=“https://ncprofile.collegeboard.com/ncpWeb/pageflows/NCP0809/Help/getHelpContent.do?relativePath=/profile/pdfs/0809_ncp_instructions.pdf[/url]”>https://ncprofile.collegeboard.com/ncpWeb/pageflows/NCP0809/Help/getHelpContent.do?relativePath=/profile/pdfs/0809_ncp_instructions.pdf&lt;/a&gt;

28c. Enter the total amount of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) you and your current spouse received for 2007; don’t report
monthly amounts. Don’t include food stamps or subsidized housing.

</p>

<p>That is in the non custodial parent instructions. Have a look at custodial parent instructions - it probably has the same info.</p>

[sblake7]

<p>BUT-- on FAFSA be sure to check “yes” to Q72 re: Food Stamps. This is a question designed to see if you meet an alternate criterion for Simplified Needs Test or Automatic Zero EFC (it’s a good thing aid-wise if you do).</p>

[garland]

<p>sblake–I’ve been coaching the students in my college program through their FAFSA’s, and I noticed it seems to have added a question this year in that section, concerning whether anyone in the family gets free lunch. Does that trigger the same criterion? (sure hope so, it’ll help quite a few of my students.) Thanks in advance, if you can help.</p>

[thumper1]

<p>I believe the free lunch question is also a “trigger” for the simplified needs test.</p>

[galoisien]

<p>I don’t mean the TANF line, I meant the “other untaxed income” line. I know food stamps don’t count for TANF, but is it counted as part of untaxed income?</p>

[sblake7]

<p>garland-</p>

<p>Yeah, this is new, courtesy of the Higher Education Reconciliation Act. If anyone in the “household” got food stamps, or was part of the federal reduced cost student lunch program, the family is considered eligible for the Simplified Needs Test or the Automatic Zero EFC because they received means-tested federal benefits (regardless of income).</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.tgslc.org/pdf/HERAHandoutSchool.pdf[/url]”>http://www.tgslc.org/pdf/HERAHandoutSchool.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[swimcatsmom]

<p>Galosien - for FAFSA they do not.</p>

<p>

Food stamps and other programs. Benefits received from federal, state or local governments from the following programs are not counted as untaxed income: the Food Stamp Program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Food Distribution etc etc

If you cannot find anything to the contrary for css/profile I would assume they do not for that either.</p>

[garland]

<p>Thanks, sblake. I’ll be vigilant about making sure they answer that accurately.</p>