Food stamps/ housing assistance for college students?

Question

my Bf and i currently live to gether in a rental house and are planning to get married in august. we are both in college have a very low income. he makes about 400$ every 2 weeks and i make about $100 a week. not much! but anyway we applied for food stamps and they told us we made to much money. we dont have any kids but... gas money, food and college is killing us.we are having to pay for school because we are still considered legal dependants of our parents even tho they dont claim us AND we dont live with them! anybody have any resources for us to help with money issues?credit cards only help so much... then they are maxed out .. like ours! and please dont say .. get a better job.. because if we could.. we wouldve already. there are no jobs here... everyone is laid off & feeling the strain of the economy right now. i just feel like there must be some resource for us.

Answer 1

What state do you live in?  You make $1000 a month, so according to the national charts I see you do qualify barely, unless you are talking about after taxes thats what you bring home.

You should get financial aid from school.  If you filed your taxes as independent, then you show them those and you will be an independent student.  I don't know if they have EOPS there, but where I live they pay for your books.  Try for scholarships too.  Also, instead of buying your books, you should be able to go to the school library and check out your book on reserve.  You cant take it home, but you can use it there for a couple hours.  Thats what I had to do because my books for nursing are a couple hundred dollars each

If you really dont qualify for food stamps, ask the office if you can get any housing assistance or at least help with the utilities.  Also, ask for some community referrals.  There should be soup kitchens, food banks, and churches in your area that can give food and clothes.

Maybe you can carpool to school and work...

Answer 2

If you are maried, you count as a family and income limits go higher.  Did you apply as married couple?  Did you ask how you can qualify?  Sometimes you can do a spenddown until you qualify.

There are heat assistance programs in most areas that will help with the heat bills.  

Check out the HUD website.  There are affordable housing communities that have low rent and the rent can't go up unless the economy improves.  Some of them are really nice; I lived in one for years while i was in school.

Once you are married, your parents can't claim you as dependents, and you can get financial aid much more easily.  

Apply as soon as you are married.

Also, look at your expenses.  Are there any changes you can make to save money?  Are you eating out or paying for all the extras on your cell phones?  Can you take public transit?

Above all; stop using credit cards immediately.  They will ruin you and keep you in debt for years.  Even the highest-interest student loan is better than a credit card to pay for expenses.

My husband and I were married college students making a lot less than you are, and we got by.  It was hard, but we managed and we have a lot of good memories of being creative to get by when we were so poor.  Good luck to you.

Answer 3

You could go to a local food bank. Also, several places will help you pay your utilities- call the DHS and you can get information on help in your area. In TX it's 211 and the automated menu will direct you to whatever you need.

Answer 4

i think you better apply for a housing assistance grants and food stamps. well you didnt mention where state you are living. so i think the best way to do is go to your nearest HUD for housing and  food and nutrition office for food stamps.

Answer 5

Don't know about housing. This might depend on where you live . .. . .

for food go online to www.angelfoodministries.com and see if they have a host site in your area. This is good food, cheap. For $30 you could eat for 2 weeks or so.

Hope it works out for you . . . .

Also . . . .did you file a tax return this year??? If so, you might get some of that stimulus $$$.  Just an idea.