Revision 13-3; Effective September 1, 2013

Educational assistance may be provided in many forms including:

  • Grants, scholarships, fellowships, and gifts
  • Assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Educational Benefits
  • Educational payments under AmeriCorps and the National Civilian Community Corps

F-8110 Grants, Scholarships and Fellowships

Revision 13-3; Effective September 1,2013

  • Any portion of a grant, scholarship, fellowship or gift used for paying educational expenses is excluded from income.
  • Any portion of a grant, scholarship, fellowship or gift that is not used to pay current educational expenses, but will be used for paying this type of educational expense at a future date, is excluded from income in the month of receipt.
  • Any portion not used for current educational expenses or set aside for future educational expenses is countable income in the month received and a countable resource the month after, if retained.

F-8120 Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or Bureau of Indian Affairs

Revision 13-3; Effective September 1, 2013

All financial assistance received under HEA or BIA is excluded from income and resources regardless of use. Interest and dividends earned on any unspent educational assistance under Title IV of HEA or under BIA also are excluded from income.
Examples of HEA Title IV Programs:

  • Pell grants
  • Academic Achievement Incentive Scholarships
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunities Grants (FSEOG)
  • Federal Educational Loans (Federal PLUS Loans, Perkins Loans, Stafford Loans, Ford Loans, etc.)
  • Upward Bound
  • LEAP (Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership)
  • SLEAP (Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership)
  • Work-study programs

Note: State educational assistance programs, including work-study, funded by LEAP or SLEAP are programs under Title IV of HEA.

F-8130 Department of Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits

Revision 13-3; Effective September 1, 2013

Payments made by VA to pay for tuition, books, fees, tutorial services or any other necessary educational expenses are excluded from income.

F-8140 AmeriCorps and the National Civilian Community Corps

Revision 13-3; Effective September 1, 2013

Effective with benefits payable on or after Sept. 1, 2008, cash or in-kind payments provided by AmeriCorps State and National or AmeriCorps NCCC are excluded from income, even if they meet the definition of wages.

Such payments include, but are not limited to:

  • Living allowance payments
  • Stipends
  • Food and shelter
  • Clothing allowance
  • Educational awards
  • Payments in lieu of educational awards.