A-1610, Eligibility Requirement

Revision 19-1; Effective January 1, 2019

TANF

The following persons must attend school full time if they do not have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED):

  • An eligible dependent child age 6 to 18 living with a caretaker or a second parent
  • A teen parent younger than 19, even if disqualified

A child who is age 6 on or before Sept. 1 of the current school year must attend school.

Example 1: If a child turns age 6 on Aug. 31, school attendance must be verified at the next complete review on or after Sept. 1.

Example 2: If a child turns age 6 on Sept. 2, verification of school attendance is not required at the next complete review on or after Sept. 1, and no penalty should be imposed for not attending school.

If a child or teen parent who is home-schooled is attending school, the parent's statement that the child attends school at home is acceptable.

TANF

A child age 18, in school (high school, technical, or vocational) full time, and expected to graduate before or in the month of the student’s 19th birthday is eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through the month of graduation.

A child who will not graduate until after the month of the student’s 19th birthday is not eligible after the month of the student’s 18th birthday.

Age In School? Graduation Month Eligible?
16 or 17 Yes N/A Yes
16 or 17 No N/A Yes
18 Yes Before or in the same month as 19th birthday Yes, until graduation
18 Yes After 19th birthday No, not after month of 18th birthday
18 No N/A No
Over 19 N/A N/A No

SNAP and Medical Programs except TP 08 and TA 31

School attendance requirements are not applicable for these programs. For the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), if a child younger than 18 works and is in school, the child's earned income may be excluded. See A-1323.1, Children's Earned Income.

TP 08 and TA 31

School attendance requirements only apply when the only dependent child(ren) of a parent or caretaker relative applying for TP 08 or TA 31 is(are) age 18 at application and redetermination.

A child(ren) age 18 meets the school attendance requirements through the month of graduation when they:

  • attend school in any of the following educational settings:
    • high school;
    • technical school;
    • vocational school;
    • trade school; or
    • home school;
  • attend school full time; and
  • are reasonably expected to graduate before or in the month of the student’s 19th birthday.

The parent or caretaker relative is eligible for TP 08 or TA 31 through the month the child graduates if they meet all other eligibility criteria. A child who will not graduate until after the month of the student’s 19th birthday is not considered a dependent child after the month of the student’s 18th birthday.

Example 1: If there are two dependent children, one child is age 6 and the other child is age 18, and their parent is applying for TP 08, school attendance requirements do not apply to the child who is age 18 since there is another dependent child, age 6, for the TP 08 parent or caretaker relative to claim.

Example 2: If there are two dependent children both age 18 and their parent is applying for TP 08, school attendance requirements apply to both children because both children are age 18 and there are no other dependent children for the TP 08 parent or caretaker relative to claim.