Effective March 1, 2026, any grant, award, scholarship, loan or fellowship awarded for the purpose of attending an institution of higher education is excluded from consideration as income. These funds are excluded whether they are distributed to the institution of higher education, or the benefits recipient. This exemption does not apply to cash payments made directly by friends or relatives for the purpose of attending an institution of higher education. Verification is not required for CalFresh unless the income exclusion is questionable. [ACL 26-16.]
For recipients, counties must reevaluate eligibility and benefit calculations at their next SAR or annual recertification. Current recipients can make a voluntary mid-period request to recalculate their benefits with the new income exclusion. [Id.]