Assistance for students

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Has anyone figured out if medical students are eligable for food stamps and medicaid? We now have a negaive income and are living on handouts. With increasing tuition and other associated bills we have less and less money with wich to live. As we have been paying into these programs for years, especially us older students, are we now able to reap some benefits?

I know I will be flamed but I wanted to know if anyone has actually explored this avenue so we can actaully have three meals a day with a solid roof over our heads while in school.

 

[cdreed]

There are students at my school who use Access- the Arizona version of Medicaid. But I do not know anyone with food stamps.

Because I grew up relatively poor, I have been on these programs as a child. If I remember correctly, I believe they just analyze your available income/student loans and decide if you qualify. Never hurts to apply if you really need the aid. That's what it's there for.

 

[cooldreams]

dood... wut the heck... why do u need to do that? didnt you apply for enough loans for all of that? normally the ppl that need that stuff cannot even get the loans... they truely are in need.

when ppl take advantage of the system, it hurts everyone......

 

[LP1CW]

when people take advantage of the system?????


Are you saying that most of the people that are on the system are in need? Most are probably people that could work. Medical students are truly in need. It's wrong for you to assume that a medical student isn't disadvantaged.

 

[UltimateDO]

You can probably score the medicare, don't know if PCOM will accept it as your student insurance though. Food stamps they take a look at your assets for and they might object to you owning a house and asking for the stamps.

 

[LovelyRita]

Has anyone figured out if medical students are eligable for food stamps and medicaid? We now have a negaive income and are living on handouts. With increasing tuition and other associated bills we have less and less money with wich to live. As we have been paying into these programs for years, especially us older students, are we now able to reap some benefits?

I know I will be flamed but I wanted to know if anyone has actually explored this avenue so we can actaully have three meals a day with a solid roof over our heads while in school.

Your question is competely legit. As an independent person, you will not be able to receive these benefits. You will have to learn to love PB&J and pasta. If you are married and your spouse doesn't work and you are trying to raise kids, you might qualify for medicaid and food stamps (I'm pretty sure). If you have a baby or young children, you can probably qualify for WIC. At your school there should be an auxillary club for spouses of students. They usually know all about this stuff...at least they do @ KCUMB.

Good luck!

 

[Heeed!]

I have a friend here at school that has a wife, 3 kids, and is on food stamps. They get about $500/month for food.

 

[cooldreams]

Your question is competely legit. As an independent person, you will not be able to receive these benefits. You will have to learn to love PB&J and pasta. If you are married and your spouse doesn't work and you are trying to raise kids, you might qualify for medicaid and food stamps (I'm pretty sure). If you have a baby or young children, you can probably qualify for WIC. At your school there should be an auxillary club for spouses of students. They usually know all about this stuff...at least they do @ KCUMB.

Good luck!

id agree that a family could use them at this point, but it seems the op is hinting at him only for the assistance...

 

[LovelyRita]

id agree that a family could use them at this point, but it seems the op is hinting at him only for the assistance...

Cooldreams who made you judge and jury of SDN? Relax.

 

[cooldreams]

my life experiences i suppose. i lived next door to 2 ppl for 5 years that were not married, may or may not have had kids together, but there were always like at least 5 kids running around in the street. they drove a jaguar and a big truck both looked brand new and an old cadillac. every so often (i.e. many times a week) i see some guy drive up and honk his horn about 2 or 3 times and a kid comes out... at night ive seen the same cars (too dark to tell who it is though) park in the street there and someone goes inside for some time (many different ppl)... they use medicare and food stamps, i know this because i have actually been in line at the store behind them before. i hate that. those are ppl who use the system... take advantage of it, without any concern for those around them. that is where i get off.................. 😡

im sorry, i just feel like im busting my butt all the time working 2 jobs and doing school, then to see some people take advantage of others gets to me... i guess that is my pet peeve.... im sure HNS is a good person and is not at all like that... i dunno... ill just shutup... the cops have since visited their house a few times with a van, so i guess there was something going on there and may even be a freak case... also, i guess if you apply for the aid, and the government gives it to you, who am i to disagree... obviously many other people thought you were deserving.... yea... ill just shutup 😛

 

[Mutterkuchen]

Unfortunately there are numberous students at my school who get both food stamps and medicaid. Mom, dad, and kid get about $500 per month. Then there's WIC, which gives milk, cheese, bread, etc. Gotta have an infant or be pregnant for that one though. They also get Medicaid for all 3.

All in all they get about 10,000 per year in gov't benefits that I have to pay for to support me and my spouse.

In order to qualify, since many had worked too, they had to spend down their assets. To qualify for medicaid and food stamps, you can't have more than $2000 or $3000 in cash assets. Some had no assets and others just spent most of the $5,000 $20,000 they had been saving over the years and keep the rest in cash in a safe in their houses.

 

[John Deere Gree]

If you are a single student looking at this avenue I cannot help but think you are abusing the system. There's a little piece in most student loans called "living expenses," which should include food.

 

[NCaggie]

I cant believe some of what I am reading. Do you not think that it is the responsibility of those that are able, to help those that are not? I know that there are those who take advantage of the system, however, THERE ARE those whoe TRULY NEED this assistance, and if i have to pay a few extra tax dollars so that a doctor can make it thgouh school and provide a service much greater than that which was given to him, then I am more than happy to help. If we continue to view things through the sterotypes we are constantly fed, then nothing will ever change. It is up to those of us who have made it to then turn and lift others to achievement!

 

[SpiritiualDuck]

If I qualified, I would apply for Medicaid. My insurance from the school is crazy expensive. The "living expense" that you're talking about is meager. My wife and I are both in school. So, I think we should be eligible for assistance. It's not money that we are spending right now. It's loan money, borrowed money. So, maybe when we help out people we should lend it to them. Welfare would be a loan, if not, then I think we should eligible for it too. Because the "living expense" is not that great once you take out fees, health insurance, and we pay rent, books, car insurance, etc. I know, I know, woe is us, but we've been paying into the system for a long time. We don't have parents that are capable of helping us.

 

[off2skl]

Some of you are claiming that this would be "cheating the system," etc. However, IF the applicant is not lying when applying for the aid and he gets aid through a loophole, whose fault is that? The government's. Even the rich use loopholes (trust funds, and the like to avoid inheritance penalties, etc). Is it technically right, no. Howeverm as long as there are loopholes there will be people who find a way through them.

Secondly, I would rather have aid go to a medical student who will be paying taxes back to society than aide going to able-bodied people who have somehow found a way to live off the system (and I am not talking about those with legitimate disabilities, but those who choose not to work, etc)

 

[cooldreams]

I AGREE OK. if the gov says shure... here ya go... fine you did it, several hundred law makers who were voted into office by several million people said yes you can do it.

is it technically right if you do not lie and you are accepted to get it YES. morally?? i dont know.. you would have to check to see how moral the loopholes are that you are refering to.

yes i also agree, i would like to see the money be going to someone who will try to contribute something back to society, BUT that is not the entire purpose for it now is it. as doctors we are supposed to help people how far you take that stance is your personal and moral decision. i feel if you NEED it and are then determined to be eligible for it, then yea you should get it and not think twice about it.

i guess i gotta look at it like, what if i were an er doc and donald trump came into my er with life threatening injury/illness, but for some reason he had no insurance and somehow i knew he was never going to pay me, does that mean i should not help him? no, of course not, i am technically required to help him. in this case i would be like the government giving aid to someone who technically can recieve it through whatever loop hole, and donald trump would be the jerk taking advantage of the system.

luckily there are not a huge number of ppl doing this or else the system would colapse (which strangely it does appear to be on the brink of anyways)... but i digress... if you file for it and get it, then its yours. if you ethically should be getting it, that is up to you and God... like was already intelligently pointed out, i am not judge/jury...

have a good weekend. 😉

 

[Mutterkuchen]

With the exception of 2 students or a single parent, what we are talking about here is a choice. People choose to be stay at home parents. Truthfully, I strongly support a parent staying home. But it is a choice, and a choice that the taxpayers should not have to pay for. I am married and my wife wants to stay home when we choose to have children. If she wants to do that, I fully support it. However, we have to pay the bills, and I am not williing to go on welfare, food stamps, etc. to fund my spouse's choice not to work. For that matter it might be better for our future children if neither of us work and spend our lives devoting all of our time to our children, living on government assistance.

To the OP--independent of my personal views, you can do this. Many students do and it is technically legal.