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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 2

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 3 Chapter 2 Common Eligibility Requirements

2.2.1.B Institutional Status An individual must not be a resident of a public or private institution. An individual is considered a resident of an institution when: • The institution provides more than 50% of his three daily meals for a 7 day week including weekends (21 total weekly meals), as part of the institution's normal services. Institution Example: A school dormitory is considered an institution. Therefore, any student who resides in a school dormitory and receives the majority of his meals (21 total weekly meals in a 7 day period), from the institution’s meal plan is ineligible to participate in SNAP. This includes, but is not limited to, colleges and military and boarding schools, even when the student returns home for weekends. ____________________________________________________________________________ Note: A student cannot be denied SNAP benefits simply because the applicant lives on campus and/or participates in a meal plan at an institution of higher education. The worker must determine the scope of an applicant’s meal plan to determine SNAP eligibility. The worker must ask the student the details of the meal plan and ask students for clarification if it is unclear how many meals they receive from the plan. If the situation is not questionable, student attestation may be accepted. Refer to section 3.2.1.E.1 regarding Student Eligibility Based on Meal Plans for further guidance. ____________________________________________________________________________ • The institution has not been authorized to accept SNAP benefits. The following groups are exempt from this policy: • Narcotic addicts or alcoholics who reside at a facility or treatment center under the supervision of a drug or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program. See Chapter 16 for specific instructions for these groups. • Individuals who reside in a Group Living Facility (GLF). See Chapter 3 and Chapter 16 for the definition of a GLF and for instructions regarding which residents of a GLF qualify. • Residents of shelters for battered persons and their children. The facility must be a public or private non-profit facility that: o Exclusively serves battered persons and their children; o Sets aside a portion of the facility, on a long-term basis, to shelter battered persons and their children; and o Is a residence, not simply a place to eat meals. See Chapter 3 and Chapter 16.