Graduate Program Exemptions

What are Graduate Program Exemptions?

Being on the exempted list means that graduate students enrolled in these programs could be eligible for CalFresh benefits without having to meet the hourly work requirement though they must meet CDSS income guidelines. Under CDSS guidelines, these programs have been deemed to increase the employability of participants after graduation.

“In order for a program to be approved as a Local Program that Increases Employability, the program must contain an ongoing Employment and Training (E&T)-like component and the students participating in the program must be required to participate in the component. Programs which contain only optional components, drop-in services, or one-time workshops, will not be approved. Examples of qualifying components are internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, or continuous workshops that teach interviewing skills, resume writing, and job searching. Please refer to 7 CFR 273.7(e)(1) for more on E&T components.” 

Approved UCSC Exempted Programs List

• M.A./C Education
• M.S. Chemistry
• M.S. Coastal Science Policy
• M.S. Ocean Sciences
• M.S. Science Communication
• Ph.D. Politics
• Ph.D. Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Ph.D. Chemistry
• Ph.D. Environmental Studies
• Ph.D. Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology
• Ph.D. Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology
• Ph.D. Ocean Sciences
• Ph.D. Biomedical Science & Engineering: Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, & Biophysics (CB3)
• Ph.D. Biomedical Science & Engineering: Microbial Biology & Pathogenesis (MICRO)
• Ph.D. Biomedical Science & Engineering: Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology (MCD)
• Ph.D. Literature

My Program Is Listed Here. What Now?

If your program is listed above, use the hyperlink to access a PDF of the confirmation email for your program. This information may be requested of you for your CalFresh Application. We recommend that you download it and save it in a file with the rest of your required documents.

Visit the “How To Apply” page for more information. 

Can't Find Your Program? Here’s Why.

Over Summer 2021, our CFOP team went through the degree requirements of all 73 graduate programs offered at UCSC and using the CDSS guidelines, we applied for exemption on behalf of graduate programs whose degree requirements met CDSS requirements. If you don't see your program listed above we may have found that your program’s degree requirements do not meet CDSS guidelines. We will continue our efforts to assess graduate programs and reapply if they meet CDSS criteria. 

Questions or concerns? Email calfresh@ucsc.edu.