Excerpt:
DHS cuts off 18,000 college students from food stamps
By Todd A. Heywood | 02.09.11 | 1:03 pm
- View Comments
The Michigan Department of Human Services announced Wednesday that beginning in April college students will not be able to access food assistance programs, except in very limited situations.
Maura Corrigan, a former Michigan Supreme Court justice and director of DHS, issued a statement on the issue Wednesday morning. The program and the use of Bridge Cards by college students has come under withering criticism in recent weeks as a result of Republican lawmakers questioning the use of the federally funded program.
“We’re ready to extend a helping hand to any citizen who is truly in need – including college students who care for young children and are taking the right steps toward becoming self-sufficient,” Corrigan said in a press release. “But those who don’t meet federal guidelines won’t be able to take advantage of what is meant to be a temporary safety net program.”
The Food Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, serves almost 1.9 million Michigan residents, including more than 805,000 children. DHS administers this federally funded program and must follow federal guidelines for eligibility. Benefits are determined based on income, household size and other criteria, and can only be used to buy food.
Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) last month became chair of the House subcommittee which oversees the DHS budget. At the time he declared that “fraud” by college students receiving food assistance was a top priority for him.
Here’s how the Lansing State Journal reported on a hearing Tuesday about the situation:
Agema, a former airline pilot, has also made headlines recently for legislation he has introduced to eliminate the Michigan Health Fund Initiative and shift that nine million dollars into the Michigan Aeronautics Fund. He also introduced legislation to shift 80 percent of the state’s Natural Resources Trust Fund, which pays for parks and land conservation, to pay for road and airport improvements.
Maura Corrigan, a former Michigan Supreme Court justice and director of DHS, issued a statement on the issue Wednesday morning. The program and the use of Bridge Cards by college students has come under withering criticism in recent weeks as a result of Republican lawmakers questioning the use of the federally funded program.
“We’re ready to extend a helping hand to any citizen who is truly in need – including college students who care for young children and are taking the right steps toward becoming self-sufficient,” Corrigan said in a press release. “But those who don’t meet federal guidelines won’t be able to take advantage of what is meant to be a temporary safety net program.”
The Food Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, serves almost 1.9 million Michigan residents, including more than 805,000 children. DHS administers this federally funded program and must follow federal guidelines for eligibility. Benefits are determined based on income, household size and other criteria, and can only be used to buy food.
Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) last month became chair of the House subcommittee which oversees the DHS budget. At the time he declared that “fraud” by college students receiving food assistance was a top priority for him.
Here’s how the Lansing State Journal reported on a hearing Tuesday about the situation:
Though Agema is not sure how many college students are abusing the program statewide, he said he fears the state is wasting millions of dollars annually to provide the aid to students who don’t need it. Bridge Card recipients use the card as kind of an electronic version of food stamps, and critics say students of well-heeled parents are using the aid to pay for food and using their spending money for booze and parties.DHS reports that in 2009-2010 between 10,000 and 18,000 college and university students were receiving as much as $200 a month in food assistance.
“It’s an epidemic,” Agema said Tuesday at a committee hearing. “You can get this just by (applying) on the Internet.”
Agema, a former airline pilot, has also made headlines recently for legislation he has introduced to eliminate the Michigan Health Fund Initiative and shift that nine million dollars into the Michigan Aeronautics Fund. He also introduced legislation to shift 80 percent of the state’s Natural Resources Trust Fund, which pays for parks and land conservation, to pay for road and airport improvements.
