Public benefits programs
If you receive SNAP, TANF, or trade adjustment assistance, the program that pays your benefit can also pay for training.
- Who pays
- Your state benefits agency, through SNAP Employment and Training, TANF, or Trade Adjustment Assistance
- What it covers
- Tuition and often transportation, childcare, and supplies
- How fast
- 2 to 4 weeks
How it works
Getting public benefits programs, step by step
Ask your caseworker
Say you want nurse aide training through the employment and training program. Every state runs one for SNAP.
Get a referral
The caseworker refers you to a provider or to the workforce board, which then treats you as a priority.
Keep the supports
These programs can pay for the bus pass, childcare, and scrubs that a voucher sometimes will not.
Who qualifies
- You currently receive SNAP or TANF, or you lost a job to foreign trade and have a TAA certification
- You are able to participate in a work or training activity
Know before you go
- Not every county runs SNAP E&T at full scale. Ask what training providers are in the program.
- TAA is only for workers whose layoff was certified as trade related.
Public benefits programs, answered.
Will training affect my benefits?
Participating in an approved training activity usually counts toward work requirements rather than against them. Confirm with your caseworker before you start.
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