SNAP Work Requirements Through Education and Training | Department of Human Services | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Source: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/snap/snap-work-requirements-education-training
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:20
SNAP Work Requirements Through Education and Training | Department of Human Services | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Meeting SNAP Work Requirements through Education and Training
Some Pennsylvanians are subject to employment or engagement requirements (PEERs).
If they do not meet the requirement, PEERs are subject to a three-month time limit on their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Your program can play a key role in helping them stay connected to food assistance. One way that PEERs can meet the work requirement is through engaging in an approved education or training program.
By becoming an approved education or training program
, your organization can help PEERs meet their SNAP work requirement simply by participating in what you already offer. On this page, you can find out what types of programs qualify for approval, how your program can apply for certification, and how SNAP recipients can verify that they are participating in an eligible program.
Program Eligibility
Programs meeting the following conditions might qualify as allowable programs enabling PEERs to meet their work requirement:
Must be operated, supervised, or regulated in some capacity by the Commonwealth, a political subdivision, or an instrumentality of the Commonwealth; AND
Must meet at least one of the following:
Be a school or training program that enrolls at least some participants half-time or more;OR
Be a school or training program that offers at least some participants 20 hours per week of qualifying services* as determined by the Department of Human Services (DHS), less than half of which may be job search or job search training services as defined by federal law
*A qualifying service is a service that is at least equivalent to a SNAP E&T component (other than job search or job search training) or another workforce development service determined by the DHS, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to be at least equivalent to an allowable service under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or of any one-stop partner program defined by WIOA, regardless of whether the program is funded under WIOA.
Get Programs Reviewed + Approved!
Schools and workforce development program operators can submit a formal request for a program to be reviewed and approved. To do so, the school or organization must request certification by DHS.
To submit a program for review, either make an online submission using the online form below
OR
download the PDF form and return it to DHS for review.
Download SNAP Qualifying Program Certification Form (PDF)
Problems viewing the online form? Access it here.
Approved Programs
Find an Approved Program Near You
List of Approved Programs coming soon.
Enrollment Status
PEERs are exempt from SNAP Work Requirements if they are enrolled half-time or more in a college, school, or approved education or training program, as defined by the school or program. However, some PEERs enrolled half-time or more may have
extra requirements
.
PEERs can also meet SNAP Work Requirements if they are enrolled less than half-time in an approved education or training program but are participating at least 20 hours per week in combination with hours of work and volunteering.
Some approved programs
only count for students enrolled half-time or more, while others are approved for all students.
Available Programs
There are several programs available that can meet the work requirement and help SNAP recipients find a job, get career and technical training, or attend school. These programs include:
SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T)
Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS)
Employment Advancement Retention Network (EARN)
SNAP JETS (formerly called SNAP 50/50)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I Programs
Trade Adjustment Assistance Program
Employment and Training programs for veterans run by the U.S. Department of Labor or Department of Veterans Affairs; or
Other education and training programs
approved under standards established by the Governor.
Your
county assistance office (CAO)
can help you find a SNAP E&T program that best meets what you are looking for and help you enroll. You can also visit the
SNAP E&T website
, your local PA CareerLink® Center (in-person or
online
), or view the map of approved programs below to learn more about job training programs.
Looking for more Work Requirements Information?
Find information about the time limit, exemptions, and other ways you can meet the work requirement.
Go to the SNAP Work Requirements page
Are you exempt from work requirements?
Complete the DHS online screener tool to find out if you are exempt from SNAP Work Requirements. All you need to do is answer a few questions to see if you:
Meet the requirements
Are currently meeting them, and
What to do next.
Start the screener now
Additional SNAP Resources
SNAP Home Page
SNAP Online Purchasing
SNAP Work Requirements
SNAP Student Eligibility
SNAP Income Limits
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Meeting SNAP Work Requirements through Education and Training
Some Pennsylvanians are subject to employment or engagement requirements (PEERs).
If they do not meet the requirement, PEERs are subject to a three-month time limit on their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Your program can play a key role in helping them stay connected to food assistance. One way that PEERs can meet the work requirement is through engaging in an approved education or training program.
By becoming an approved education or training program
, your organization can help PEERs meet their SNAP work requirement simply by participating in what you already offer. On this page, you can find out what types of programs qualify for approval, how your program can apply for certification, and how SNAP recipients can verify that they are participating in an eligible program.
Program Eligibility
Programs meeting the following conditions might qualify as allowable programs enabling PEERs to meet their work requirement:
Must be operated, supervised, or regulated in some capacity by the Commonwealth, a political subdivision, or an instrumentality of the Commonwealth; AND
Must meet at least one of the following:
Be a school or training program that enrolls at least some participants half-time or more;OR
Be a school or training program that offers at least some participants 20 hours per week of qualifying services* as determined by the Department of Human Services (DHS), less than half of which may be job search or job search training services as defined by federal law
*A qualifying service is a service that is at least equivalent to a SNAP E&T component (other than job search or job search training) or another workforce development service determined by the DHS, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to be at least equivalent to an allowable service under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or of any one-stop partner program defined by WIOA, regardless of whether the program is funded under WIOA.
Get Programs Reviewed + Approved!
Schools and workforce development program operators can submit a formal request for a program to be reviewed and approved. To do so, the school or organization must request certification by DHS.
To submit a program for review, either make an online submission using the online form below
OR
download the PDF form and return it to DHS for review.
Download SNAP Qualifying Program Certification Form (PDF)
Problems viewing the online form? Access it here.
Approved Programs
Find an Approved Program Near You
List of Approved Programs coming soon.
Enrollment Status
PEERs are exempt from SNAP Work Requirements if they are enrolled half-time or more in a college, school, or approved education or training program, as defined by the school or program. However, some PEERs enrolled half-time or more may have
extra requirements
.
PEERs can also meet SNAP Work Requirements if they are enrolled less than half-time in an approved education or training program but are participating at least 20 hours per week in combination with hours of work and volunteering.
Some approved programs
only count for students enrolled half-time or more, while others are approved for all students.
Available Programs
There are several programs available that can meet the work requirement and help SNAP recipients find a job, get career and technical training, or attend school. These programs include:
SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T)
Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS)
Employment Advancement Retention Network (EARN)
SNAP JETS (formerly called SNAP 50/50)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I Programs
Trade Adjustment Assistance Program
Employment and Training programs for veterans run by the U.S. Department of Labor or Department of Veterans Affairs; or
Other education and training programs
approved under standards established by the Governor.
Your
county assistance office (CAO)
can help you find a SNAP E&T program that best meets what you are looking for and help you enroll. You can also visit the
SNAP E&T website
, your local PA CareerLink® Center (in-person or
online
), or view the map of approved programs below to learn more about job training programs.
Looking for more Work Requirements Information?
Find information about the time limit, exemptions, and other ways you can meet the work requirement.
Go to the SNAP Work Requirements page
Are you exempt from work requirements?
Complete the DHS online screener tool to find out if you are exempt from SNAP Work Requirements. All you need to do is answer a few questions to see if you:
Meet the requirements
Are currently meeting them, and
What to do next.
Start the screener now
Additional SNAP Resources
SNAP Home Page
SNAP Online Purchasing
SNAP Work Requirements
SNAP Student Eligibility
SNAP Income Limits