FEED Act Stops Student Apprentice Earnings from Cutting Family SNAP Benefits

The new Food Eligibility for Education and Development Act of 2025, or the FEED Act, is a short but significant piece of legislation aimed at fixing a common problem in the SNAP food assistance program. Currently, if a family receives SNAP benefits, any income earned by members of the household counts against their eligibility. The FEED Act carves out a specific exception: earnings from students under 21 who are enrolled in career and technical education programs will no longer count against the family’s total income when calculating food assistance eligibility.

The Apprentice Exemption: Closing the 'Punishment' Loophole

This change targets a tricky scenario many lower-income families face. Say you have a 19-year-old who lands a paid apprenticeship—a fantastic opportunity to learn a trade and earn money. Under current rules, that income, even if small, could push the family over the SNAP eligibility line, causing them to lose crucial food benefits. The FEED Act stops this by stating that income earned from an apprenticeship, internship, or other work-based learning that is part of a career and technical education program (as defined by the Carl D. Perkins Act) must be excluded from the calculation.

This is a major win for workforce development. It removes a significant disincentive for young people to participate in valuable job training. If a student is working hard to learn a skill—whether they’re training to be an electrician, a coder, or a medical assistant—their initiative won't inadvertently punish their family by taking away their grocery money. This provision essentially allows families to keep their benefits while their young adults gain the skills they need for a better future.

Who Qualifies for the Break?

This isn't a blanket pass for every student job, though. The bill is specific about who gets this income exclusion. First, the student must be under 21. Second, the money must come directly from a work-based learning program tied to their career and technical education. Third, the student needs to meet certain living requirements: they must be living with a natural, adoptive, or stepparent, or be under the direct parental control of another adult in the household. These conditions are designed to ensure the exclusion is focused on young adults still supported by their families while they train.

Because the rules are so specific, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to set up new procedures to verify everything—the student's age, their enrollment in the specific education program, and that the income source is actually an approved apprenticeship or internship. While the intent is clear and beneficial, the administrative lift here is medium, requiring the USDA to define and track these specific education programs to make sure the right families benefit. For families, this means they will need to provide clear documentation showing their student's enrollment and the nature of their paid work program to qualify for the exclusion.