FNS Documents & Resources

This memo is in response to questions raised through Quality Control reviews related to student eligibility for SNAP benefits. Section 6(e) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and federal regulations at 7 CFR 273.5(a) prohibit students enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education from receiving SNAP benefits unless specific exemptions are met.

This policy applies to all TANF-funded subsidized employment paid to SNAP clients or applicants in the form of wages, regardless of the source of TANF funding, including but not limited to funds available to states and Indian tribes through the Emergency Contingency Fund for state TANF programs.

The following policy memoranda are superseded by revisions to the FNS 310 Handbook and are now obsolete. At the end of the memos being cancelled is a list of the current QC policy Memos.

The purpose of this policy memo is to notify state agencies of the specific record retention requirements for recent QC review periods. As required by regulations, QC records must be retained for three years following fiscal closure

Attached are 18 Questions and Answers about the drug expenses of Food Stamp clients who also receive Medicare. The Questions and Answers concern the phasing out of the Drug Discount Card, Medicare’s implementation of the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program, and Food Stamp Quality Control. We have developed this guidance in consultation with our federal partners.

FNS and state agencies share a common goal to improve payment accuracy. However, attempts to achieve this goal must not compromise the objective nature of the food stamp quality control (QC) process. The specific purpose of QC is to obtain an accurate measure of error rates. A state agency administering the Food Stamp Program is responsible for insuring that its QC sample and reviews remain free from unacceptable bias. 

FDD has received several complaints recently about dried fruit and grain products that became infested in storage. Therefore, it is imperative that dried fruit and grain products are distributed to the end user as soon as possible after receipt from the vendor to avoid problems with infestation.