Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Meeting SNAP Work Requirements through Education and Training

As an education or training program administrator, you can play a key role in helping SNAP recipients with work requirements (known as PEERs) keep food on their tables. By becoming an approved education or training program, you can let PEERs know that participating in your work or education program will help them meet their SNAP work requirement.

This new certification process is for work and education programs that are not currently Department of Human Services (PA DHS) grantees for SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs but provide similar services that:

  • Are operated, supervised, or regulated in some capacity by the commonwealth, a political subdivision, or an instrumentality of the commonwealth; AND
  • Meet at least one of the following:
    • A school or training program that enrolls at least some participants half-time (or more); or
    • A school or training program that offers at least some participants 20 hours per week in qualifying services as determined by PA DHS (less than half of which may be job search or job search training services as defined by federal law).

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 PA DHS for review. 

What are certified work/education programs required to do?

As part of your application, DHS will ask if your program has the ability to track participation and report changes in participation at least every six months. To make that process simple and straightforward, DHS has created the following verification form: 

Approved Programs

List of Approved Programs coming soon.

Looking for more Work Requirements Information?

Find information about the time limit, exemptions, and other ways you can meet the work requirement.

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.

Additional  Resources

Additional SNAP 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:

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.