Basic Food Employment & Training (BFET)
Overview
The Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) program provides aid to LWTech students receiving federal Basic Food Assistance (food stamps) from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
Students on BFET may receive:
- Funding for books and supplies (up to $250/quarter)
- Funding for tuition, if available (tuition is primarily paid through Financial Aid)
- Childcare Assistance through Working Connections Childcare (DCYF)
- Career and educational advising and planning
- Referrals to college and community resources
- Support in navigating DSHS
- Assistance with accessing other forms of financial aid
Eligibility
You may be eligible to participate in the BFET program at LWTech if you:
- Are receiving federal Basic Food Assistance from DSHS
- Are not receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) from DSHS
- Are enrolled in any certificate or Associate degree (including AAS, AAS-T, and transfer degrees) and/or basic skills courses (ABED, ESL, GED, HS+)
- Are not enrolled in a BAS program
- Have applied for the 2020-2021 FAFSA/WASFA and you have turned in any additional documents required by the Financial Aid office (basic skills students do not need to complete the FAFSA/WASFA to be considered for BFET)
How to Apply
Current LWTech Students
- Take and submit the Start Next Quarter (SNQ) Survey or fill out and submit a hardcopy Funding Survey
- If you meet initial requirements for BFET, you will be prompted to fill out the online Workforce Development Application
- A Workforce Development team member will contact you to schedule an intake appointment with the BFET coordinator
Prospective LWTech Students
- Take the Start Next Quarter (SNQ) Survey
- Attend the Workforce Development Information Session (sign-up after completing the Start Next Quarter Survey)
- Apply to LWTech; complete the FAFSA/WASFA; take the Guided Self Placement Assessment (if applicable)
- Fill out the online Workforce Development Application
- A Workforce Development team member will contact you to schedule an intake appointment with the BFET coordinator
Apply for Basic Food Assistance
Basic Food Assistance provides funding to help pay for food expenses and is an eligibility requirement for the BFET program. Many students qualify for food assistance, but do not apply. The combination of Basic Food, BFET, and Financial Aid can help students pay for education and living expsenses while attending LWTech. You may qualify if your income falls within the following ranges:
- 1 person family – $2,010 ($24,120 a year)
- 2 person family – $2,707 ($32,480 a year)
- 3 person family – $3,403 ($40,840 a year)
- 4 person family – $4,100 ($49,200 a year)
- 5 person family – $4,797 ($57,560 a year)
- 6 person family – $5,493 ($65,920 a year)
- 7 person family – $6,190 ($74,280 a year)
- 8 person family – $6,887 ($82,640 a year)
- For each additional person add $696 a month, or $8,360 a year
The Food Benefits application is available online through Washington Connection. For assistance in applying for Basic Food Assistance, please watch the "Applying for Food Benefits" video below or contact the BFET coordinator.
Trouble watching the video? Watch it on YouTube.
Additional Information and Resources
For resources related to the impact of COVID-19 on the campus community, please see Coronavirus Information and Resources. Community resource information related to the pandemic is available through our Community Resource webpage. If you were recently laid off or are receiving unemployment due to COVID-19, assistance applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) through the Employment Security Department(ESD) can be found on the Worker Retraining webpage.
Community Resources
The Community Resource webpage houses links and contact information for many of our Community Based Partners.
Employment Resource Center
The Employment Resource Center (ERC) assists students with job search, and career planning, as well as providing a variety of workshops, training, and events to support students, graduates, and community members.
Student Success Workshops
Student Success Workshops and resources are free and available to all LWTech students. The offered workshops cover a variety of topics related to student success.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
