Help for Single Mothers in Louisiana - Government Grants, Housing Aid, College Grants & Scholarships

Single mothers in Louisiana have a huge responsibility on their shoulders of managing their welfare, taking care of their children, providing for housing, food, transporation, medicine, clothes & toys & lots more. With the unemployment rate in Louisiana close to 8.1%, it signals the challenges many single moms who are unemployed are facing. We will overview some financial assistance grants & help for single mothers in the state of Louisiana. As a basic starter, be sure to visit the Official Website of the State of Louisiana at www.louisiana.gov

i) Louisiana Food Stamps Program

Food stamps program for single mothers in Louisiana is administered by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and its mission is to provide access to good quality food for low income households & single mothers who otherwise would not be able to afford to feed their families. Eligible households in Louisiana can receive their food benefits through SNAP or Louisiana Combined Application Project (LaCAP). Eligibility for SNAP benefits requires households to go through gross & net income tests. For example, a household with 2 members can have a maximum of $1,579 in gross income & $1,215 in net income and would be entitled to $367 in food benefits. Go here for a complete table of income eligibility requirements for SNAP.

Think you are eligible? Check out the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool. This tool will ask you how many people in your household, annual gross income & assets you own, your monthly medical & childcare expenses, etc. As a general rule of thumb, a household applying for food stamps must have less than $5,000 or less in countable liquid assets including cash, checking and savings accounts, stocks, and bonds.

Website: http://www.dss.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=93

ii) Louisiana Medicaid Program

Enrolling more than 1.1 million people in the state of Louisiana, the Medicaid program provides health insurance & medical coverage for low income households & single moms. Administered by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Medicaid offers various services such as:

- Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program
- Louisiana KIDMED
- CommunityCARE
- LaMOMS (coverage for pregnant women)

Visit the website below for more information on each of these coverages. Online applications for Louisiana Medicaid can be made by visiting this website https://bhsfweb.dhh.louisiana.gov/OlaPortalPublic/Public/public.aspx

Website: http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/subhome/6

MEDICAID HOTLINE 1-888-342-6207

iii) Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance

Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) is a state agency that has a mission of providing college access for thousands of students every year. Some programs administered by LOSFA are:

- Louisiana’s premier merit-based scholarship program
- Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)
- 529 college savings plan
- Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) program
- Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership program (LEAP)
- Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship program.

Lots more information is provided on each of these programs on the website below, so be sure to give it a visit!

Website: http://www.osfa.la.gov

Toll free: 1-800-259-5626 ext. 1012