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Argues for treating postsecondary education as an eligible qualifying activity and removing student exemptions, citing the link between education and long-term income gains.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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in certain conditions.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why does the document argue against expanding work requirements?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It states that expanding work requirements has not improved economic outcomes for participants and may push recipients further into low-wage cycles, especially given limited access to flexible or better-paying jobs.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},585198,1792251604,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & 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Work  \nHow Policymakers Can Make SNAP Work Requirements Work Better for Recipients and the Economy  \nFEBRUARY 2026  \nThe Unintended Consequences of Work Requirements for Basic Needs Programs Series  \nThis series highlights the impact that work requirements have on public benefit program participants. Research findings show that the majority of participants do not hold a degree or credential and, in turn, are working in jobs with low wages and little flexibility. We explore how treating education as equal to work can benefit program participants’ability to get on a path to economic mobility and long-term self-sufficiency. The next report in this series will detail the potential impacts of new Medicaid work requirements.  \nIn July 2025, Congress passed H.R.1, expanding existing work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants that will make it harder for older adults and parents to access food assistance without taking on additional hours of work. The average personal income of employed SNAP participants aged 18 to 64 is about $38,000 a year, and only 39.4 percent of participants 25 and older have at least some college education beyond high school.1,2 Many are already working in low wage jobs that provide few benefits, little flexibility, and not enough pay to support their basic needs. In an economy with continually rising costs for basic  goods and increasing demand for more workers with an education beyond high school, new work requirements are likely to push SNAP participants further into a cycle of low wage work.  \nFIGURE 1  \nProjected Job Openings in 2031 by Educational Attainment Level  \nHigh school diploma or less  \nBachelor’s degree or higher  \nAssociates degree, certi􀀎cate, training, or some college, no degree  \nSource: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce forecast using data from the US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS); US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS); US Bureau of Labor Statistics; IHS Markit; and Lightcast. Projections2031-National-Report.pdf  \nH.R.1 is a missed opportunity to increase economic mobility and reduce long-term reliance on SNAP. Research has demonstrated that expanding work requirements does not lead to the  improved economic outcomes for public benefit program participants. However, postsecondary education can lead to improved outcomes such as higher wages and lower unemployment rates. Policymakers can reduce long-term reliance on SNAP by including enrollment in a postsecondary education program as a qualifying employment and training option and eliminating student exemptions.  \n1 TICAS calculations using data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, U.S. Census and American Community Survey (IPUMS USA) .  \n2 U.S. Census Bureau,“Table 4. Adults (Aged 18 Years and Over) Receiving TANF, SNAP, WIC, or SSI During Year,” Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Detailed Program Receipt Tables: 2023,\u003C[https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/demo/public-assistance/sipp-receipts.html](https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/demo/public-assistance/sipp-receipts.html) >, accessed on September 24, 2025.  \nSchool is Work: How Policymakers Can Make SNAP Work Requirements Work Better for Recipients and the Economy  \n3  \nExpanding the definition of work to include enrollment in postsecondary education as a standalone qualifying activity would help the nearly 23% of undergraduate students who experience food insecurity, many of whom report not accessing SNAP benefits, despite likely being eligible.3 Students who are experiencing food insecurity are required to navigate overly complex student  exemptions to access SNAP. Meanwhile, unmet basic needs are one of the primary reasons students stop out or consider stopping out of college. Treating education equal to work would enable more SNAP pa","cbCaisbb5s8Nnjja","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisbb5s8Nnjja","pdf",1477724,13,"English","# School is Work\n## How Policymakers Can Make SNAP Work Requirements Work Better\n## How Work Requirements Operate in SNAP","[{\"question\":\"What is the main focus of the “School is Work” series?\",\"answer\":\"The series examines how work requirements impact public benefit program participants and the economy, emphasizing the consequences for SNAP recipients and the role education can play in improving outcomes.\"},{\"question\":\"How do SNAP work requirements operate for eligible participants?\",\"answer\":\"Able-bodied adults without dependents must meet work requirements by working, searching for work, participating in training, or volunteering for at least 80 hours per month, with additional state options such as waiver processes in certain conditions.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the document argue against expanding work requirements?\",\"answer\":\"It states that expanding work requirements has not improved economic outcomes for participants and may push recipients further into low-wage cycles, especially given limited access to flexible or better-paying jobs.\"}]","The Unintended Consequences of Work Requirements for Basic Needs Programs Series - School is Work - February 2026 | PDF",1792054016,33]