The West Virginia Department of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) began accepting school clothing allowance applications on July 1 or eligible children enrolled in West Virginia schools.
Each eligible student will receive a $200 benefit that may be used toward the purchase of appropriate school clothing or piece goods for families who sew clothing for their children.
School clothing allowance program recipients will receive an electronic benefit transfer card in place of the traditional paper voucher. This system change allows for both online transactions and increased choice of vendors when purchasing school clothing or piece goods. The EBT card will operate like a debit card and can be used at any retailer who accepts EBT cash transactions. Parents or guardians of children in foster care will receive the school clothing allowance benefit as a check.
The following parties automatically received school clothing allowance benefits for each school-aged child in the home by the end of June:
- Families with school-aged children who currently receive WV WORKS assistance;
- Parents of guardians of children in foster care; and/or
- Children between the ages of four to 18 who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, are enrolled in school, and whose household income is under 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
- Families who received school clothing allowance in 2023 and currently have Medicaid coverage should have received a school clothing allowance program application by mail in late June.
Others may be eligible for school clothing allowance benefits, but the monthly income for a family of four may not exceed $3,250. Verification of income for July 2024 must be submitted with the application.
Families may apply online at wvpath.wv.gov. To request a paper application via mail, families may contact their local DoHS county office or the Office of Constituent Services’ Customer Service Center at 1-877-716-1212. Applications must be received by July 31.
