A resident is a person who lives in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania voluntarily and not temporarily for a reason such as vacation, a visit or education.
55 Pa. Code § 601.3; LIHEAP State Plan § 601.3
A college student who is a permanent Pennsylvania resident and rents an apartment or house in the county where he or she goes to school can qualify for LIHEAP in that county.
NOTE: College students with year-round leases are considered permanent residents of the county where they go to school and can qualify for LIHEAP. College students with leases for the school year only also can qualify for LIHEAP in the county where they go to school.
Examples:
College students may be eligible for LIHEAP Cash benefits in the county where they go to school if they live in another county over the summer but have a year-round lease for a house or apartment in the county where they go to school. The student must be a permanent resident of Pennsylvania and meet all LIHEAP eligibility criteria.
College students may be eligible for LIHEAP Cash benefits in the county where they go to school if they live in another county over the summer but have a lease for a house or apartment during the school year only in the county where they go to school. The student must be a permanent resident of Pennsylvania and meet all LIHEAP eligibility criteria.
College students may be included in their parents' or guardians' household for LIHEAP in a county other than the county where they go to school. If the college student is included in their parent or guardian’s household for LIHEAP, the student’s income must be counted.
Example: A mother and father and their 18-year-old daughter apply for LIHEAP Cash in Allegheny County as one household. The daughter goes to college in York County and rents an apartment there during the school year only. The daughter returns to her parents' home during school breaks and over the summer. The daughter may be included in her parents' LIHEAP household. She is included in the household size, and her income is counted.
College students who already got LIHEAP Cash or Crisis benefits during the current heating season as part of another household, such as a parent or guardian’s household, are not eligible for LIHEAP Cash or Crisis benefits in the county where they go to school. College students who receive LIHEAP Cash or Crisis benefits in the county where they attend school are not eligible for LIHEAP Cash or Crisis benefits as part of the parent or guardian household.
College students can qualify for LIHEAP if their heat is included in their rent, unless they live in subsidized housing, a dormitory, a boarding home, or a fraternity or sorority house. A student must prove that he or she is responsible for heating costs by providing a copy of the lease or a statement from the landlord.
College students who are unrelated roommates must be considered together as one LIHEAP household. Unrelated roommates who have separate leases but are responsible for paying one heating bill in the name of one roommate must all be considered together as one LIHEAP household.
Examples:
Two unrelated college roommates share a house off-campus and have separate leases. Heat is included in the rent, and the students pay the rent to the landlord separately each month. The students meet the definition of a household and must be considered for LIHEAP together. The students cannot apply for LIHEAP separately. The CAO must count both roommates in the household size and include each student’s income in the determination.
Two unrelated college roommates, Joe and John, share a house off-campus and have separate leases. Heat is not included in the rent, and only Joe’s name appears on the heating bill. John gives Joe money each month to pay for half of the heating bill. The CAO must count Joe and John together as one LIHEAP household and include each student’s income in the determination.
College students who use grant or loan money to pay for basic living expenses such as rent and heat may be eligible for LIHEAP. The student must prove how his or her basic living needs are being met if the student reports zero income. Any income a student gets from a third party, such as a parent or guardian, must be counted as unearned income.
Example: An undergraduate college student rents an apartment year-round in the county where he goes to school. Heat is not included in the rent, and the student reports no income. The CAO requires the student to complete a zero-income statement. On the statement, the student reports that his parents deposit $500 per month into his bank account to pay for his living expenses. The student states he also uses money in his savings account that he got from a student loan to pay the rest of his living expenses. The student loan he received pays for educational expenses as well as basic needs. The student may be eligible for LIHEAP. The $500 in monthly income he gets from his parents must count as unearned income. The income he gets from student loans must be excluded, as it is intended to cover educational expenses and is not used only for basic living needs.
NOTE: Educational assistance from scholarships, grants and loans to a student is excluded unless the funds are used only for basic living, needs such as housing, heat and food.
55 Pa. Code § 601.84(1); LIHEAP State Plan § 601.84(1)
Reissued July 19, 2016, replacing November 4, 2013