Student Earned Income Exclusion

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.

If you are under age 22 and regularly attending school, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will not count up to $1,550 of earned income per month when SSI calculates your payment amount. The maximum yearly exclusion is $6,240. These amounts are for the year 2008; they are adjusted each year based on the cost-of-living.

"Regularly attending school" means that you take one or more courses of study and attend classes:

In a college or university for at least 8 hours a week; or

In grades 7-12 for at least 12 hours a week; or

In a training course to prepare for employment for at least 12 hours a week (15 hours a week if the course involves shop practice); or

For less time for reasons beyond the student's control, for example illness.

If you are home taught because of a disability, you may be considered "regularly attending school" by:

Studying a course or courses given by a school (grades 7-12), college, university or government agency; and

Having a home visitor or tutor who directs the study.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) applies the Student Earned Income Exclusion before the general income exclusion or the earned income exclusion ($65 earned income disregard and 50% disregard of what remains).

(For Transition Works participants only: Under the waiver, all participants who meet school attendance requirements are entitled to the Student Earned Income Exclusion, without regard to their age.)

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