Fresh Success is an innovative California third-party reimbursement model that is being offered in partnership with community colleges and community-based organizations. Under Fresh Success, the Foundation for California Community Colleges (Foundation) serves as the intermediary entity between the State and direct service providers.

Fresh Success makes it easy for employment and training providers to access CalFresh E&T dollars by: (1) allowing providers to use their own non-federal funds, so that they can participate at scale. Providers receive 45 cents in federal dollars (also called federal share) for every $1.00 in allowable non-federal expenditures (also called non-federal share); (2) utilizing an intermediary to vastly reduce the administrative role that counties play and increase their willingness to partner with providers in a limited eligibility role; and (3) creating economies of scale and standards of compliance that reduce the burden on providers and government oversight entities.

The Fresh Success program targets low-income Californians with barriers to college and living wage jobs. For community college students to be eligible for Fresh Success, they must register each term for one or more permissible California community college courses, including occupational and basic skills courses. Fresh Success participants also must be enrolled in CalFresh. Typically, CalFresh participants are citizens or legal residents with gross incomes at or below 200 percent of federal poverty level, unless otherwise qualified. CalFresh enrollment may be augmented through outreach efforts and E&T incentives.