General Program Requirements
A borrower may be:

• an individual
• a cooperative organization, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity organized and operated on a profit or nonprofit basis
• an Indian tribe on a Federal or State reservation or other Federally recognized tribal group, or
• a public body.

• provide employment
• improve the economic or environmental climate
• promote the conservation, development, and use of water for aquaculture, or
• reduce reliance on nonrenewable energy resources by encouraging the development and construction of renewable energy systems.

Loan Terms
The interest rate for the guaranteed loan will be negotiated between the lender and the applicant and may be either fixed or variable as long as it is a legal rate. Interest rates are subject to Agency review and approval. The variable interest rate may be adjusted at different intervals during the term of the loan, but the adjustments may not be more often than quarterly.

The annual renewal fee is paid once a year and is required to maintain the enforceability of the guarantee as to the lender. There is also an upfront guarantee fee of 2 percent. A limited amount of loans may be guaranteed with a 1 percent fee, subject to meeting regulatory requirements.

The maximum repayment for loans on real estate will not exceed 30 years; machinery and equipment repayment will not exceed the useful life of the machinery and equipment purchased with loan funds or 15 years, whichever is less; and working capital repayment will not exceed 7 years.

The total amount of Agency loans to one borrower must not exceed $10 million. The Administrator may, at the Administrator’s discretion, grant an exception to the $10 million limit for loans of $25 million under certain circumstances. The Secretary may approve guaranteed loans in excess of $25 million, up to $40 million, for rural cooperative organizations that process value-added agricultural commodities.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
Complete applications should be sent to the USDA Rural Development State Office for the project location. Loan applications can be found by visiting:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi/Programs/rbs/library/full-application-busines...

A list of offices and additional information can be obtained at:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html

For more information please visit:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/b&I_gar.htm

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be an agricultural producer/farmer or rancher.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For a listing of insurance companies and agents offering crop insurance coverage, visit:

http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/companies/

To contact the Risk Management Agency, please email us at:
rma.mail@rma.usda.gov


For more information about the Crop Insurance Program and to find insurance plans available in your area, visit:

http://www.rma.usda.gov

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
The D-SNAP system operates under a different set of eligibility and benefit delivery requirements than the regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Those who may not ordinarily qualify for SNAP may be eligible for D-SNAP, as the D-SNAP eligibility requirements take into account a household’s out-of-pocket disaster-related expenses and count only take-home pay and accessible liquid resources. D-SNAP applications are generally accepted for a period of seven days, except in extraordinary circumstances. Eligible households are issued an allotment sufficient to meet their food needs for a 30-day period.

USDA provides administrative funding to individual states, which operate their own D-SNAP programs. USDA funds 100 percent of the costs of D-SNAP benefits for eligible households. While program requirements vary somewhat from state to state, those eligible for D-SNAP typically must have experienced one of the following:

• Food damaged by disaster event or spoiled due to power outage
• Disaster-related expenses not expected to be reimbursed during the benefit period (e.g., home or business repairs, temporary shelter expenses, evacuation expenses, home/business protection, disaster-related personal injury including funeral expenses)
• Lost or inaccessible income, including reduction or termination of income, or a delay in receipt of income for half the benefit period

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
You can access a listing of state D-SNAP hotlines to obtain information on application sites in your area at:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/contact_info/hotlines.htm

For more information, visit:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/disaster.htm

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a farmer or rancher who owns or controls farmland that needs to be rehabilitated due to damage from natural disasters or needs emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
To apply for assistance, contact the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office nearest you using this office locator tool:
http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Or write the Farm Service Agency, Emergency Conservation Program Manager at:
National Program Manager
Emergency Conservation Program, Farm Service Agency
Conservation and Environmental Programs Division
1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 4710
Washington, D.C. 20250

For more information, please visit:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=ecp

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

• repair or replace buildings or other structures
• purchase livestock and equipment
• pay essential farm operating and family living expenses
• refinance debt, or
• repair or replace essential household contents damaged in the disaster.

General Program Requirements
To qualify for an Emergency Loan, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who owns or controls farm/ranch land, who has suffered production or property losses from a natural disaster (including severe drought) and who has been denied a loan by a commercial lender. Applicants must also have an acceptable credit history; not have received debt forgiveness from the Agency; and not have had any controlled substance convictions. For production loss loans, the applicant must have suffered at least a 30 percent loss in yield. Emergency loans may also be made to replace damaged farm/ranch property.

Loan Terms
These loans cannot exceed $500,000. The repayment period for emergency loans is based on the type of loss and the applicant's repayment ability. In most cases, loans for annual operating expenses must be repaid within 12 months, and loans for losses to equipment, livestock, machinery, etc. cannot exceed 7 years. The loan term for losses to real estate cannot exceed 40 years. The interest rate for emergency loans is 3.75 percent.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
Applications for emergency loans must be received within 8 months of the county's disaster or quarantine designation date. To apply for an emergency loan, applicants must submit an application form (FSA-410-1) and business plan, in addition to other forms required to determine eligibility.

You may obtain information about this program and how to apply at:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=fmlp&topic=efl

You may also obtain information through your local FSA office or USDA service center. To locate the office nearest you, visit:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=fsa

The Business and Cooperative Programs website is available at:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/b&I_gar.htm

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
To be eligible for a farm operating loan (OL) from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) you must:

• be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• not be delinquent on a Federal debt
• not have caused a loss to the Government by having a previous Federal debt forgiven
• not have a poor history of repaying debts
• not have any controlled substance convictions
• be the operator of a "family-sized farm" after the loan is closed (see our Glossary Terms for a definition of family-size farm)
• not have any outstanding judgments against you
• be unable to obtain credit elsewhere.

Loan Terms
Loan repayment periods for both direct and guaranteed farm operating loans cannot exceed 7 years. Loans for annual operating expenses are normally repaid within one year. Loans for equipment and livestock purchases are scheduled for repayment over longer periods, but cannot exceed 7 years. Interest rates for direct operating loans are based on the Government's cost of funds. FSA offers lower resource interest rates to direct loan applicants who cannot afford the Agency's regular interest rate. Interest rates for guaranteed operating loans are negotiated by the lender and farmer. However, the lender must not charge the guaranteed loan customer a higher interest rate than they charge their average farm loan customer. In some cases, FSA can pay 4 percent of the interest rate for farmers who cannot afford the lender's normal interest rate. For most guaranteed loans, FSA charges an origination fee equal to one percent of the guarantee.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information about this program and how to apply, visit:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home%26subject=fmlp%26topic=landing...

You may also obtain information through your local FSA office or USDA service center. To locate the office nearest you, visit:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=fsa

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
To be eligible for a farm ownership loan from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), you must:

• be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• not be delinquent on a Federal debt
• not have caused a loss to the Government by having a previous Federal debt forgiven
• not have a poor history of repaying debts
• not have any controlled substance convictions
• be the operator of a "family-sized farm" after the loan is closed (see our Glossary Terms for a definition of family-size farm)
• not have any outstanding judgments against you
• be unable to obtain credit elsewhere.

Loan Terms
Loan repayment periods for both direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans cannot exceed 40 years. Interest rates for direct farm ownership loans are dependent upon the Government's cost of funds. FSA offers lower resource interest rates to applicants who cannot afford the Agency's regular interest rate. Rates for guaranteed farm ownership loans are negotiated by the lender and farmer. But, the lender must not charge guaranteed loan customers a higher interest rate than what they charge their average farm loan customer. For most guaranteed loans, FSA charges an origination fee equal to one percent of the guarantee.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information about this program and how to apply, visit:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home%26subject=fmlp%26topic=landing...

You may also obtain information through your local FSA office or USDA service center. To locate the office nearest you, visit:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=fsa

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
To be eligible for food assistance through Food for Florida, an applicant may not be currently receiving food benefits through the regular Food Assistance Program; must have been living in the disaster area at the time of the disaster; and must have experienced at least one of the following adverse effects:

• Damage to or destruction of the households' home or self-employment business
• Disaster-related expenses not expected to be reimbursed during the disaster period (e.g., food loss, home or business repairs, temporary shelter expenses, evacuation expenses, home/business protection, disaster-related injury including funeral expenses)
• Lost or inaccessible income, including reduction or termination of income, or a delay in receipt of income for more than 15 days

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information and to pre-register for assistance following a disaster using a web-based system, visit:
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/access/fff/

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be or have been a rancher or agricultural producer/farmer.

Producers interested in receiving risk protection under this program must file an application for coverage and pay the application service fee prior to the crop's application closing date. These application closing dates are established by your local State Farm Service Agency (FSA) Committee and are published annually.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information or help in identifying your application closing dates and coverage periods, please contact your local FSA office. Contact information for each FSA office can be obtained at:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/stateOffices?area=stoffice&subject=landing&topi...

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Fact Sheet:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/nap09.pdf

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, applicants must have very low-, low- or moderate incomes. Very low-income is defined as below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI); low-income is between 50 and 80 percent of AMI; moderate income is below 115 percent of AMI. Families must be without adequate housing, but able to afford the housing payments, including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI). Qualifying repayment ratios are 29 percent for PITI to 41 percent for total debt. In addition, applicants must be unable to obtain credit elsewhere, yet have an acceptable credit history. You must also be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Loan Terms
Direct loans are repaid over 33 years or 38 years for applicants whose adjusted annual income does not exceed 60 percent of the area median income, if necessary to show repayment ability. Payment assistance is granted on direct loans to reduce the installment to an "effective interest rate" as low as one percent, depending on adjusted family income. Payment assistance is subject to recapture by the government when the customer no longer resides in the dwelling. There is no funding provided for deferred mortgage authority or loans for deferred mortgage assumptions.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information about the Guaranteed Loan program, visit:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/

For more information about the Direct Loan program, visit:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/

Interested applicants should contact their local USDA Rural Development field office for more information. To obtain contact information for the field office nearest you, visit:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

All applications for loans and grants are handled at the local level. For help with an application, contact your Rural Development office at:
202-720-4323


More on Rural Development Housing & Community Facilities Programs:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/common/program_info.htm#SFH

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
The Very Low-Income Housing Repair program provides loans and grants to very low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their dwellings or to remove health and safety hazards. Furthermore, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who lives in a rural area.

Loan Terms
Loans of up to $20,000 and grants of up to $7,500 are available. Loans are for up to 20 years at 1 percent interest. A real estate mortgage is required for loans of $7,500 or more. Full title services are required for loans of $7,500 or more. Grants may be recaptured if the property is sold in less than three years. Loans and grants can be combined for up to $27,500 in assistance.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
To apply for a loan or grant online go to http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov, or you may contact your State's Rural Development field office using this office locator tool http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

For more information about the housing repair loan program, visit:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/

If you are 62 years or older, you may qualify for a housing repair grant. For more information about this program, visit:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/

To apply for a loan or grant online go to: http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov, or you may contact your state's Rural Development field office using this office locator tool:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html

More on Rural Development Housing & Community Facilities Programs:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/common/program_info.htm#SFH

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must live in a rural area and characterize your financial situation as low income or very low income.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
Interested applicants should contact the owner or manager of the rental or cooperative housing facility to determine eligibility for housing.

For a listing of low-income rental and cooperative housing in your area, contact your state's Rural Development field office using this office locator tool:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

More on Rural Development Housing & Community Facilities Programs:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/common/program_info.htm#SFH

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

General Program Requirements
Pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age are eligible if they:

1. Are individually determined by a health professional to be at nutrition risk
2. Meet a state residency requirement, and
3. Meet an income standard, or are determined automatically income eligible.

Application Process
For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information
For more information about how to apply, contact the WIC Agency in your state. Contact information for each state agency, including toll-free numbers, can be found at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/ContactsMenu.HTM

Please see the following website for the income standard or maximum income limit for WIC eligibility:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/howtoapply/incomeguidelines.htm

For more information, visit:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/