Living paycheck to paycheck is rough. You sweat it out at the end of every month and hope you get it all covered. Whether your budget is tight because you are working a first job, paying tuition or starting a business, there could be extra help you are missing out on – and it's not that birthday check from your Aunt Cathy. This one's from Uncle Sam.

Every year the government allocates tax dollars for financial assistance programs that go unused. Many young adults on small budgets don't realize they could be eligible for help. In a recent study, only 56 percent of those eligible for the Food Stamp Program actually received benefits. Never thought you would need food stamps? Ignore any preconceptions you might have. If you're struggling to pay for groceries, school or rent, the government has got a few floatation devices to keep your head above water.

The Food Stamp Program was created to assist people with a limited income to purchase necessary food. Recipients are considered members of "low income households," a label that actually has a variety of definitions. While an independent, 18-year-old student, living in a house with five roommates may be able to benefit from food stamps, so possibly can a 25-year-old, working a full-time job, and living alone in an apartment.

• Your gross income determines how much assistance you can receive. The Food Stamp Program creates eligibility standards based on your household size.
• In most cases, recipients may have no more than $2,000 in countable resources, such as a savings account.
• Students generally have to be enrolled in a work-study program and work a certain number of hours per week.
• To apply, submit an application and make an appointment for an interview at a local office. If you are not approved, make sure to find out why.

• The once dollar-bill-sized documents (or 'stamps') are now in the more discreet form of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a credit card.
• In some states, recipients can check their food stamp balance online.
• Food stamps cannot be used to buy alcohol, tobacco, medicine, pet food, vitamins, or household supplies.
• Any benefits you don't use can generally be carried over to the next month. If you have not used your EBT card for an extended time period, you could lose benefits.
• Make sure to report any changes in income or circumstance to the programs you receive benefits from, or an auditor could end up charging you!

Once known as 'welfare,' this program was revised and revamped over 10 years ago and is now referred to as TANF.

• This federal program provides cash assistance to states for individuals and families with dependent children through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• As of 2005, only Utah and New Jersey provided general assistance to 'able-bodied' adults without children.
• The program requires and encourages recipients to start earning their checks and does not increase cash assistance if their family extends.

For those currently attending college or planning on it, make sure to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• FAFSA, offered by the U.S. Department of Education, makes it possible for eligible students to receive federal financial assistance through loans, grants and/or work-study programs.
• You can file for the following school year after the first of January. Funds are limited, so file early to have the best chance at as much help as possible.

Sources: acf.dhhs.gov; ladpss.org; fns.usda.gov; fafsa.ed.gov; npr.org