IM-99 06/27/00 POLICY CHANGES:EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS
| SUBJECT: |
| POLICY CHANGES: EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS |
| DISCUSSION: |
| The Section 1115 Welfare Reform Waiver
granted in 1995 is going to expire June 30, 2000. This waiver allowed
Missouri to count toward work participation rates, certain educational
activities that are inconsistent with the work activities outlined in PRWORA.
The purpose of this memorandum is to discuss what happens when the education
waiver ends.
Effective July 1, 2000, Missouri's countable work activity components will include two new educational components. These components are Vocational Education and Training and Education Related to Employment. Existing educational components will be incorporated into these two new work activities. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING This new component is a program of education and training that will enable an individual to obtain employment. Vocational Education and Training will include participation in programs offered through colleges, universities, community colleges, or other entity offering a course of study that leads toward a degree, certificate or license. The following components will be incorporated into the Vocational Education & Training component: 03 - Post-Secondary EducationParticipants already in these three components, will be automatically transferred to component 04 - Vocational Education & Training. An individual may participate in Vocational Education & Training for 24 months under the following guidelines. 1st 12 MONTHS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING for 30 hours or more.(20 hours for a single parent with child under age 6).2nd 12 MONTHS Required to enter another non-education component in combination with VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING to equal 30 hours of participation. (20 hours of participation for a single parent with child under age 6).After a participant has been in this component 24 months their required activity must be a non-education component for a minimum of 30 hours. (20 hours of participation for a single parent with a child under age 6). Any hours of education will be considered an additional component. This 24 months is a lifetime limit. The months used in these components are counted whether or not they are used consecutively. Begin counting months for all education activities July 1, 2000, or when the education activity begins after July 1, 2000. If an individual is already in an education component, the month to begin counting is July, 2000. The previous months that the individual was in an education component will not count in the two year time span. The 60 month lifetime limit on Temporary Assistance should be considered when a plan is discussed. The course of study must be consistent with the individual's employment goals and Self-Sufficiency Pact. Current policy relating to Post Secondary Education, Job Skills Training, Vocational-Technical Training will apply to Vocational Education & Training. For an individual enrolled in Vocational Education & Training the following criteria must be met:
EXAMPLE 1: Ms. Lopez on July 1, 2000, is already in a four year program and has finished her first year of general courses. She has declared her major to be Elementary Education. The Case Manager asked Ms. Lopez for her school schedule to verify actual and credit hours. Her Self Sufficiency plan includes that Ms. Lopez will send her grades to her Case Manager when received and her school schedule each time it changes. Ms. Lopez agrees in the plan to go to school full-time the first 12 months. She will take 14 credit hours and will actually attend class for 18 hours. She will have 18 hours for attendance and 14 study hours for a total of 32 hours. This will satisfy her 30 hour mandatory participation. The second twelve months she will go to school full time and volunteer one afternoon a week in an elementary classroom to assist the teacher to equal her required 30 hours. After 24 months in VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING component, Ms. Lopez can continue in school and receive supportive services if she is first participating in a non-education component for 30 hours. Example 2: Mr. Johnson has not found employment during Work First and wants to work with computers. Mary, the Self Sufficiency Case Manager, sent Mr. Johnson to the Assessment Center to evaluate his education and skill levels to help guide him in his decision. Mr. Johnson and his case manager found a DESE approved Computer Application Course at the local Community College. He can take one year and get a certificate or go for two and get an Associate's Degree. Mr. Johnson's Self Sufficiency plan states he will attend computer classes full time six hours a day, five days a week for nine months. If Mr. Johnson decides later that he wants to enter another education component, he would have 3 months left in his first 12 months and the remaining second 12 months. EDUCATION RELATED TO EMPLOYMENT
The following components will be incorporated into the Education Related to Employment component: 16 - High School - Grades
9 through 12
Participants in these components will be automatically transferred to component 18 - Education Related to Employment, with a sub-component of 18A through 18D. (See page 5 of this memorandum). Single Caretaker/Two Parent under the age of 18 Teen parents under age 18 who do not have a high school education or GED are required to participate in education activities as their mandatory participation. The 24 month education time frame does not apply to teen parents under the age of 18. Single Caretaker 18 and Older A Temporary Assistance Participant age 18 or older may participate in Education Related to Employment for a minimum of 30 hours, or may choose a combination of education and another work activity for a minimum of 30 hours. There is no required number of hours in either component as long as the hours of participation equal the minimum of 30. If a participant does not have a High School diploma or equivalent or has a need for literacy education, he/she may participate in this component for a total of 24 months. At the end of 24 months if an individual wants to continue in Education Related to Employment activities, he/she must participate in another work activity a minimum of 20 hours first, with an additional 10 hours or more in the education activity. This 24 months is a lifetime limit. The 60 month lifetime limit for Temporary Assistance should be considered when a plan is discussed. Single Caretaker/Age 18 or older/Child
Under 6
NOTE: The number of months of participation in Education Related to Employment does not count toward Vocational Training & Education. These two components are independent of each other. TWO PARENT HOUSEHOLDS Current policy remains the same for Two Parent Households. Refer to IMNL under Required Hours of Work Participation/Two Parent Households (0275.015.00) and Work Activities/Components Level II and Level III/Two Parent Households (0280.010.00). Two parent households can participate in either Vocational Education & Training or Education Related to Employment. Their required total hours of participation is 55. One parent must participate 30 hours in a non-education component, the second parent must participate 20 hours in a non-education component. The five additional hours may be used for education. WORK ACTIVITY COMPONENTS The following work activities will be effective July 1, 2000. 01 - Assessment
Until a new code sheet is provided line out obsolete components on the code sheets. A memorandum will follow addressing all the Work Activity Components. The new code sheet and Temporary Assistance Manual Revisions will be provided at that time. ASSESSMENTS AND DESE FUNDING Assessment Centers can be used to determine if a participant is a good candidate for VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING. Refer to Memorandum IM-60, March 30, 2000, to review what Assessment Center is available in your county and how to use this service. Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education (DESE) skilled training funds can be used for VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
& TRAINING. Refer to Memorandum IM-150, October 8, 1999, to review
how to access these funds. This memorandum also shows how to use
the
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| NECESSARY ACTION: |
Attachments DC/DB Distribution #6 |