Code of Vermont Rules › Agency 13 - AGENCY OF HUMAN SERVICES › Sub-Agency 170 - DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (DCF) › Chapter 240 - POST-SECONDRY EDUCATION (2400) › Section 13 170 240 - POST-SECONDRY EDUCATION (2400)

Current through June, 2024
Section 2400
				Post-secondary Education (PSE)
The postsecondary education (PSE) program is a solely
				  state-funded program to assist parents in eligible low-income families to
				  obtain two- or four-year postsecondary undergraduate degrees in fields directly
				  related to employment. The PSE program provides financial assistance, case
				  management, and support services. In eligible two-parent families, only one
				  parent at a time may participate in the PSE program and the second parent must
				  be employed if able to work. Eligibility is based on financial and non-
				  financial criteria.
The PSE program is not an entitlement program. Participation
				  may be denied to applicants meeting the eligibility criteria if program funds
				  are insufficient for all eligible applicants to participate. If program funds
				  are insufficient to serve all eligible applicants, the priorities for admission
				  to the PSE program established by these regulations will be followed.
At the discretion of the commissioner, the department may
				  fund certain families' PSE financial assistance with state funds claimed as
				  TANF Maintenance of Effort (MOE) when such funding meets the intent of TANF
				  regulations and the participating family is meeting the applicable Reach Up
				  work requirement with hours in postsecondary education or other approved work
				  activity.
Section 2401
				Definitions
A. Able-to-work: Free of any
				physical, emotional or mental condition that would prevent the individual from
				engaging in full-time employment.
B. Able-to-work-part-time: Having a physical,
				emotional or mental condition that would allow the individual to engage in
				employment for at least 10 hours per week but would prevent the individual from
				engaging in employment for 35 or more hours per week.
C. Applicant: A parent who is applying for
				admission to the PSE program.
D.
				Approved College: Any institution of higher education that is certified by the
				state board of education as provided in
				16 V.S.A.
				§§
											176 -
				176a.
				or any institution of higher education that is accredited by the New England
				association of colleges and secondary schools, or a comparable accrediting
				agency, or any institution accredited by the Vermont state board of nursing as
				provided in 26 V.S.A. §§ 1573-1574 and
				1581.
"Approved college" shall also include any technical school or
				  institution that admits students who have completed the twelfth grade or its
				  equivalent, is legally authorized to provide a program of post-secondary or
				  technical education designed to equip individuals for useful employment in
				  recognized occupations and is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting
				  agency or association or a state accrediting agency or association listed by
				  the United States secretary of education pursuant to
				  20 U.S.C. §
												1085(c)(4) ( P.L. 89-329 )
				  or by any other means of accreditation approved by the state board. It does not
				  include regional technical centers or other institutions that do not offer
				  two-year or four-year postsecondary education degrees.
As used in these regulations, the word "college" means
				  "approved college."
An approved college shall not include a college located more
				  than 75 miles outside of the Vermont border, except when the out-of-state
				  college offers a program in a major in a field of study required to meet the
				  applicant or participating parent's occupational goal and such program
				  is:
-- Not available within Vermont or the 75 mile limit;
				  or
-- Closer to the applicant/participating parent's place of
				  residence than a program within Vermont or the 75-mile limits.
E. Case manager: As used in this
				rule, case manager means a person with that job title or other appropriate
				person designated to perform the case management function.
F. Commissioner: The commissioner of the
				Department for Children and Families or the commissioner's designee.
G. Degree-related job: Any employment related
				to the occupation specified in the last approved PSE plan.
H. Dependent child means a child who:
(1) is a resident of this state;
				and
(2) is under the age of 18
				years; or
(3) is 18 years of age or
				older and meets both of the following two criteria:
(a) is full-time student in a secondary
				school or attends an equivalent level of vocational or technical training,
				and
(b) is reasonably expected to
				complete the educational program before reaching the age of 19 or is not
				expected to complete it before age 19 solely due to a documented
				disability.
I. Family: The parent in a single-parent
				family or both parents in a two-parent family and all minor dependent children
				residing with, cared for by, and in the physical custody of the parent or
				parents full time or no less than 50 percent of the time if in accordance with
				a court-approved shared custody agreement or order.
J. Field directly related to employment: A
				field of study in which employers are most likely to seek graduates to fill
				positions in the occupation specified in the participating parent's PSE plan.
				Employers in this context refer to entities that employ individuals in this
				occupation at sites located in the labor market area in which the participating
				parent plans to seek employment.
K.
				Full-time: Forty (40) hours per week or a position requiring no fewer than
				thirty-five (35) hours of work per week that the employer defines as
				full-time.
L. Good Academic
				Standing: Satisfactory academic progress as determined by the academic policies
				of the college the participating parent is attending.
M. Labor Market Area: The geographic area
				used for this purpose by the Vermont Department of Labor or the comparable
				agency in another state if the participating parent intends to seek employment
				out-of-state.
N. Making Progress
				Toward a Degree: An academic record of the participating parent, during the
				first half of the parent's participation in the program, that demonstrates the
				likelihood the parent will be able to:
(1)
				Complete satisfactorily the college's general requirements for attainment of a
				two-year or four-year postsecondary undergraduate degree and the specific
				requirements for completion of the field of study specified in the PSE plan,
				and
(2) Complete these requirements
				within the schedule in the PSE plan for completion of the degree, taking into
				consideration modifications or extensions approved in accordance with 2406.
Continuation in the program during the last half of the
				  parent's schedule of participation shall be contingent upon an academic record
				  that clearly demonstrates the likelihood that the requirements cited above will
				  be met.
O.
				Matriculating or Matriculated Student: An applicant who is attending, has been
				accepted at or has applied to a two-year or four-year postsecondary
				undergraduate degree program. An applicant who plans to attend the Community
				College of Vermont (CCV) and provides documentation of completion of the CCV
				basic skills assessment and no requirement to take basic skills courses or,
				when this requirement applies, successful completion of these courses; and
				completion of a financial assistance application shall be considered a
				matriculated student.
P.
				Occupation: A specific job title or cluster of related job titles, as listed in
				the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the Occupational Information Network,
				the Occupational Outlook Handbook, or other relevant employment-related
				services or publications.
Q.
				Parent: A biological parent, stepparent, or adoptive parent, as defined by
				state law, who has physical custody of and resides with a dependent child full
				time or no less than 50 percent of the time if in accordance with a
				court-approved shared custody agreement or order. This term includes
				individuals who have entered into civil unions. This term does not include
				pregnant women or caretaker relatives who are not a "parent" within the
				definition above.
R. Participating
				Parent: A parent who is receiving financial assistance and/or case management
				and support services through the PSE program. In a two-parent family, it is the
				parent who is pursuing postsecondary undergraduate degree.
S. Participating Family: A family in which
				one parent is a participating parent.
T. Postsecondary education (PSE): Courses
				taken at an approved college by a matriculated or matriculating student in a
				two-year or four-year postsecondary undergraduate degree program.
U. Postsecondary education program (PSE
				program): A state-funded program of financial assistance, case management, and
				support services to assist parents in eligible families to obtain two-year or
				four-year postsecondary undergraduate degrees in fields of study directly
				related to employment.
V.
				Unable-to-work: Not "able-to-work" and not "able-to-work-part-time."