Post-secondary education is a specific educational program at a college or university. The completion of post-secondary education leads to the attainment of a baccalaureate degree. Post-graduate programs may not be approved in the Self-Sufficiency Contract.
Post-secondary education is limited to that which is directly related to the fulfillment of an individual's occupational goal. Post-secondary education programs that can be included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract must be for occupations that facilitate economic self-sufficiency. In order for post-secondary education to be included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract, the participant must demonstrate that the educational program will lead to economic self-sufficiency within the individual's time limits. The participant and case manager must have substantiating labor market information.
A post-secondary education program cannot be included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract if the participant has a skill that can be marketed and can be reasonably expected to provide a wage leading to economic self-sufficiency in the current, area-specific labor market and the participant is physically, mentally and emotionally able to utilize those skills through employment. The case manager may need to assist the participant in this process
Before post-secondary education can be approved and included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract, the participant must apply for student financial aid or have other financial resources available to pay for the cost of schooling. If the participant elects to apply for student loans, see 468 NAC 2-016 for treatment in the budget.
If the participant is ineligible for student financial aid because of a default on a student loan, the Self-Sufficiency Contract cannot contain post-secondary education until the loan is rehabilitated through arrangements made with the lending institution. The case manager may need to assist the participant in this process.
The cost of post-secondary education may not be paid with program money except under special circumstances.
The case manager must submit a request to the EF Unit in Central Office for authorization to provide payment for this type of expense, i.e. tuition, books, fees, supplies, and equipment.
In order to ensure that participation in post-secondary education is meaningful and productive, the participant must be in good standing and making good or satisfactory progress in his/her educational activity using the educational institution’s standard. There must be demonstrated progress using a qualitative measure (grade point average) and a quantitative measure (time frame within which the individual is expected to complete his/her educational program). The Self-Sufficiency Contract must detail the qualitative and quantitative measures. Daily supervision is required.
For information on study time that can count as actual hours of participation in this component, see 468-000-307.
Post-secondary education counts as vocational training for up to 12 months, see 468 NAC 2-020.07G.
{12/2/06}