10-144-330 Me. Code R. § 1
Advance Notice means a written notice mailed at least twelve (12) days prior to the effective date of an action taken by the HOPE Program.
Agent means the entity under contract with the Department to provide Student Navigation services.
Annual Limit means the maximum amount of Support Service benefits that can be issued during the calendar year from January 1st to December 31st.
Application means a request for HOPE services - that includes the Applicant's full name, mailing address, and manual or electronic signature - on a form required by the Department.
Applicant means an individual who has applied for HOPE, whether or not eligibility has been determined.
Adequate Job Outlook means identified by the Center for Workforce Research and Information within the Department of Labor as having an annual job opening rate of at least 10% or as providing opportunity for employment in high-wage, in-demand jobs in the State at the time of enrollment as published on the Maine Department of Labor's website at that time (A link to this data can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/hope/do-i-qualify1.); or otherwise approved by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.
Career Pathway means a plan for a combination of training and education for career advancement of the individual that helps the individual enter or advance within a specific trade or occupation, and leads to a universally recognized and accepted degree or credential that provides an opportunity for employment in a job with an Adequate Job Outlook; or a verifiable Substantial Improvement in Earnings and Benefits.
Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI) means an agency of the Maine Department of Labor providing research and guidance regarding occupations and employment outlook in the State of Maine.
Credential means a degree, certificate, license, or industry-recognized (or universally recognized and accepted) formal qualification that leads to employment and has labor market value.
Department means the Maine Department of Health and Human Services - Office for Family Independence.
Enrolled means authorized by the Department to receive HOPE Program supports or authorized to continue to receive supports while on Emergency Leave.
Financial Aid Award Letter means a letter provided by the Educational Institution the Applicant or Participant has been accepted to or is matriculated in and details the financial aid package.
Fraud, Investigation and Recovery Unit (FIRU) means the unit within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for investigating allegations of misuse, fraud, and over payments. The unit is responsible for seeking repayment when appropriate or referring the matter to the Attorney General's office for prosecution.
Good Cause means an acceptable reason, or reasons, as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services, for the Applicant or Participant to not comply with a HOPE Program requisite.
Half-time means Matriculation that is at least half of what is considered a full-time course load as determined by the Training or Education Institution.
High-Value Credential means a document, or set of documents, showing completion of a skills-based training program, and outlines the competencies obtained by earning the credential, which address local workforce needs, fill employment pipelines, and provide pathways to growth-oriented jobs.
Industry-Recognized Certificate means a professional certificate that is recognized in the labor market, is portable across state borders, and is a valid assessment of students' skills related to a particular industry or occupation.
Intentional Program Violation (IPV) means when an individual has purposely misused "cash or benefits" and/or misrepresented actual circumstances in order to receive benefits, and the individual would not have been eligible had the proper information been provided.
Lifetime Limit means the maximum amount of a benefit, service, or exception offered during the course of a Participant's lifetime.
Matriculation means acceptance to and official registration as at least a half-time student with the Training or Education Institution. For a Participant who previously met the Matriculation requirement, and has completed that program, registration in a licensing exam or test preparation course related to requirements for their credential or participation in a final clinical, field placement, or externship will also be considered matriculation.
Minor Child means a child under the age of eighteen (18); or if aged eighteen (18), a full-time student in a high school or an equivalent instruction alternative leading to a high school diploma.
Outstanding Tuition and Fees means tuition and fees incurred and still owed to a Training or Educational Institution before acceptance in the HOPE Program.
Parental Responsibilitymeans rights and privileges that an individual has with a child and involves assuming day-to-day care, decision-making and financial responsibilities for the child.
Parents as Scholars (PaS) means a program implemented by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services that helps low-income parents in associate or bachelor's degree programs.
Participant means an individual who has been determined eligible for, and is enrolled in, HOPE.
Part-time means an employment status that is less than full time and has, at a minimum, an average of 15 hours worked weekly.
Remedial Services means a preparatory course, or program, that fulfills a requirement of the postsecondary Training or Education Institution as necessary to matriculate in the Training or Education Program.
Short-Term Occupational Training Program (also "Training Program") means a postsecondary program that generally is completed in one year or less and provides specific training that leads to a high-value credential or industry-recognized certificate.
Specified Relative means a person related to the minor child within the fifth degree of kinship by blood, marriage, or adoption who lives with the child; a legal guardian or Indian Custodian who lives with the child.
Stackable Credential means part of a sequence of credentials earned along a specific Career Pathway that can be accumulated over time to increase an individual's qualifications and help build the Career Pathway to more sustainable employment.
Student means an individual who is matriculated in and attending a Training or Education Program.
Substantial Improvement in Earnings and Benefits means either
Universally Recognized and Accepted means acknowledged, accepted, and valued by the majority of employers within the individual's geographic region and trade of choice as aligning with skill needs of industries in the economy of the State or regional economy involved.
Unmet Need means a need demonstrated to be directly related to successful completion of the Training or Education Program in excess of available funding from all other federal, state, public, private, and institutional sources of aid, excluding loans or federal work study.
Weekly Limit means the maximum amount of a Support Service benefits that can be issued during a seven-day period from Sunday to Saturday.
Working Age means those aged 16 through 64.
1 Individuals unable to access this link may request the information from the HOPE Program by mailing a request to DHHS OFI-HOPE Program, 11 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; calling (207) 624-4170; faxing a request to (207) 287-3455; or e-mailing a request to HOPE.DHHS@maine.gov.
2 Individuals unable to access this link may request the information from the HOPE Program by mailing a request to DHHS OFI-HOPE Program, 11 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; calling (207) 624-4170; faxing a request to (207) 287-3455; or e-mailing a request to HOPE.DHHS@maine.gov
3 Individuals unable to access this link may request the information from the HOPE Program by mailing a request to DHHS OFI-HOPE Program, 11 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; calling (207) 624-4170; faxing a request to (207) 287-3455; or e-mailing a request to HOPE.DHHS@maine.gov
10-144 C.M.R. ch. 330, § 1