Section 144-607-16 - PARENTS AS SCHOLARS PROGRAMSummary: Parents as Scholars is a student aid program based on need, for up to 2000 participants, to aid needy students who have dependent children and who are matriculating in post-secondary undergraduate 2-year and 4-year degree-granting programs.
The Department is authorized to operate the Parents as Scholars Program by Maine law (22 M.R.S. Chapter 1054-B, §3790). PaS participants are subject to the 60-month lifetime limit.
II.PHILOSOPHY The Parents as Scholars (PaS) Program is a tool to provide alternative means of achieving self-support for some parents. PaS allows participants to receive a package of financial aid, MaineCare and support services while attending, on a full-time basis (as defined by the educational institution), post-secondary undergraduate 2 and 4-year degree-granting programs. It is recognized as a student financial aid program, while still operating under the same rules as found in the ASPIRE-TANF Program.
III.GENERAL PROVISIONSA.Eligibility Criteria1. Individuals with marketable bachelor's degrees are ineligible for enrollment.2. To the extent that program resources and space permit, enrollment in the program may be granted if the Assessment results in findings as follows:a. That the individual does not possess the necessary skills to obtain employment that will enable the individual to support a family at 85% of the median family income in the State for a family of the same size;b. That, considering potential employment opportunities and local labor market conditions, the post-secondary education sought by the individual will significantly improve the ability of the family to be self-supporting;c. That the individual has the aptitude to complete the proposed post-secondary program successfully. Aptitude is determined on an individual basis, using Assessment procedures from Section 5 and all other relevant information to make an informed decision as to whether or not the individual can realistically succeed in the proposed post-secondary education program; andd. That enrollment is for the pursuit of a degree or certification that is reasonably calculated to lead to a job with at least an average job outlook within the geographic region where the participant lives or plans to live.3. To determine whether a PaS candidate's education path is so reasonably calculated, the Department will rely on the publicly available Maine workforce analysis completed by the Maine Department of Labor. For occupations with a lower than average job outlook within the geographic region where the participant lives or plans to live, educational plans require approval of the Commissioner or the Program Manager of the ASPIRE Program, acting as the Commissioner's designee. a. An applicant who wishes to pursue training or education for an occupation in Maine that has a lower than average job outlook, according to the Department of Labor workforce analysis, may petition by letter to the Commissioner or the Program Manager. The documentation and/or letter of petition must show that the occupation offers high compensation and is in sufficient demand that the applicant is likely to find employment in the region where he or she lives. To make such a showing, the letter should include answers to the following questions: 1. What is the desired job title and description of the job duties?2. What does the typical day on the job include/involve?3. What are the specific job requirements?a. What is the required education level, work experience, and skills?b. Are there physical requirements? If so, what are they?c. What personal characteristics or attributes does someone need to be successful in this job?d. What is the equipment needed to perform this job?4. How does one enter this career? 5. Where would you find employment?6. What are the typical hours?7. How is income earned (i.e. hourly rate, commission, self-employment)?8. What is the likelihood for advancement? What are the steps required for advancement?9. What are the advantages/disadvantages in this job?10. What is the demand for people in this career?B.Participation Requirementsa. An enrollee must participate in a combination of education, training, study or work-site experience for an average of 20 hours per week in the first 24 months of the program.b. Aid under this program may continue beyond 24 months if the enrollee remains in an educational program and agrees to participate in either of the following options: 1. Fifteen hours per week of work-site experience in addition to other education training or study: OR2. A total of 40 hours of education training, study or work-site experience. Both options will be presented to enrollees, and they (enrollees) will be permitted to choose either option. Work-site experience includes, but is not limited to paid employment, work study, practicums, internships, clinical placements, laboratory or field work directly related to the enrollee's employment goal or any other work activity that as determined by the Office for Family Independence, will enhance the enrollee's employability in her/his field of study. In the last semester of the enrollee's educational program, work-site experience may also include resume preparation, employment research, interviews and other activities related to job placement
Study hours are to be counted as 1 times the number of hours enrolled in the educational program. These do not have to be scheduled, supervised study hours; as long as the participant is satisfactorily participating in the educational activity, the study hours are automatically allowed and counted towards the participation requirement.
a. An enrollee receiving aid under this program must be enrolled full-time, with the expectation that the degree (either 2 year or 4 year) will be obtained within the normal time frame for the particular degree and make satisfactory progress as defined in Section 3, III, A of the ASPIRE-TANF Policy Manual. If ASPIRE-TANF determines, with appropriate verification, that "Good Cause" for participating on a less-than-full time basis exists, then the participant will be allowed up to 1.5 times the normal time frame it would take to obtain the 2 or 4-year degree. Unless required by state or federal law, under no circumstances will the time allowed exceed 3 years for a 2-year degree, or 6 years for a 4-year degree. For purposes of this subsection the term "good cause" means circumstances in which the required participation would cause the enrollee to seriously compromise academic performance. Good cause includes, but is not limited to, a verifiable need to take care of a family member with special needs, a physical or mental health problem, illness, accident, death or a serious personal or family problem that necessitates reduced participation or time off from education, training or work. b. The ASPIRE-TANF program may not disapprove an educational plan based solely on the length of the educational program.c. In a two parent household, where both parents are on the TANF grant, one or both parents may apply to participate in the PaS Program. If only one parent is enrolled in the PaS Program, the other parent, if required by TANF regulations to participate in the ASPIRE-TANF Program, will have to participate in countable activities in accordance with Section 3, II. D. This will align the total hours of participation for the 2-parent PaS household with those required of non-PaS, 2-parent households.IV.ADMINISTRATIONA.Enrollment in the PaS Program1. Effective August 1, 1997, all participants who are currently enrolled in 2- and 4-year degree programs will be transferred into the PaS Program.2. Beginning with the effective date of this policy, additional participants will be accepted into the program, until the cap of 2000 participants is reached. At the point that the cap is reached, no new enrollees in the PaS Program will be allowed, until participants leave the program. An Operating Memorandum will be issued that details the process for working with participants who want to enter the program.B.Procedures1.Eligibility for the PaS Program will be determined on an individual basis through the Assessment process.a. An individual may apply for the PaS Program at the time of application for TANF, or any time while receiving TANF benefits.b. Applicants for the PaS Program will be notified in writing of the results of the application, and afforded the same rights to a Fair Hearing as participants in the ASPIRE-TANF Program. The ASPIRE-TANF case manager is responsible for the determination of eligibility based on rules in this Section and applicable Sections in the ASPIRE-TANF Program Rules Manual.2.Services Available to PaS Participantsa. All support services that are available to ASPIRE-TANF participants, including child care, transportation, etc. are available to PaS participants. b. As in the ASPIRE-TANF Program, support services will be provided while the participant is actively engaged in an approved activity. 3.Reduction in ServicesWhen the ASPIRE-TANF Program determines that there is a funding shortage which results in the need to reduce services, the following steps will be taken, depending on the severity of the funding shortage:
a. All Family Contract Amendments will be honored to their completion date. No new participants will be enrolled in the PaS Program until the completion of existing Family Contract Amendments is assured.b. Procedures in Step 1 will apply. In addition, no new Family Contract Amendments will be written for voluntary summer courses which can be taken during the regular academic year.c. Procedures in Step 2 will apply. In addition, termination of Family Contract Amendments will begin, based on length of time necessary to complete the educational program. Participants with the greatest amount of time needed to finish the educational program will be terminated first of all, then proceeding to those participants who have a lesser amount of time needed to complete their educational program.d. In the event of severe funding inadequacy, in which the above steps are not sufficient, all Family Contract Amendments will be immediately terminated.10-144 C.M.R. ch. 607, § 16