County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSAGeneral Relief Program Guide GRPG Students Number Page 9070016 1 of 5 Revision Date December 1 2021 A BackgroundThis section provides information on the treatment of students in the General Relief GR Program Purpose This section has been reformatted References to the CW 7 periodic report have been removed guidance has been added regarding online courses and references to the 1153 HHSA have been removed and replaced with the CSF 37 School Attendance Verification Policy B Student Eligibility and Employability All AbleBodied AB or AB with restrictions fulltime college and university students shall be ineligible to receive GR The restriction shall not be applied to Unemployable UE Incapacitated Program IP or Interim Assistance Program IAP students All eligible students whether parttime or fulltime AB UE IP or IAP shall be required to apply for any available student income Fulltime high school students will receive their prorated grant for the first month upon being found eligible The full monthly grant maximum grant less any income including the Medical Inkind will be issued by Electronic Benefit Transfer EBT once per month thereafter if the student cooperates and remains eligible Continued eligibility is verified each month School verification is due by the 5th of each month If continued eligibility exists the aid payment for the future month will be generated C Definitions The table below shows definitions of terms used in this section Term Definition Ineligible students Include fulltime AB or AB with restrictions students enrolled or attending a college or university or other institution in a program leading up to a postsecondary or graduate degree and parttime collegeuniversity students who are enrolled in weekday classes between the hours of 600 AM and 600 PM Postsecondary Includes all State Colleges and Universities and all similar private facilities education engaged in providing educational opportunities leading to a posthigh school degree Postsecondary education shall not include General Educational Development GED or Adult Education Programs Fulltime students 12 semester units 12 quarter units 24 clock hours per week 24 semester credit hours 36 quarter credit hours Parttime Attend school less than fulltime as defined above students County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSAGeneral Relief Program Guide GRPG Students Number Page 9070016 2 of 5 Students taking online courses must clarify if the course curriculum is between the weekday hours of 600 AM and 600 PM determine eligibility based on the definition of ineligible students above D AB College Students All fulltime AB or AB with restrictions college students are ineligible for GR Parttime AB or AB with restrictions collegeuniversity students who attend classes on weekdays between 600 AM and 600 PM are ineligible to GR Fulltime AB or AB with restrictions students shall not be eligible for GR during periods of school recess during the school year for example Easter Christmas semester breaks However during periods of summer vacation the student may be eligible for GR but there must be a sufficient period minimum of 12 workdays before school reconvenes to allow the applicant to complete the Employable Program requirements E High School Students Fulltime AB or AB with restrictions high school students as defined by the school shall be exempt from Work Project WP assignment These students are required to complete 12 hours of Supervised Job Search SJS contacts per month Parttime AB or AB with restrictions high school students as defined by the school shall be required to complete a WP assignment and 2 hours of SJS will apply Parttime high school students shall be found to have good cause for failing to accept a bona fide offer of employment if the employment would conflict with high school classes Verification of high school status and attendance shall be provided by the applicant on form CSF 37 That form is provided to the applicant by the Preapplication Human Services Specialist HSS during the Preapplication interview Thereafter this form is provided monthly for completion High school students shall not be considered exempt from any Employable Program requirements during summer vacation F Student in Trade Technical Vocational or Rehabilitative Training Fulltime or parttime AB or AB with restrictions students participating in approved unpaid Trade Technical Vocational or Rehabilitative training programs must complete the WP and SJS There is no WP or SJS exemption for these students These students may maintain eligibility for a maximum of six months or upon completion or termination of the training program whichever occurs first G Examples of Acceptable Training Programs Examples of acceptable Trade Technical Vocational or Rehabilitative training programs or schools may include any nonacademic school or training program which is centered on teaching a job skill rather than education These types of schooltraining may include Business Secretarial and Court Reporting Schools Computer Technology Training Cosmetology Beauty Barber and Modeling Schools Drafting Insurance Real Estate Management and other professional schools or training programs Vocational training programs offered through junior or community colleges County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSAGeneral Relief Program Guide GRPG Students Number Page 9070016 3 of 5 Industrial Arts and Trades Schools State Department of Rehabilitation programs for the handicapped physical or mental disabilities Regional Occupational Program ROP classes Vocational Training offered through other agencies H Examples of Unacceptable Training Programs The following are examples of training programs which are not acceptable Classes or programs of instruction leading to a postsecondary or graduate degree or certificate programs Correspondence or home study courses Television courses Bible Training or religious schooling Questionable school or training programs shall be reviewed and approved or disapproved by the Family Resource Center FRC Manager based upon individual case circumstances I Refugee Employment Services RESWorkforce Investment Act WIA Participants WP and SJS requirements will be deferred for RES and WIA participants J Verification of Training Verification of participation and attendance in training programs shall be provided by the applicant on form CSF 37 The form shall be provided to applicants by the Preapplication HSS during the Preapplication interview Thereafter the CSF 37 will be issued the following month The CSF 37 must be turned in monthly by the 5th of each month K Students in English as a Second Language ESL Students attending and participating in ESL classes at least 15 hours per week who do not speak either English or Spanish and who are within their first 24 months of their date of entry will be required to complete a WP assignment and all SJS requirements Students in ESL who have a conflict with WP hours will be assigned to evening or weekend WP sites when those work sites are available There is no WP exemption for students in ESL Examples of various types of approved ESL classes include Orientation ESL Beginning ESL Intermediate ESL ESL classes may be conducted by community colleges or other institutions Verification of ESL status and attendance will be provided by the applicant on form CSF 37 The form will be provided to applicants by the Preapplication HSS during the Preapplication interview Thereafter the CSF 37 will be issued for the following month County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSAGeneral Relief Program Guide GRPG Students Number Page 9070016 4 of 5 L Sanction Policy Students attending high school training programs or ESL classes who have an exemption or reduced SJS requirements and who fail without good cause to attend high school training programs or ESL classes will be temporarily ineligible for further GR as an Employable recipient for a period of one month M Good Cause for NonAttendance Because school programs require more hours of attendance than normal WPSJS greater flexibility shall be allowed for nonattendance In general two days absence per month may be allowed without good cause More than two days of absence will require good cause or a onemonth sanction will be applied Good cause for nonattendance may include verification of the following circumstances beyond control of the recipient A medical emergency hospitalization or doctors appointment or personalhousehold illness or crisis on the day of the absence The recipient was incapacitated during the absence Incarceration arrest jail or required court related appointments such as appointments with attorneys probation or parole officers or appearances in court A job interview The customer started a job or paid training or had a temporary job Circumstances beyond the recipients control that would indicate other substantial and compelling reasons for failure to attend These situations shall be reviewed by the FRC Manager If Then the there was no good HSS must evaluate if the failure to attend was due to negligence This cause means nonattendance due to carelessness haste oversight forgetfulness lack of attention or misunderstanding from an individual who is willing to comply with program requirements no good cause is nonattendance is willful and the sanction may be imposed found and there was no negligence N Student Reapplications When a students case closes and the student then reapplies for GR a form CSF 37 must be submitted for the month of discontinuance so a determination can be made if continued eligibility existed or if a onemonth sanction should be applied Procedures None Program ImpactsNone References County Policy County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSAGeneral Relief Program Guide GRPG Students Number Page 9070016 5 of 5 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance by November 30 2024 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director SelfSufficiency Services