California Community CollegesComparison of

CalWORKs, EOPS and CARE Chancellor’sOffice Programs

October 2015 CCCEOPSA Conference

Presenters:Janet Fulton – jfulton@cccco.edu

Kelly Gornik – kgornik@cccco.edu

Cristina Mora – cmora@cccco.edu

Overview of today’s presentation will compare the following areas in each of the programs:

Purpose:  Student Eligibility: Coordination Requirements Services Provided Educational and Employment-Related Services: Allowable Expenses:Funding Source and Definitions:

The California Community Colleges offer various programs to assist low-income students in achieving their educational and career goals.

These programs include the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS), and the Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) programs.

Although program goals, services, and eligibility requirements differ, collaboration and coordination between CalWORKs, EOPS and CARE are encouraged to ensure that students receive comprehensive, non-duplicative support from the programs for which they are eligible.

California Community Colleges Programs that serve low-income

students:

Similarities and Differences of the Programs

While there are similarities between the programs, they are distinctly different in the following ways:

Purpose: The intent of the CalWORKs program is ultimately employment, while the primary focus of EOPS and CARE is to assist students achieve academic success by offering educational support services to enhance persistence, retention, graduation and transfer goals.

Purpose of Each Program:

CalWORKs program serves students to transition from public assistance to economic self-sufficiency (employment)…

EOPS program serve students to achieve academic success by offering support services to enhance persistence, retention, graduation and transfer goals…

CARE program serves students to achieve academic success by offering support services to enhance persistence, retention, graduation and transfer goals and to help them transition from public assistance to economic self-sufficiency…

Student Eligibility Requirements: Students may meet requirements in each program and may be served by each program…but not all CalWORKs students are eligible for EOPS and/or CARE services—over 60% of CalWORKs students do not qualify based on full-time credit eligibility and other requirements. Students who are timed out or no longer receiving CalWORKs/TANF cash aid for themselves may still be eligible for CARE, if they meet EOPS/CARE program eligibility requirements.

The following are the differences for eligibility for each of the programs:

Cal Works Student Eligibility:

CalWORKs/TANF recipient parents who are attending college as a part of their welfare-to-work activities

Must be receiving the adult portion of the TANF grant

Must have a dependent child under the age of 18 living in the home

Must be enrolled in the college and a course at the beginning of the term.

Can serve students who have left TANF cash aid within the past two years and must be working (full-time or on a Limited Basis)

EOPS Student Eligibility:

Must be a California resident or eligible for California Dream Act (AB 130 and AB 131)

Must be eligible for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver (A, B, or C with zero EFC) Must be educationally disadvantaged as defined by Title 5, section 56220 and Chancellor's Office

Must be enrolled in minimum of 12 credit units (full-time status) at time of acceptance into EOPS

Must not have completed more than 70 degree- applicable units (excluding basic skills, remedial education and ESL units)

CARE Student Eligibility:

Must be eligible for EOPS and meet additional CARE requirements:

Must be single head of household (i.e., one-parent assistance unit)

Must have at least one dependent child under age 14 at time of acceptance into CARE

Parent or child must be current CalWORKs, TANF or Tribal TANF cash aid recipient

Must be at least 18 years old Safety net provided to students who no longer receive CalWORKs/TANF/Tribal TANF cash aid, but whose dependent children still do

Coordination Requirements (CR):

All programs are required by law to collaborate, or create advisory groups with other campus programs or the Department of Social Services county office local county welfare department to coordinate services.

The following are the requirements for each program:

CalWORKs Coordination Requirements:

Programs are required by law to coordinate with the County Welfare Department (CWD)—the CWD is a required signature on the college’s annual program plan and programs are required to coordinate services directly with the local county welfare department and other campus programs that serve the same students

Coordination & collaborative relationships are encouraged and should be established to better serve CalWORKs students programs should establish working groups, advisory groups with other campus programs, and community programs as well as local and campus employers.

Because policy requirements of the program regarding collaboration with the county offices the campuses are required to submit their annual program plan to the county office for signature.

EOPS Coordination Requirements:

The program is required to create an EOPS advisory committee by Title 5, section 56208 to meet at least once per academic year;

Purpose is to assist in developing and maintaining an effective EOPS program; shall consist of no fewer members than the local board of trustees; should include representatives from college personnel, EOPS students, local or feeder high schools, community and business sector, and 4-year colleges where possible.

CARE Coordination Requirements:

The program is required to have an advisory committee that meets at least twice annually. However, flexibility exists in the type of committee established; a CARE advisory committee, a joint EOPS/CARE advisory committee, a CARE subcommittee of the EOPS advisory committee or an interagency group may all suffice. Flexibility does not exist in the composition committee members. It shall include representatives from the local county welfare department, local Tribal TANF program, community, business sector, CARE student population and others determined by the college CARE coordinator.

Services Provided by Each Program:

Education and Employment-Related Services: Because CalWORKs, EOPS and CARE programs focus on education and employment, EOPS and CARE funds can be used for all approved educational purposes and CalWORKs funds for all approved educational and work related purposes such as work-study, childcare, books, supplies, meal tickets, transportation. However, not all programs offer all the same services.

Allowable Expenses:Funds may not duplicate or supplant any federal, state, or institutional aid to which students may be entitled. Any funds spent on individuals, services or other program expenses are allowable only if the expenditure has direct responsibility for coordinating the day to day activities of the program or are used for direct services to fulfil the educational needs of the students enrolled in the programs In planning and building the categorical program budgets…Such as the program expenses, program directors/coordinators must ensure that the costs are reasonable and not excessive, and that program expenses support the educational goals and welfare-to-work plans of the student in each of the programs. Program directors/coordinators are required to become familiar with their college’s procurement practices and to adhere to those guidelines.

Programs should coordinate the purchase of computer equipment with the campus-wide operation to assure the compatibility of equipment and efforts. If equipment is no longer needed or is being replaced, refer to the district/college policy regarding surplus.

CalWORKs: Counseling - Academic, Career and Personal Case management and tracking of student progress

Supportive services to students including but not limited to books, computer equipment loan program, transportation, and educational supplies. Workshops and Training for students on resume writing, how to interview, etc.

Work-Study - jobsChild care Post-Employment

Services are provided to eligible students in a non-duplicative manner over, above and in addition to what all other college students receive

EOPS: Academic, Career & Personal Counseling Support services to eligible students, including but not limited to: textbook vouchers, tutoring, transportation, child care, educational supplies, and/or transfer/career activities needed for retention and academic success

Grants and EOPS work-study (optional)Child care assistance to children of EOPS students

Services are provided to eligible students in a non-duplicative manner over, above and in addition to what all other college students receive 

 

CARE: Supplemental Academic, Career and Personal Counseling

Support services including but not limited to: textbook vouchers, tutoring, transportation, child care, educational supplies, and other assistance needed for retention and academic success

Supplemental child care assistance to children of CARE students not provided by other resources

Services are provided to students in a non-duplicative manner over, above and in addition to what all other college students receive

CalWORKs Allowable Expenses: Expenses needed for retention and academic success include but not limited to salaries/benefits of employees assigned to the CalWORKs program, such as director/coordinator, counselors, peer advisors, tutors, and other support staff, textbooks, instructional supplies and materials, supplies for the program, outreach and recruitment materials,

CalWORKs related trainings and conferences for CalWORKs staff and students, food/beverages for students at educational activities, and a year-end recognition event, equipment, lending library, transportation services, child care services, and school supplies.. Speaker fees, work-study-salaries Childcare.

EOPS Allowable Expenses: Expenses needed for retention and academic success include but not limited to salaries/benefits of employees assigned to the EOPS/CARE programs, such as counselors, peer advisors, tutors, and other support staff, and textbooks, grants, instructional supplies and materials, supplies for the program, outreach and recruitment materials, EOPS-related trainings and conferences for EOPS staff and EOPS students, food/beverages for students at EOPS educational activities, computer equipment, furniture, transportation services, child care services, school supplies, meal tickets. uniforms required by educational programs, fingerprinting fees, university application fees, transcript fees, vocational certification board examination fees, student identification cards and student health fees.

CARE Allowable Expenses: CARE funds activities that are over and above what is already provided CARE students through EOPS. Additionally, CARE funds may not duplicate or supplant any federal, state, or institutional aid to which CARE students may be entitled. Allowable expenses may include child care, campus parking, bus passes, basic auto repair, gas cards, transportation services, textbooks (supplementing EOPS only), school supplies, campus meal vouchers, uniforms required by educational programs, fingerprinting fees, university application fees, transcript fees, vocational certification board examination fees, student identification cards and student health fees.

Funding Source:The funding sources may be a combination of funds from the State of California and the Federal Government. Funds are distributed through the allocation process, based on a standard base allocation for each college plus the number of eligible students:

CalWORKs Base – $125,000 per collegeEOPS Base – $50,000 per college CARE Base- $10,000 per college

Additional funds will be allocated to each school based on the number of eligible students enrolled or served by program.

CalWORKs Funding Sources:

CW Program funds (Prop 98)Works-study (Prop 98)Child Care (Prop 98)TANF (Federal funds)

Funds allocated to the program for CW Program, and Work-Study – require a dollar for dollar match.

Child Care and TANF funds do not require a dollar for dollar match.

Please note: Proposition 98 funds are State funds identified in the annual state of California Budget.

EOPS Funding Sources:

Proposition 98 Funds in the State Budget Act;

District funds, college general fund and non-general funds for specific “over and above” EOPS activities and services;

District backfill, one-time or temporary district funds specifically to cover shortfalls in the EOPS budget.

Other funding sources including SSSP and Student Equity

Definition of funds is similar for CARE

CARE Funding Sources

Proposition 98 Funds in the State Budget Act; district funds, college general fund and non-general funds for specific “over and above” EOPS activities and services; district backfill, one-time or temporary district funds specifically to cover shortfalls in the EOPS budget.

Other funding sources including SSSP and Student Equity

Definition of funds is similar for EOPS

Questions and Answers

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