Ky.gov
Effective: 8/1/2023

4.28.4 Higher Education Assistance

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​

Practice Guidance

  • The post-secondary institution submits the DPP-333-Tuition Waiver for Foster and Adopted Children to central office and requests confirmation of the youth’s eligibility. 
  • Re-submittal of the DPP-333 is necessary when the youth transfers to another public post-secondary institution in Kentucky. 
  • If the youth is determined by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS) to be ineligible for a tuition waiver, he/she may request an administrative hearing. 
  • Committed youth must be placed with a private child-caring (PCC) scattered site program to live in student housing on a college campus.
  • A youth must be at least age seventeen and a half (17 ½) years old to be approved to live in campus housing. 
  • ​A memo must be sent to the Transitional Services Branch for youth aged seventeen and a half (17 ½) up to age eighteen (18) requesting placement in student housing on a college campus. The memo should be sent through the regional independent living specialists (ILS), through the Transitional Services Branch manager, to the director of the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP). Youth aged eighteen (18) and older do not need approval from central office and should follow normal regional placement practices.
  • The SSW should specify independent living program (ILP) search and what school the youth will be attending when completing the DPP-886A Application for Referral and Needs Assessment if the youth is requesting to live in a dorm setting. 
  • The following guidelines apply to youth applying for education assistance through the DPP-103 Application for Education Assistance for Youth Committed to CHFS-DCBS (not a tuition waiver): 
      • The youth must be committed to the Cabinet and be placed in out-of-home care (OOHC); 
      • The youth must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and exhaust all other available forms of financial assistance prior to applying for education assistance; 
      • Expenses that may be considered for education assistance include: 
        • Books; 
        • Supplies; 
        • Dormitory; 
        • Meal plan; 
        • Other reasonable fees not covered by financial aid; and 
        • Vocational programs not available through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). 
      • Youth living on campus must select the most cost efficient housing and meal plan options if requesting education assistance.
      • Expenses accrued through the negligence of the student may be denied.
      • A separate request should be submitted for each semester and the summer session.
      • Request for education assistance must be made within the semester the debt is acquired and assistance will not be approved for previous debt accumulated; 
      • The maximum education assistance for youth living on campus is up to five thousand dollars ($5,000). 
      • Students must maintain good academic standing to be eligible for education assistance.

Procedure

If the youth is eligible for a tuition waiver as established in KRS, KAR:
  1. The SSW or ILS will provide the youth with the DPP-333 Tuition Waiver for Foster and Adopted Children, which is presented to the post-secondary institution. The waiver should be submitted to the institution at least six (6) weeks prior to the start of classes.
If the youth is committed (includes extended or reinstated): The SSW:
  1. Submits a memo to central office to seek approval for any youth between the age of seventeen and a half (17.5) and eighteen (18) to live in a college dorm setting; 
  2. Submits a DPP-886A Application for Referral and Needs Assessment for a youth requesting to live in a dorm setting and will specify ILP search and the school the youth plans to attend on the form. 
  3. Notifies the regional ILS when a youth's plan is to attend a school and live in campus housing. at least six (6) weeks prior to the start of classes, when a youth has been approved to live in a dorm setting. 
  4. Notifies the ILS when a youth is requesting education assistance to complete a vocational training program. Requests for education assistance should only be submitted to the Division of Administration and Financial Management (DAFM) by the Chafee program administrator.
The ILS:
  1. Supports the youth in selecting a post-secondary institution or vocational program and assist with the college and financial aid application porcess.  
  2. Meets with youth seeking to live in a dorm setting to confirm that all applicable tasks are complete and that youth understands the Cabinet's expectation for committed youth living on campus; 
  3. Submits the DPP-103 Application for Education Assistance to the Chafee program administrator at least three (3) weeks prior to the start of classes for youth who are seeking education assistance.
The Chafee Program Administrator in central office:
  1. Returns the verified DPP-333 Tuition Waiver for Foster and Adopted Children to the requesting institution within thirty (30) working days of its receipt; and
  2. ​​​Approves the DPP-103 and submits to DAFM.




Documents

Revisions

​8/1/2023 Addition: 

  • Committed youth must be placed with a private child caring (PCC) scattered site program to live in student housing on a college campus.
  • A youth must be at least age seventeen and a half (17 ½) to be approved to live in campus housing. 
  • A memo must be sent to the Transitional Services Branch for youth aged seventeen and a half (17 ½) up to age eighteen (18) requesting placement student housing on a college campus. The memo should be sent through the regional independent living specialists, through the Transitional Services Branch manager, to the director of the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP). Youth aged eighteen (18) and older do not need approval from central office and should follow normal regional placement practices.
  • The SSW should specify independent living program (ILP) search and what school the youth will be attending when completing the DPP-886A Application for Referral and Needs Assessment if the youth is requesting to live in a dorm setting. 
  • Will submit a memo to central office to seek approval for any youth between the age of seventeen and a half (17.5) and eighteen (18) under the age of eighteen (18) to live in a college dorm setting; ​
8/1/2023 Deletion: 
  • A committed youth living in a dorm setting will be provided monthly maintenance payments in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) per month. Payments can be made to the youth as one lump sum for the semester, or in monthly installments. 

  • Youth living on campus must select the most cost efficient housing and meal plan options if requesting education tuition assistance;

  • The maximum education assistance for youth living on campus is up to five thousand dollares (5,000)two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per semester;​ 
  • The maximum education assistance for youth completing a short-term training or vocational program is five thousand dollars ($5,000); and 
3.  Will notify the regional ILS when a youth's plan is to attend a university and live in campus housing. at least six (6) weeks prior to the start of classes, when a youth has been approved to live in a dorm setting. ​

​1.  Will support the youth in selecting a post-secondary institution or vocational program and assist with the college and financial aid application porcess.  applying for all appropriate forms of financial assistance; ​

3.  Will support the youth in selecting a post-secondary institution or vocational program and assist with the college and financial aid application porcess.  applying for all appropriate forms of financial assistance; 
​3.  Submits the Request for Monthly Maintenance Payment Request to the Chafee program administrator at least three (3) weeks prior to the start of classes, for youth living in dorm settings, ; and 
2.  Approves the Request for Monthly Maintenance Payments form and submits to DAFM for payment; and ​