Clearance #5156 Title: Fiscal: Professional Education Program (To comment, please click inside the red box)

Transcription

1 Bob Taft Governor Tom Hayes Director 30 East Broad Street Columbus, Ohio Clearance #5156 Title: Fiscal: Professional Education Program (To comment, please click inside the red box) To: From: Subject: All Administrative Procedure Manual Holders County Departments of Job and Family Services Thomas J. Hayes, Director, ODJFS Professional Education Program The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Employee and Business Services, Bureau of Professional Development and Quality Services administers the Professional Education Program throughout Ohio. The Professional Education Program aligns training cost with federal funding so that county agencies can access Federal Financial Participation (FFP) for the administration of approved job-related training. County employees must take approved courses in order to be eligible for reimbursement; Courses must be provided by institutions approved by the Ohio Board of Regents and accredited by the North Central Association of colleges and schools; Applicants may be required to provide evidence of institutional accreditation; County agency directors or designees must establish county participation guidelines, policy An Equal Opportunity Employer

2 and application processing that are compliant with state and federal rules and regulations; County employees enrolled in courses approved for tuition reimbursement may be responsible for payment of tuition to the eligible college/university; Employees will be reimbursed after successful course completion by the county; The county will be reimbursed the FFP rate of tuition and the cost of course required books based on the worker type; The county agency will report tuition reimbursement by financial code; ODJFS will process reimbursements on a quarterly basis; All reimbursements will be deposited to the appropriate county fund; and County agencies will provide the required FFP cash match for county employees. Questions regarding the Professional Education Program should directed to: Alphrena D. Prince Section Chief, Personnel Development Bureau of Professional Development and Quality Services Questions regarding financial codes and FFP should be directed the Bureau of County Finance and Technical Assistance at (614) TJH:TWB/twb An Equal Opportunity Employer

3 5101: Professional education program. Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS), employee and business services, bureau of professional development and quality services, administers the professional education program throughout Ohio. This program was designed to meet the training and educational needs of Ohio's job and family service employees. (A) Funding Course applications are approved at the discretion of the county agency director of designee, and are contingent upon the availability of funds. If funding is not available ODJFS is not responsible for the reimbursement of previously approved courses which have not commenced. Participating employees will receive notice of funding availability from ODJFS. Federal financial participation (FFP) is the percentage rate reimbursed to the county agency based on worker type. Percentage rates will be posted annually on the ODJFS innerweb site. The county agency is responsible for the non-federal share. The financial code is established by worker type. Reimbursements must be deposited to the appropriate county fund. ODJFS will process county reimbursements on a quarterly basis. Children services reimbursements will be done on a county specific basis. When a county agency receives donated funds from an external source, those funds must be deposited into the appropriate county fund so the county agency can make and report the 100% disbursement. ODJFS will conduct an annual audit of this program. (B) Purpose The professional education program provides federally mandated formal education and training for county departments of job and family services, child support enforcement, and children services employees. (C) Eligibility The professional education program may be utilized by all permanent full time and permanent part time county departments of job and family services, child support enforcement and children services employees who are seeking approval for educational or training opportunities related to the job duties performed or to be performed by the person trained, and be consistent with the program objectives of ODJFS. (1) Applicant eligibility - employees must currently hold permanent positions in active pay status. Employees must be in active pay status for the duration of the course. (a) Active pay status conditions are in accordance with rule 5101: of the Administrative Code under which an employee is eligible to receive pay, including, but not limited to vacation leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, compensatory time, holidays, and personal leave. (2) Course eligibility - Courses must be job-related and increase the employee's skill and/or knowledge relating to the present job or career ladder of the present position held by the employee at the time of the course instruction. Approval of courses is based on standards defined by 45 C.F.R and The FFP rate of tuition for individual courses will be

4 paid through the professional education program, provided one or more of the following requirements are met: (a) The course is related to job duties which are currently performed or will be performed by the person to be trained and is consistent with the program objectives of the agency as determined by the employee's immediate supervis or and confirmed by the county director or designee. (b) The course is needed to improve the operation of a federal program as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the agency director or designee. (c) The course reinforces basic knowledge and develops the required skills for the performance of a specific function within the employee's current job duties as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the agency director or designee. (d) The course provides additional knowledge and skills required to meet changes such as enactment of new legislation, development of new policies, or shifts in program emphasis as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the agency director or designee. (3) College/university eligibility (a) Reimbursement may be requested for education received at an institution authorized by the Ohio board of regents and accredited by the north central association of colleges and schools, with state colleges and universities. (b) Distance learning courses offered by an institution authorized by the Ohio board of regents and accredited by the north central association of colleges and schools, are eligible for reimbursement. Applicants may be required to provide evidence of institutional accreditation at the time of the reimbursement request. (D) Participation guidelines County agency directors or designees are responsible for establishing county participation guidelines, policy, and application processing that are in compliance with this rule regarding the county professional education program. County agency directors may require county employees enrolled in courses approved for tuition reimbursement to pay tuition to the eligible institution. Employees will be reimbursed after successful completion of approved courses by the county. Counties will be reimbursed the federal financial participation rate that is based on successful completion and worker type. County agencies are required to provide the non-ffp cash match for county employees. The county is responsible for maintaining a record of successful course completions by county employees. (E) Allowable training/courses Enrollment into the following training and courses are supported through the professional education program. (1) Job-relatedness - courses related to the job duties performed or to be performed by the person trained. These courses are consistent with the program objectives of ODJFS; (2) Successful completion - approved education courses will be reimbursed for tuition only upon successful completion. Final grade level pass/fail: undergraduate A, B, C, or P; graduate A, B, or P; reimbursement will not be made for courses which are not completed satisfactorily.

5 (F) Criteria for Approval Approval for the aforementioned courses are based on standards defined by the 45 C.F.R and and must meet one of the following requirements: (1) A course program is related to job duties performed or to be performed by the persons trained and is consistent with the program objectives of the agency as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county agency director or designee; (2) A course is needed to improve the operation of a federal program as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county agency director or designee; (3) A course reinforces basic knowledge and develops required skills for performance of a specific function within the employee's current position, as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county agency director or designee; and (4) A course provides additional knowledge and skills required to meet changes such as enhancement of new legislation, development of new policies or shifts in program emphasis as determined by the employee's immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county agency director or designee. (G) Non-allowable training/courses/items/withdrawals The following activities and items are not supported through funding: (1) Items such as parking fees, late fees, application or registration fees, etc.; (2) Travel expenses to and from the sponsoring institution; (3) Credit hours exceeding twelve per quarter/semester; (4) Non residence (out of state) fees; (5) Courses not "successfully" completed. Approved education courses and the cost of course required books will be reimbursed the FFP rate for tuition only upon successful completion; and (6) Courses taken by an employee utilizing "life experience" for credit.