135.33 Under Age 18 Exemption (ETP Status Code 51)

An individual under 18 years of age pursuing a high school diploma or General Equivalency Degree/High School Equivalency (GED/HSE ) is exempt unless the individual is married or the single minor head of household.

Any program that will grant a high school diploma or equivalent is considered an appropriate school. This includes cyber charter schools and special education for students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) with supervised education or vocational training approved by the authorities of the school district or by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) .

A parent or caretaker’s statement that a child under 18 is attending school is acceptable verification to establish a child’s exemption from RESET program requirements unless there is contradictory or conflicting evidence. Statements from school officials about school attendance can serve as verification of enrollment if enrollment status is questionable .

Individuals not enrolled in school at application or renewal will have 30 days to verify participation in high school or a program leading to a certificate of high school equivalency.

If an individual enrolls in high school or a program leading to a certificate of high school equivalency during the summer recess or any other scheduled break, the enrollment is acceptable until the educational program begins. The parent or caretaker must give verification of participation when the program begins.

NOTE: High school students will not have their activity hours tracked. For high school students who are 18 years old that have an active Project Enrollment screen please enter the Indicator Tracking Code 74. This tracking code will be used to identify TANF eligible children aged 18 and currently enrolled in high school, to include students on summer vacation who expect to re-enroll in high school for the next regular term. Using this code will properly remove these students from the Zero Hour Alert that is issued on the 11th of the month.

Individuals who are under 18 years of age and pass the GED/HSE exam will be required to participate in other work or work-related activities after they pass the exam even if they have not yet received the actual certificate of high school equivalency. Individuals under age 18 who cease to participate in a program leading to a certificate of high school equivalency lose their exemption and must be enrolled in RESET. In these cases:

An AMR must be completed with the individual and signed by the parent/caretaker when the individual does not meet the criteria for signing their own AMR See Chapter 107.2, The Agreement of Mutual Responsibility .

The AMR must list the individual’s responsibility to participate in one or more of the following:

Education leading to a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency;

An approved work activity; or

30 hours per week of work.

If the individual under 18 years of age willfully and without good cause fails to participate in one of the above, they may be subject to sanction. In this instance, only the individual under 18 years of age is subject to sanction. See Section 135.7, Non-Compliance with RESET Requirements .

O nce the child becomes enrolled in RESET, the child remains enrolled but may again become exempt from participation if the child returns to school or enrolls in a GED program.

If a student is expelled or suspended from school and plans to return after the expulsion or suspension period, educational alternatives may be used to satisfy compulsory attendance requirements during the expulsion or suspension period.

Educational alternatives include:

Enrollment in a non-public school licensed or registered by the Department of Education;

Tutoring approved by the district superintendent and conducted by a properly qualified private tutor;

Home education by the parent which meets Pennsylvania’s Home Education law;

Enrollment of a 15 or 16 year old in an approved, accredited private trade or business school; or

Enrollment of a senior high school student prior to graduation in an approved college.