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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 17

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 8 Chapter 17 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T)

17.3.3 CAREER AND/OR TECHNICAL EDUCATION/VOCATIONAL TRAINING Career and/or Technical Education For non-exempt ABAWDs, attending undergraduate college classes part-time may meet the work requirement for a participant if the requirement of 20 hours per week is met. Otherwise, hours spent in class may help meet the requirement. If the 20-hour requirement is not met, the participant is not meeting the work requirement. For every credit hour the participant attends class, he will receive credit for one additional hour for study time. For participants not subject to ABAWD work requirements, there is no SNAP penalty for failing to meet the hours agreed upon in the SSP, but failure to meet obligations without good cause may lead to disenrollment from the SNAP E&T Program. Some undergraduate courses require that student participants be placed in an unpaid work environment. Such undergraduate placements may also be used to meet the work requirement. These placements include, but are not limited to: student teaching, internships, clinical work assignments, and unpaid work experience. When the non-exempt ABAWD student participant does not participate in such activities for a sufficient number of hours to meet his participation requirement, he must also participate in another activity. A release of information form may be used to obtain information about a participant's participation in education from institutions and other education activity providers. The form authorizes the SNAP E&T Worker to request such information. The form must be read and explained to the participant prior to a specific placement or requirement. The form is signed by the participant at the time the SNAP E&T Worker needs to obtain specific information. After completion, the form is filed in the case record. The program that a SNAP E&T participant may be placed in must meet the definition of career and technical education. Career and technical education are defined as a program that: • Provides relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging fields;

• Provides technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and

• Includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual.

NOTE: SNAP student policy applies. See Section 3.2.1.E.