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3.6. Students

 

Ontario Works Effective Date: July 1, 2009
Topic: Financial Assistance Eligibility Replaces: November 1, 2004
Subject: Students Policy No. H.3.6. 

 

POLICY

Authority  OW Art: Sec. 7(1), (2), (3) and 13(1) and (2) & OW Directives: Dir. 3.8

See directives listed above. 
 

PROCEDURE   

ACTIVE OW PARTICIPANT RETURNS TO SCHOOL 

If a participant who is currently receiving OW Assistance indicates a desire to return to school the Case Manager will: 

  1. Review the participant’s most recent school activity to determine previous progress in school as well as current intentions. 

  1. Review the previous P.A. Notes to consider the participant’s employment plan and consider their probable future success at school. 
  1. Update the OW Participation Agreement with the participant to reflect the new educational strategy. The Participation Agreement will include the following information: 
  • the name of the school the person will be attending
  • current courses
  • will clearly indicate why this course of action is the most appropriate
  • the number of credits needed to graduate;
  • the approximate length of time required to obtain this goal (Literacy programs are exempt from this requirement).
  1. If a student requires financial help for studies issue Employment Start-Up Benefit (ESUB) first, then access ERE monies next.
  1. Issue Employment Related Expenses monies to secondary school students, if required. For alternative school students the following expenses may be approved: minor tuition, supplies and the first month of transportation.
  1. It is the responsibility of the client to bring in verification of registration.  

STUDENT/PARTICIPANT LEAVES SECONDARY/ALTERNATIVE SCHOOl 

  1. Note in SDMT that the student is no longer attending school; 
  1. Update the OW Participation Agreement to indicate the new employment measures the participant will undertake. 

ONTARIO STUDENT ASSISTANCE PLAN (OSAP) PARTICIPANTS 

Persons in attendance at:

  1. Laurentian University
  2. Other Post Secondary Private Schools
  3. College Boreal
  4. Cambrian College

who are waiting for their OSAP to be issued, may be eligible for OW if they obtain an Assignment/Agreement to Reimburse to their OSAP monies. This situation normally occurs in September; however, if an individual has applied for OSAP later in the school year for valid reasons, the applicant may qualify if an assignment is signed. Furthermore, an applicant starting a course in January may also qualify, if an Assignment is signed while they are awaiting OSAP.

SINGLE PERSONS 

Single persons, employable or unemployable, are not eligible for OW Assistance if: 

  • the person is in receipt of an Ontario or Canada Student Loan; or 
  • the person is ineligible for OSAP or a Canada Student Loan by reason of parental income or personal income; or
  • the person is ineligible for OSAP because of a default in the payment of a previous loan.

A single person becomes ineligible upon receipt of the OSAP.

TOP-UP OR BENEFITS DURING SCHOOL YEAR

Single persons waiting or in receipt of OSAP are not eligible for top-up or benefits during the school year. However, families and sole support clients are obliged to submit to the Case Manager an “OSAP Assessment Summary” (available only through the OSAP office. It is a Ministry of Education and Training Form STC-ma 07/96). The Case Manager will then, based on that Assessment Summary determine whether or not the OSAP recipient is eligible for OW top-up or benefits only through-out the school year. See following formula for this calculation. 

OSAP Entitlement (Full) 

minus 

Allowable Education Expenses

(includes: Tuition, Compulsory Fees, Books/Equipment as indicated on Assessment Summary) 

equals 

Personal Living Funds 

divided by 

Number of Months Assessed by OSAP 

equals 

Monthly Personal Living Funds

(Compare this amount with the OW entitlement) 

If an ongoing OW participant enrolls in college or university and the course starts at the end of August, the September entitlement is put on hold pending receipt of OSAP. If OSAP is received prior to the end of August, the case will be terminated effective August 31st.  However if the OSAP has not yet been received, September entitlement will be released once an assignment has been signed. 

STUDENTS AWAITING OSAP 

  1. Case Manager completes the assessment on the case using the following forms:

Assignment and Direction (form 2209) and the Agreement to Reimburse

  1. The pink copy of Assignment and Direction (form 2209) is forwarded to the OSAP office. 
  • The fully completed Assignment and Direction (form 2209) is filed in section 2 of the participant’s file.
  • A copy of the Assignment and Direction is forwarded to the Espanola head office intake worker. The intake worker files the copy of the assignment in the Assignments Pending Binder.
  • The CM must also input a task for 3 months to follow up if assignment has been paid. 
  1. Case Manager to put case on hold for the next 
  1. Case to be terminated upon receipt of OSAP - the Case Manager will receive notification by the participant. 
  1. If OSAP is not received, steps one to five must be repeated. 
  1. If the Agreement and Direction (form 2209) and Agreement to Reimburse (form 2208) are not honoured by the educational institution, the participant must reimburse our agency himself/herself. 
  1. Once the student receives his OSAP, if single, the case is terminated, otherwise, the monthly personal living allowance will be deducted from this entitlement starting form the month they receive their OSAP.
     
IN THE EVENT THAT MANITOULIN-SUDBURY DSB IS NOT REIMBURSED BY THE ASSIGNMENT FORM 
  1. Establish an overpayment for the outstanding balance on the client’s file. 
     
  2. Terminate case. 
     
IF THE PARTICIPANT QUIT SCHOOL & DID NOT RECEIVE THEIR LOAN 
  1. Note in SDMT that the participant quit school and that the OSAP was not received. 
     
  2. Write across the Assignment and Direction (form 2209) that OSAP monies were not received, and file in section 2 of the hard copy file. 
     
IF THE PARTICIPANT QUIT SCHOOL & DID RECEIVE THEIR LOAN
  1. Because they have quit, this would be an OSAP overpayment and the living allowance deducted would be removed following the month they quit.
     
  2. If the participant is not attending school, but did receive the loan, OW will continue to deduct the living allowance. 
     

Every time a Case Manager completes an assignment, a copy must be forwarded to the Espanola head office intake worker.