The extent of DVRS participation in meeting the costs of post-secondary vocational-technical or academic training programs will be determined annually. DVRS participation in training programs which do not qualify for federal assistance (e.g., Pell, etc.) will be determined using the R-406A/B process. DVRS participation in programs which do qualify for federal assistance will use the process detailed below.

A form (283-1383) titled "DVRS Unmet Need Determination" will be used and will be considered the only necessary casefile documentation of this determination.

1. Expenses: These are defined as the total of the Iowa College Aid Commission established tuition and fees for the school the client is attending, plus the Iowa College Aid Commission established standard allowance (covers books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses, and is currently $2925 for the regular school year (August through May) and $3900 for the full calendar year), plus the Iowa College Aid Commission listed amount for room and board. Individuals who require a reader, notetaker, or attendant services shall have that cost added to the expenses section of the formula. For individuals in graduate and professional schools, use the actual tuition and fees for that program. Use the regular standard allowance and the room and board fee listed in the undergraduate pages. If, after the amounts for the regular academic are figured and authorizations made, the individual is approved for summer school, this form will need to be redone, adding summer school tuition and the summer school room and board figure.

2. Benefits: These are defined as the family contribution figure (from the SAR or the institution), plus all grants, aid, and awards. Loans and work study are not included. Participation of the school or any other program in paying the cost of an attendant shall be added to the benefits section of the formula.

3. Unmet Need: This is the Expenses total minus the Benefits total.

1. Prior to issuance of an authorization for a post-secondary training service, the client (parents) must have completed an application for financial aid and have either provided DVRS a copy of an awards notification from the school’s financial aid office or have had the school provide this information directly to DVRS by phone or mail.

2. DVRS can authorize the unmet need amount, up to 50 percent of the Board of Regents tuition and fees, for all four year schools and private trade-type schools. DVRS can authorize the unmet need amount, up to 50 percent of what the tuition and fees for that program would be at a Board of Regents institution, for graduate and professional programs. For those attending community colleges, DVRS can authorize up to 50 percent of the tuition and fees at that particular Iowa Area Community College. All amounts over $100.00 will be rounded to the nearest $10.00, with those falling at the exact middle ($5.00) being rounded upward. Persons attending less than full-time will have the amount of DVRS participation prorated.

3. All clients who show unmet need between $1.00 and $99.00 will get $100.00.

4. Tutoring, tools, equipment, and class required extra expenses can be provided, at the discretion of the counselor, as long as the total agency involvement in the training costs does not exceed the established unmet need of item c and an exception is agreed to by the supervisor. The specific items being provided must be listed on the authorization form; language like "class required extra expenses" is not adequate.

5. The amount of agency involvement is based on 50 percent of the tuition and fees, but counselors have the discretion to authorize that amount for whatever services best meet the client’s needs.

1. DVRS will provide each client with whom it appears post-secondary training may occur a list of activities that need to be carried out to apply for financial assistance and/or steps that need to occur regarding financial planning as early as is practical in the process of IWRP development. Clients will be advised that failure to carry out the application procedures or to complete the financial planning process may delay or limit any DVRS authorizations for training services.

2. Clients who choose to attend private schools in Iowa, or out-of-state schools, will use the same formula to determine unmet need and will have the same upper limit on DVRS participation (50% of Iowa Regents tuition and fees).

3. The extent of DVRS financial participation in part-time training programs will be determined on a proportional basis.

4. Short-term and/or highly specific types of training programs that do not qualify for or offer financial assistance within the meaning of this chapter shall require special consideration regarding DVRS financial consideration on a case by case basis. Every effort shall be made to incorporate as many of these listed policy considerations as may be applicable.

5. DVRS financial assistance for client participation in summer school programs should be encouraged, especially when this attendance will allow the individual to be ready to enter the labor market at an earlier date than otherwise expected.

6. Individual items or services such as glasses, braces, therapies, wheelchairs, assistive technology devices, etc., which are provided for clients who are students in post-secondary programs shall be subject to economic need as assessed in accord with the R-406A and B (Assessment of Economic Need).

Policies and standards regarding the provision of services to DVRS clients have been established to provide practices that are uniform and equitable. Rigid adherence to all policies and standards in some cases would fail to take into account the client’s individual needs and would not be legal.

Should a counselor wish to have an exception to any policy or standard regarding the provision of any service, they will prepare an R-413 entry in the client’s casefile detailing the exception they wish to have approved and the justification for that exception. Such request for exception must include reference as to the policy at issue and an adequate explanation of the client’s situation as to allow the supervisor to assess the reasonableness of the exception request.

The supervisor shall review the entry and indicate whether the exception is approved or denied. That supervisor shall also initial the R-450 form before the copies are made.