Update: February 9, 2008
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week made several clarifications to what counts as “vocational educational training” and, in some cases, “job skills training,” enabling a broader range of activities to count for those seeking to fulfill welfare requirements. Until recently, advanced degree and baccalaureate education were not included in the vocational education option that fulfilled work requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance program. However, the most recent definition clarification changes this, enabling those persons on welfare to advance toward higher degrees without losing their benefits.
In addition, previous rulings stated that only supervised homework could count toward the accumulation of necessary hours. This mandatory supervision created several documentation problems and many people receiving welfare benefits received no credit for homework they had to complete for their classes. In their recent clarifications, the HHS revised the homework supervision requirement and stated that a person can count up to one hour of unsupervised homework time per hour of class. This clarification also makes it easier for those receiving welfare benefits to get credit for work they are completing.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for February 8, 2008.