Dependent School Attendance - Effecting Changes
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This section includes information about what happens when there is a change to a dependent child’s school attendance.
Policy
Changes in deprivation do not apply to NA and Simplified Reporting.
For CA, school attendance of children six and older is a change reporting requirement for budgetary units assigned to Standard Reporting.
NOTE Children on break are still attending school when they intend to return to school after the break
The participant may claim good cause at any time. (For good cause policy and procedures, see CA PRA School Attendance Good Cause for Noncompliance.)
Procedures
The participant may claim good cause for noncompliance with PRA school attendance requirements of a child aged 6 through 15.
When the participant does not claim or refuses to comply with a good cause reason for noncompliance of school attendance, a CA sanction is imposed.
See all of the following policies when determining eligibility and benefit level:
When FAA receives notification of a child aged six through 15 no longer attending school, complete all of the following:
●Send the CA School Attendance Good Cause (A733) notice.
●Review DISA for previous sanctions
●Review WERE for participants subject to Benefit Cap, Unwed Minor Parent, and Benefit Limit policies.
●Document the case file(g)
When good cause is verified, the participant is exempt from the PRA School Attendance requirements.
When the participant fails to provide verification and a noncompliance good cause reason participant statement is not available, complete all of the following to impose the sanction:
●For a new sanction, effect the 50% sanction the first month possible, allowing for NOAA(g) and send the CA Sanction 50%-School Attendance (A724) notice.
●For any additional sanctions, stop benefits the first month possible, allowing for NOAA and send the CA Denial – Failure to Comply (A204) notice
●Document the case file to support the actions taken.
FAA may receive the DEAUTH - CASH 18 (CLIENT ID#) ACTS alert. (See the ACTS alert for alert information and procedures.)
See all of the following policies when a CA dependent child turns 18:
Review the case to determine continuing CA eligibility of the 18-year-old dependent child.
When the child meets the CA Student Criteria ensure the graduation date in AZTECS is indicated.
When the child no longer meets the CA Student Criteria, the child is ineligible the month following the month of their 18th birthday.
When the child is the only dependent child in the budgetary unit and no longer meets the CA student criteria, complete all of the following:
●Stop benefits the first month possible allowing for NOAA.
●Send the Cash Assistance Deny/Close (A200) notice.
●Document the case file to support the determination
When there are other dependent children in the budgetary unit, complete all of the following:
●Authorize the decrease in benefits the first month possible allowing for NOAA.
●Send the Decrease-CA Benefits (A701E) notice.
●Document the case file to support the determination and benefit level.
When completing any change, FAA reviews the participant's case file(g) to determine eligibility.
All actions taken must be documented in the case file to support the determination.
Verification
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
When a child aged six through 15 is no longer attending school, and the participant wishes to claim good cause for noncompliance, FAA may assist them in obtaining the necessary documents. Documents that may establish good cause include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●Attendance records
●Documentation from school officials
●Birth certificate
●Doctor's statement
●Probation or court records
●Participant's statement
When a request for a good cause is received, FAA requests the verification and allows the participant ten calendar days from the date of the request to provide verification.
When a dependent child turns age 18 the required information for establishing school status, includes all of the following:
●Full-time student status as defined by the school
●Date of Completion of the course of study
Dependent Child Student Status Verification
When a dependent child is still in school or no longer in school, student status verification sources include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●The school or participant provides a completed Verification of School Attendance (FAA-0075A) form.
●The worker completing a collateral contact with the school.
●A participant's statement when verification from the school is not available.
Allow the participant ten calendar days from the date of the request to provide verification.
AZTECS Keying Procedures
When a child aged 6 through 15 is not attending school and good cause has not been established, complete all of the following when imposing a graduated sanction:
●Key SA in the AF ALERT TYPE field on PRAP.
●Tab to the DISA AF field, key Y and hit Enter
●Key all of the following on DISA:
NS in the RSN CODE field
Key the MMYY the sanction begins in the BEGIN field
Key the MMYY the sanction ends in the END field
Hit Enter. Do not F9 from this screen.
●Key NS in the STUDENT STAT field on SSDO.
●Hit Enter. Do not F9 from this screen.
●Authorize the decrease or closure on AFED.
●Send the CA Sanction 50%-School Attendance (A724) notice on NORE
●Close the ACTS alert, when appropriate.
When a child age18 continues to meet the dependent child student criteria, key the date of the completion of the course of study in the GRAD DATE field on SSDO and hit Enter. Do not F9 from this screen.
When a CA child aged 18 no longer meets the CA student criteria, and is the only child in the budgetary unit, complete all of the following:
●Key the appropriate effective month and year (MMYY) of the closure.
●NEXT to AFED
●On the AFED screen, key the DC Denial/Closure Reason Code and authorize the closure.
●Send the A200 notice from NORE
When a CA child aged 18 no longer meets the CA student criteria and there are other dependent children in the budgetary unit, complete all of the following on SEPA:
●Key OU in the PT field next to the child.
●Key NS in the INELIG RSN field
●Process through the appropriate AZTECS Roadmap screens and authorize the decrease on AFED.
●Send the A701 notice on NORE
When the child receives earned income, and meets the CA Student Criteria, key the CF Income Code in the INC TYPE field on EAIC.
When the child receives self-employment income, key the OF Income Code in the INC TYPE field on SEEI, as applicable.
Legal Authorities
7 CFR 273.11(l)
AAC R6-12-302
AAC R6-12-306
AAC R6-12-314
AAC R6-12-316
last revised 08/30/2021