Federal Funding for Support Services: FSETs Cal Success Program

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Federal Funding for Support Services FSETs Cal
Success Program
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Presenters

• Aimee Chitayat
• Program Director, FSET Expansion Initiative,
  Insight Center for Community Economic
  Development, achitayat_at_insightcced.org (510)
  251-2600 x133
• Daniel Dishno
• Supervisor, Occupational Training Institute,
  Foothill / De Anza Community College District,
  dishnodaniel_at_fhda.edu [phone]
• Catherine Lachance
• Project Manager, Fast Track To Work and CEED,
  Cabrillo College, calachan_at_cabrillo.edu (831)
  479-6463

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Challenges of Supporting Students

• Primary mission of California Community Colleges
  to advance CAs economic growth through
  education, training and services that contribute
  to continuous workforce improvement
• Colleges need funding to help many low-income
  students succeed in college and the labor market
• A sustainable source of support service funding
  for eligible Food Stamp recipients, called the
  Food Stamp Employment and Training (FSET)
  Program, is significantly underutilized
• FSET helps students with college retention and
  success, equips them with workforce skills, and
  encourages them to join the workforce

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FSETs Cal Success Program

• FSET is a program of the USDA Food and Nutrition
  Service that began in 1977.
• A new California model of FSET delivery, known as
  Cal Success, supports community college
  participation.
• California colleges can expand their student
  supports and workforce services through Cal
  Success.
• Existing and eligible food stamp recipients may
  be candidates for Cal Success. CalWORKs students
  cannot participate.

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New Cal Success Services

• Services may include case management, industry
  partnership development, job search and placement
  assistance, job readiness training, career
  counseling, and academic tutoring.
• Program may reimburse students for job or
  training-related expenses such as transportation
  to classes, textbooks, personal safety items,
  uniforms, and course supplies.

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Design Process

• Cal Success colleges work closely with their
  county Food Stamp Office, which oversees Cal
  Success. The County must approve the program in
  advance, along with the California Department of
  Social Services and USDA Food and Nutrition
  Service.
• The colleges and county Food Stamp Offices plan
  on a programmatic level around such issues as
  eligibility, assessment, and enrollment as well
  as on an administrative level around such issues
  as budgeting, contracts, billing and audits.
• Cal Success colleges may be given significant
  flexibility in service design.

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FSET Funding

• FSET funding is not for general purposes but for
  allowable services for eligible individuals
• FSET requires match funding on a 50/50 basis
• Community colleges can use existing FTES
  apportionment (currently 4,564/FTES) as well as
  other allowable public funds, private grants, and
  in-kind resources to meet this match requirement
• This match funding allows you to draw down
  federal funding to fully fund support services,
  for food stamp recipients taking CTE and basic
  skills courses
• There are strict requirements for documenting
  match funding

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Similar FSET Programs in U.S.

• A few states now have or are planning FSET models
  similar to Cal Success
• Washington State has operated a similar program
  since Oct. 2005
• The program features 19 contractors, including 12
  community colleges and 7 community-based
  organizations
• In four years Washingtons FSET pilots
• Served more than 9,000 clients, with over 1,700
  currently active clients
• Have a job placement rate of 53, average
  starting wage of 10.43/hour
• Have a federal reimbursement budget for FFY 2010
  of approximately 8.3 million to provide services
  and supports for SNAP recipients

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Californias Cal Success Program

• The first round of pilot projects includes
  Cabrillo College, Foothill/DeAnza Colleges, and
  Skyline College, where implementation began this
  year. Other colleges hope to implement Cal
  Success in the near future.
• CDSS and USDA approved standard policies and
  procedures for the model, subject to revision.
  Foothill/DeAnza College District in Santa Clara
  County was successfully reviewed in September
  2009.
• The FSET Expansion Initiative, a project of the
  nonprofit Insight Center for Community Economic
  Development, is leading the California effort to
  design and disseminate the Cal Success model in
  collaboration with the USDA, CDSS, and community
  college partners.

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Cal Success Pilot Projects

• Collectively projecting over 1 million in
  federal reimbursement this federal fiscal year
• First pilot began in February 2009
• Pilots started with a phased-in approach,
  targeting existing students with small service
  programs
• All are providing funding for student textbooks
  and transportation as well as assessment and job
  search services

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Overview of Cal Success at Foothill / De Anza
College

• Lead program Occupational Training Institute
• Anticipated students in fiscal year 2009-2010
  155
• Projected federal reimbursement Up to 203,728
  in federal reimbursement, with an equal amount in
  match from FTES apportionment and facilities
  funding.
• New services
• Intake, Assessment, Enrollment, Assignment
• Education Employment plans
• Case Management
• Supportive Services Textbook(s), Gas Cards/Bus
  Pass Assistance
• Early Registration
• Work Experience opportunities such as internships
  part-time employment
• Job Search Assistance

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The Foothill / De Anza College Experience The
Value

• Cal Success offers an opportunity to
• Develop a new workforce program model with a new
  source of funding
• Expand workforce support services to a new
  student population that wants to transition from
  school to work
• Diversify and stabilize funding in an area
  (workforce) that is dependent on external funding

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The Foothill/De Anza Experience - Results

• Over 80 students served since April 2009
  including parents not qualified to receive cash
  benefits (e.g. low-income, ex-felons, etc.),
  timed-out CalWORKs, and other eligible
  populations
• 95 of these students said the program helped
  them afford college and 90 said it allows them
  to take more units
• We are in the process of
• Focusing services to meets the needs of the
  students and be in compliance with the USDA
  regulations
• Letting other colleges know this program has the
  potential to become the next generation of
  workforce development support services

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Overview of Cal Success at Cabrillo College

• Lead program Cabrillo College
• Anticipated students in fiscal year 300
• Projected federal reimbursement Up to 735,000
  in federal reimbursement, with an equal amount in
  match from FTES apportionment and facilities
• New services
• Orientation, eligibility, and career assessment
• Education plan case management
• Supportive services textbook(s), bus and parking
  passes, one time emergency funds
• Work experience opportunities such as
  internships, part-time employment
• Work readiness and job search assistance, job
  placement
• Partnership Cabrillo partners with the Workforce
  Investment Board/WIA program, to further support
  Cal Success students.

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The Cabrillo College Experience The Value

• Mission-driven Cabrillo is excited to support
  students from low-income families who would
  otherwise find it difficult, if not impossible,
  to attend college. Everyone has a right to an
  education regardless of his or her financial
  situation. Cal Success is a wonderful program
  that supports this philosophy.
• Exemption from Food Stamp work requirement Cal
  Success students are exempt from the student work
  requirement of Food Stamps, and may choose to
  spend more time studying instead of working.
• Support toward self-sufficiency Cal Success
  students receive supportive job search and job
  placement services that assist students to become
  economically self-sufficient and get a job that
  pays a living wage.

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The Cabrillo College Experience Results

• Positive student feedback and results.
  Transcripts show student improvement.
• The program helps students of all ages afford
  college.
• Students are encouraged, and often required, to
  receive counseling and support for career choice,
  course selection, job search and employment
  skills. All of this support helps them be more
  focused and feel more confident.

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Critical Success Factors

• A college champion
• Early county buy-in
• An adequate supply of low-income residents in
  your colleges service area to make the program
  worthwhile
• Supportive college administrator(s)
• Significant staff time for planning
• Willingness to work closely with your County Food
  Stamp Office
• Technical assistance to support you in
  understanding program requirements and passing
  audit

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Challenges

• Some counties choose not to offer FSET or Cal
  Success. Counties need to be supportive for Cal
  Success to flourish
• FSET is complex with steep learning curve, and
  translation of policies into practice needs
  intensive one-on-one TA
• Need extensive time for partnership development,
  planning and administration (some planning and
  all admin time may be funded by FSET)
• Each participants food stamp eligibility changes
  from month to month
• Increased federal scrutiny around community
  college compliance. Gold standard not yet fully
  defined
• Model in early stages potential just beginning
  to show

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Next Steps

• Consult with Cal Success pilots and Insight
  Centers FSET Expansion Initiative
• Identify a lead department for the program
• Identify gaps in college services and begin
  prioritizing which services you want to provide
• Host a meeting with high-level county and college
  administrators to encourage county buy-in
• Develop an estimate for how many people you plan
  to serve (as a start, you can do a data match
  with the county Food Stamp Program to identify
  current FSET eligible students)

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Role of the FSET Expansion Initiative

• The FSET Expansion Initiative team can help to
• Assess feasibility
• Encourage county buy-in
• Explain options and requirements of Cal Success
• Guide colleges and counties from planning through
  implementation of Cal Success
• Provide planning and implementation tools, forms,
  handbooks, and guides
• Write FSET plans
• Support the FSET plan approval process
• Prepare Cal Success programs for reviews and
  audits
• Advocate for policy changes
• Support peer learning activities for Cal Success
  programs
• For more FSET information, go to
  www.fsetexpansion.org

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What is the FSET Expansion Initiative?

• The FSET Expansion Initiative is
• A project of the Insight Center for Community
  Economic Development and its partner, California
  Association of Food Banks, which began in
  February 2007
• Funded by Bay Area Workforce Funding
  Collaborative and Walter S. Johnson Foundation
• The Insight Center for Community Economic
  Development (formerly NEDLC) is a national
  nonprofit research and consulting organization
  dedicated to building economic health in
  vulnerable communities

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Questions and Discussion

Thank you!!!