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Ohio Laws and Rules
The Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS) administers the professional education program (PEP) throughout Ohio. This program was designed to assist county agencies in addressing the training and educational needs of Ohio’s county job and family services, child support enforcement, workforce development, and children services employees.
(A) Purpose
The tuition reimbursement program allows federal assistance for formal education and training for county departments of job and family services, child support enforcement, workforce development, and children services employees.
(B) Funding
Course applications are approved at the discretion of the county agency director or designee, and are contingent upon the availability of funds.
Counties may request reimbursement of allowable costs paid to an employee under this program. Expenditures shall be allocated in accordance with the salary and benefits of the staff member being reimbursed. The costs shall be placed in the appropriate worker type program area cost pool, as described in rule 5101:9-01-04 of the Administrative Code, and distributed based on the quarterly random moment sample(RMS) time study percentages.
Counties may code the non-federal share to either local county funds or an applicable state funded allocation.
Reimbursements must be deposited to the appropriate county fund. When a county agency receives donated funds from an external source, those funds must be deposited into the appropriate county fund so the county agency can make and report the one hundred per cent disbursement as designated in rule 5101:9-7-50 of the Administrative Code.
(C) Eligibility
The professional education program may be utilized by all permanent full-time and permanent part-time county departments of job and family services, child support enforcement, workforce development, and children services employees who are seeking approval for educational or training opportunities related to the job duties performed or to be performed by the person trained and which are consistent with the program objectives of ODJFS.
Reimbursement is allowable only when the following criteria are met:
(1) Applicant eligibility – employees must currently hold permanent positions in active pay status. Employees must be in active pay status for the duration of the course.
Active pay status conditions are in accordance with rule 123:1-47-01 of the Administrative Code under which an employee is eligible to receive pay, including, but not limited to, vacation leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, compensatory time, holidays, and personal leave.
(2) Course eligibility – courses must be job-related and increase the employee’s skill and/or knowledge relating to the present job or career ladder of the present position held by the employee at the time of the course instruction. The federal financial participation (FFP) rate of tuition for individual courses will be paid through the professional education program, provided one or more of the following requirements are met:
(a) The course is related to job duties that are currently performed or will be performed by the person to be trained and is consistent with the program objectives of the agency as determined by the employee’s immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county director or designee.
(b) The course is needed to improve the operation of a federal program as determined by the employee’s immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county director or designee.
(c) The course reinforces basic knowledge and develops the required skills for the performance of a specific function within the employee’s current job duties as determined by the employee’s immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county director or designee.
(d) The course provides additional knowledge and skills required to meet changes such as enactment of new legislation, development of new policies, or shifts in program emphasis as determined by the employee’s immediate supervisor and confirmed by the county director or designee.
(3) College/university eligibility
(a) Reimbursement may be requested for education received at an institution authorized by the Ohio board of regents and accredited by the north central association of colleges and schools.
(b) Distance learning courses offered by an institution authorized by the Ohio board of regents and accredited by the north central association of colleges and schools, are eligible for reimbursement.
Applicants may be required to provide evidence of institutional accreditation at the time of the reimbursement request.
(D) Participation guidelines
County agency directors or designees are responsible for establishing county participation guidelines, policy, and application processes that are in compliance with this rule regarding the county professional education program. County agency directors may require county employees enrolled in courses approved for tuition reimbursement to pay tuition to the eligible institution. Employees will be reimbursed after successful completion of approved courses by the county. Counties will be reimbursed the FFP rate that is based on successful completion and worker type. County agencies are required to provide the non-FFP cash match for county employees. The county is responsible for maintaining a record of successful course completions by county employees.
(E) Successful completion
Approved education courses will be reimbursed for tuition only upon successful completion. Successful completion of a course is indicated by a final grade of “A, B, C, or Pass (P)” at the undergraduate level or A, B, or P at the graduate level. Reimbursement will not be made for courses that are not completed successfully.
(F) Non-allowable training/courses/items/withdrawals
The following activities and items are not supported through funding:
(1) Items such as parking fees, late fees, application or registration fees;
(2) Travel expenses to and from the sponsoring institution;
(3) Credit hours exceeding twelve per quarter/semester;
(4) Non-resident (out of state) fees;
(5) Courses not successfully completed. Approved education courses and the cost of course required books will be reimbursed the FFP rate for tuition only upon successful completion; and
(6) Courses taken by an employee utilizing life experience for credit.
Effective: 07/11/2008
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 5101.02
Rule Amplifies: 307.86
Prior Effective Dates: 4/3/98, 6/17/04