[nfbmi-talk] Update on College Policy

Wed Jul 14 04:02:22 UTC 2010

Hello List,

I have been told that the July 1 draft of the college policy could not be found on the Michigan Commission for the Blind website. Therefore, I have attached it to this message for anyone who is interested in reading it. I received this attachment from a message I received today, and have not been able to check to make sure that it reads the same as the attachment that was sent out on July 1, 2010.

There have been several emails about the timeline issue which are summarized in the message that appears below. If you would like me to forward the emails where the discussion took place, I would be more than happy to pass them along for anyone who might be interested in reading them. Also, the deadline for submitting comments on the July 1 draft has been extended to July 19, 2010 as indicated in the message that appears below.

I have briefly looked over the newly revised policy, but have yet to really comment on it. I know the DELEG financial needs form is still a part of the policy, and in my opinion, that is the only major difference between this policy and the policy they are currently using. I know that it was explained during the work group meeting that this form is not a means test, and the language of the policy has changed a bit about financial participation, but I still see this form as a way to implement a means test for college students. I am deeply opposed to the use of this new form, and I cannot support any policy that includes this form as part of the policy. 

I believe that covers everything for the moment, but if you have any further questions or comments, they are always appreciated. I forgot how busy convention can be, so I apologize for the delay in getting back into the swing of things here in Michigan. 

Elizabeth

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: geri.taeckens at isahealthfund.org
Subject: Modification for colege policy for July 19
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:51:55 -0400

Hi to all!  Important modifications.

First, the deadline for responding on the July 1 policy draft attached here has been extended to Monday, July 19.  All comments must be in by noon on that day so I can get the final draft out for editing to get to the board.

Second: I will recommend to the board on 8-27, that  the final draft be accepted for 1 year, with a plan to review it after data is collected on key factors in this policy.

Third, Virginia from MSU office for disabled students has brought to our attention some very pertinent mandates by the federal government regarding timelines.  I did send you what she wrote and have modified policy A essential elements number 4 and 5 for your review.  I personally feel much better aligning these 2 statements with something tangible.

Fourth, There has been concern voiced by a few folks about the statement in policy B, regarding non-accredited colleges.  Some feel this option should not be available to MCB consumers.  Unless anyone has a good reason why non-accredited colleges should be sponsored by MCB, I recommend we delete that segment from the policy. 

 I have placed examples of how these 3 segments might be written.

  Policy A.

4)     The timeline for completing a post-secondary training or college program is established by the training or educational institution and federal mandates related to financial aid.  Financial aid recipients must complete their degree program within 150% of the educational institutions expected time for completion. Example, a student working on a 4-year degree would be eligible for financial aid for 12 semesters or 6 years.  A student working on a 2-year associate's degree would be eligible for a maximum of 3 years (6 semesters.  MCB students are encouraged to complete their training or degree based on these timelines.  Students with additional disabilities, medical issues, family situations, job duties, and or who are non-traditional students are encouraged to engage their counselor in developing a timeline for completion suitable for their needs; keeping in mind that the educational institution will require  a student to complete an application for appeal/extension with the college’s financial aid office. Requests/appeals are carefully reviewed prior to a student receiving an extension and if the extension is granted, the extension is closely monitored to assure the student is making progress. Go to www.ED.gov for complete details on college-university timeline mandates.

5)     If a student’s attendance at training is interrupted for a period of time and classes cannot be attended for one of the reasons referenced in Policy A - 4, the period of time the student is absent does not count against the identified timeline according to MCB and the educational institution.  A written, dated, request, including the reasons for this break in attendance shall be submitted to the MCB counselor.  It is important to note however, that the timeline for students receiving financial aid still applies as described in policy A-4, requiring a student to complete a 4 year degree in a total of 12 semesters, with a maximum of 18 semesters, unless an appeal has been granted. MCB Students and counselors should also be aware that some programs require a continuum of attendance such as degrees that include rapid advancements like computer sciences, medicine, and education.  A break in such programs could require a student to take additional classes to fulfill new requisites. 

 Policy B.  Accreditation

MCB cooperates with colleges, universities, and other degree-granting institutions, including correspondence, home-study and vocational training programs that are accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  

 Note... Delete this next section.

Exceptions may be made where accreditation is pending or conditional and the course of study is sufficiently unique to justify use of the institution.  Students and their MCB counselor should discuss the risks and benefits of attending a non-accredited training program or university as it could negatively impact a student’s ultimate vocational goal. 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. 
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Colege Policy draft July 1-15-2010-1.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 75776 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20100714/a9c4ab5c/attachment.doc>