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Distance Learning Can Help Low-Income Parents Attend School: TANF Agencies Should Adopt Supportive Policies |
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From Center for Law and Social Policy: As the number of people with access to computers and the Internet grows, distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way to attend school. Distance learning programs are particularly attractive to many nontraditional students, including low-income parents, who often must fit their classes around work and family responsibilities. However, in the wake of the interim rules implementing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), several states expressed concerns about whether it was possible for distance learning programs to meet the work verification requirements established by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. HHS-approved work verification plans that other states can adopt in order to maximize access to distance learning and raise work participation rates. Distance learning programs have the potential to raise state participation rates and improve access to education and training, which in t rates. Use of distance learning can also cut down on long commute times, which cannot be claimed as hours of participation under HHS guidelines. Distance learning could also boost TANF work participation rate participation rate in FY 2006 (the most recent year for which data are available) was just 32.5 percent, many more recipients participated in work activities, but toward the participation rate. It is also worth noting that under the new final rule, students enrolled in distance learning programs can, like their peers in traditional courses, receive credit for one hour of unsupervised homework time for each hour of classroom participation.
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