[Factc] Ability to Benefit Issue Brief

[Jennifer Whetham]

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I write to inform you of a historic and actionable social justice moment for our Washington State CTC system.


Previously, adult students who did not possess a high school credential (such as a HS diploma or a GED) were NOT eligible for state or federal financial aid ​unless they passed a high-stakes test or earned a quarter of college credits first​. This policy ended up excluding most of these students from benefiting from the state and financial aid needed to begin taking college classes. This was a major policy barrier that disproportionately impacted students from "systemically non-dominant populations" (read more about this term and supporting framework created by Dr. Debra Jenkins<https://adobe.ly/32oFZtd>).


NO MORE!


Thanks to the efforts of our amazing Basic Education for Adults (BEdA) colleagues with federal policy makers, the Ability to Benefit provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA), now allows us to connect adult students without a high school credential to two major state and federal tuition assistance programs: the Washington College Grant and the Federal Pell Grant.


Thanks to this new policy win, students can access these grant programs without testing, and without having to figure out how to pay for their first quarter of college.


Please see the attachment for guidance regarding this fantastic new opportunity, and consider how you can leverage this to provide aid to students who have historically been left out because of policy barriers.


[Title: SBCTC logo - Description: Compass]

Jennifer Whetham (pronouns: she/her/hers)

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC)

jwhetham at sbctc.edu<mailto:jwhetham at sbctc.edu> • o: 360-704-4354 • c: 206-310-1291

Register for  the Fall 2020 Faculty Institute:"Leading with Racial Equity During COVID 19<https://bit.ly/31oKB21>"

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SBCTC Vision: “Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities.”
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