057-5 Wyo. Code R. §§ 5-12 - Administering the Wyoming Works Program

(a) Allocation and reconciliation of academic-year student grant funding amounts.

(i) The allocation of academic-year student grant funding amounts shall be based on each community college service area proportionate share of the state's population aged 18 to 64 years. Albany County's population shall be reduced by the number of University of Wyoming undergraduate students claiming residency in any of the other 22 counties.

(A) Before each academic-year, the Commission shall obtain the following information:

(I) From the Economic Analysis Division of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, county-specific population counts for individuals aged 18 to 64 years. These population counts shall reflect the calendar-year two years before the allocation.

(II) From the University of Wyoming, undergraduate counts for students claiming residency in any Wyoming county other than Albany.

(B) Each college's proportionate share of the state's adjusted population aged 18 to 64 years shall be multiplied by the academic-year student grant funding amount up to two million dollars ($2,000,000). The product of this calculation is each college's allocation of the academic-year student grant funding amount.

(ii) The Commission shall reimburse each college following each semester's certification to the Commission's Executive Director, up to the maximum amount each college is allocated per academic year.

(b) Notice of Availability. Each college shall develop means for informing potential and current students of the availability of the grants under this article. Published grant information must be readily available in an electronic or paper form, and shall include:

(i) A summary of approved programs at that institution;

(ii) A summary of student eligibility requirements;

(iii) A summary of student application procedures; and

(iv) A summary of award amounts.

(v) Items (i) through (iv) need not be listed in their entirety in all communications, but must be readily available to all interested parties.

(c) Student Application.

(i) School responsibilities for student grant application:

(A) Each college shall make available to all prospective and current students an application for student grants applicable to approved programs covered under Wyoming Works.

(B) The application shall be presented to students at the time of applying for admission and made available to all students within the registrar's or financial aid offices before beginning the applicable approved program.

(C) The application may be presented to students in electronic or paper format and shall include, at a minimum:

(I) An explanation of purpose for student grants available under Wyoming Works statutes;

(II) Disclosure of:

(1.) All student eligibility requirements for grant consideration and receipt;

(2.) All approved programs eligible for student grants at that institution;

(3.) Summary of award calculation and maximum annual grant eligibility; under consortium agreement;

(4.) A summary of proration for approved programs;

(5.) An acknowledgement that a student may transfer from one approved program to another while maintaining continuous enrollment at the college, or transfer to another Wyoming community college and enroll in an approved program at the transfer institution immediately after transfer;

(6.) A notice that annual grant availability (for approved programs that span more than one year) is subject to the Wyoming legislature's appropriation process, and is contingent on the Commission issuing a grant allocation for approved programs at the college;

(III) A student's information section that records a student's identifying information, approved program enrollment intent, and anticipated program start date;

(IV) A student's attestation checklist to record acknowledgement of all student grant eligibility requirements;

(V) A student's authorization for the college to collect and share, at a minimum, the student's personally identifying information, collected through the college's admissions or state grant application, the FAFSA, or other method, enrollment information, and all other information necessary to determine their eligibility for a student grant (including past receipt of student grants or other state financial aid receipts) with other Wyoming community colleges and the Commission;

(VI) A student's compliance certification and signature.

(D) Electronic or paper application formats shall be developed by each respective college.

(ii) Student responsibilities for student grant application:

(A) A prospective student shall apply for grants under this section with the college at the time of applying for admission or in any event before beginning the applicable approved program at the college.

(B) An existing student at the community college shall apply for grants under this section with the college's financial aid office before beginning the applicable approved program at the college.

(C) For approved programs offered under a consortium agreement:

(I) A prospective student shall apply for grants under this section with the college, at the time of applying for admission to the college or in any event before the beginning of the applicable approved program, at all locations covered under the consortium agreement.

(II) An existing student at the community college shall apply for grants under this section with the college's financial aid office before the beginning of the applicable approved program, at all locations covered under the consortium agreement.

(d) Student Eligibility

(i) The community college's financial aid office shall determine the student's initial and continued grant eligibility.

(ii) In addition to those requirements in W.S. 21-18-403, to be initially eligible, a student must:

(A) File, and fully complete, a FAFSA (and change of EGC/income form, if necessary) applicable to all payment periods for which a student grant is considered, including complying with all financial aid office directives to provide data, documents and information needed to complete any data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC. Any unresolved data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC shall render the student ineligible for student grant receipt for all applicable payment periods spanned by the FAFSA. For approved programs offered under a consortium agreement between two colleges, the student shall submit a FAFSA, applicable to all payment period(s) for which a student grant is considered, to the financial aid office in all locations listed under the consortium agreement.

(I) The student shall comply with any and all financial aid office directives, from any and all locations listed under the consortium agreement, to provide data, documents, and information needed to complete any data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC.

(II) Any unresolved data authenticity review necessary to generate a valid EFC at any or all locations listed under the Consortium Agreement shall render the student ineligible for student grant receipt for all applicable payment periods spanned by the FAFSA at all locations listed under the consortium agreement;

(B) Not be currently receiving (or expected to receive in any payment period within the length of the approved program) a scholarship under the Hathaway scholarship program established in W.S. 21-16-1301 through 21-16-1311;

(C) Have requested transference of academic transcript and grant usage, if transferring from an approved program at one college to another approved program at a different college, before beginning the approved program at the receiving college; and

(D) Have earned a high school/home school diploma or state equivalency, if admittance into an approved program requires it, and the college provides the student assistance in achieving the diploma or equivalency certificate.

(iii) To maintain continued eligibility for a grant in an approved program more than one semester in length, a student must:

(A) Have maintained continuous enrollment in the approved program;

(B) Have not exceeded the maximum grant amount allowable for the approved program in which the student is enrolled in any one (1) academic year; and

(C) Have not received a Wyoming Works grant for more than three (3) academic years. A student's eligibility for a grant shall permanently terminate once the student has received three (3) academic years of grant disbursement as calculated by the financial aid office for the student's enrollment in an approved program.

(e) Student Awarding and Disbursement.

(i) The financial aid office at each community college that offers an approved program, in whole or in part under a Consortium Agreement, shall determine the eligibility for a student grant for all students who apply for grant consideration. Student grant funds under this article shall be provided for unmet financial need and only after all other gift aid for the student's enrollment in the credential program has been applied. As a student grant recipient may elect to reserve any portion of their annual award for attendance at a subsequent summer school term, which increases the number of disbursements made within an academic year but does not exceed the aggregate amount of grant for which the student is eligible.

(ii) To determine unmet financial need, each college shall calculate an applicant's COA for the approved program in which the student is enrolled, then deduct the student's EFC and all other gift aid expected to be received by the student for the payment period(s) to which a Wyoming Works student grant applies.

(iii) Award calculations shall be subject to the following:

(A) All proration calculations must be rounded up to two (2) decimal places.

(B) One-half (1/2) of the annual award shall be provided to the student at each fall and spring academic term of qualification unless the credential program or course is for a defined period of less than a full semester or the student elects to reserve any portion of the annual award for attendance at a subsequent summer school term. The financial aid office shall disburse student grants according to these assignment rules:

(I) If an approved program falls between two semesters, but does not cross into either, assign the student grant to a single disbursement within the preceding semester;

(II) If an approved program is contained within a single semester, assign the student grant to a single disbursement within that semester;

(III) If an approved program crosses over two semesters but does not fully span one or both, divide the student grant equally and assign each half to a single disbursement within each semester; and,

(IV) If an approved program fully spans two semesters, divide the student grant equally and assign each half to a single disbursement within each semester.

(C) Colleges shall calculate student eligibility for student grants in all approved programs using standardized award calculations endorsed by all financial aid directors and outlined in Wyoming Works Program policies maintained by the Commission.

(iv) Each community college shall devise processes to confirm a student's continued eligibility for subsequent grant disbursement(s).

(v) Students who graduate from, or otherwise complete, an approved program may be eligible to receive grants if enrolled in a subsequent approved program, as long as:

(A) The student is not reenrolled in, or otherwise re-attempting, the previously completed program;

(B) The student continues to meet all eligibility requirements; and

(C) The college has remaining funds to expend under its annual grant allocation for the approved program in which the student is enrolled.

(f) Repeated Courses/Content. A student required to repeat coursework or program content within an approved program due to failure, withdrawal, or lapse in enrollment may receive additional student grants for future payment periods in future semesters of enrollment for the repeated coursework or program content provided the student has had their eligibility restored as detailed within Section 12(m) of these rules and otherwise remains eligible for a student grant as detailed in Section 12(e) of these rules.

(g) Student Award Confirmation and Data Submission.

(i) The college shall provide to the financial aid office:

(A) An academic calendar that contains the start and end dates within an academic year for all approved for-credit programs; and,

(B) An academic calendar that contains the start/end dates and program lengths within an academic year, and the direct costs, for all approved non-credit programs.

(ii) A student is provisionally eligible until confirmation of student eligibility by the financial aid office.

(iii) The financial aid office shall determine a student's final eligibility based on confirmation of student eligibility in conjunction with the final computation for unmet financial need for students eligible to receive a grant, consistent with each college's schedule for determining actual COA for students at that college.

(h) Grades or Other Measures of Student Academic Performance

(i) For approved for-credit programs that contain graded material or courses, no person shall change, revise, delete, erase, destroy, or modify in any manner any education record for the sole purpose of increasing the possibility of receiving a Wyoming Works student grant or continuing Wyoming Works student grant eligibility.

(ii) For approved non-credit programs that contain student attendance, participation, completion, or other academic performance measurements, no person shall change, revise, delete, erase, destroy, or modify in any manner any education record for the sole purpose of increasing the possibility of receiving a Wyoming Works student grant or continuing Wyoming Works student grant eligibility.

(j) Transferring Students

(i) Students transferring from one college to another may maintain Wyoming Works student grant awards for continued use in an approved program by meeting all student eligibility requirements at the new college, and by requesting that the college from which they are transferring provide an official transcript to the new college. The transcript or an attachment to the transcript shall include:

(A) A list of all semesters for which the student received a Wyoming Works student grant;

(B) Grades for all for-credit academic courses completed within an approved program;

(C) Completions or attempts of all non-credit programs designated as Wyoming Works, which are needed for verification of continued eligibility for grants and SAP for the college that the student is transferring to; and

(D) SAP calculations performed by the financial aid office for all payment periods in all approved programs in which the student received a grant.

(ii) The receiving institution shall calculate a student's eligibility using the criteria detailed in Section 13(e) of these rules; and,

(iii) Transferring students may not receive a student grant if the receiving college has depleted its allocation of grant funds at the time of student transfer.

(k) Satisfactory Academic Progress.

(i) Each community college shall determine qualitative and quantitative measurements to evaluate a student's timely academic progress within each approved program. For non-credit programs, the college must develop appropriate criteria to measure a student's timely academic progress and appropriate academic performance.

(ii) Each student enrolled in an approved program must achieve SAP by the end of each payment period to remain eligible for a student grant in future payment periods.

(iii) Each approved program's SAP criteria shall be disclosed. Disclosure may be passive or may be distributed to each student grant recipient at the time of award.

(iv) SAP shall be calculated at the conclusion of each payment period within the approved program in which the student is enrolled.

(v) Students who fail to meet SAP requirements after any payment period forfeit eligibility for grant awards and disbursements, except as provided for in these rules.

(vi) Students who fail to meet grant eligibility may regain eligibility as detailed in this Section.

(vii) A student's SAP status for grant eligibility shall be persistent if the student transfers to a different approved program within the college or to any approved program offered at college.

(viii) Approved programs offered through a Consortium agreement must contain criteria for SAP.

(A) The community college within a Consortium agreement that provides the greatest proportion of approved program content shall determine SAP criteria.

(B) Under a Consortium agreement which requires that program content shall be shared equally, the participating colleges shall collaborate to establish the program's SAP criteria, but shall evaluate a student's SAP status independently at the end of each payment period for their respective portions of the program.

(C) Consortium agreements between a college and an entity other than a college shall require the college determine the SAP criteria.

(D) Students who do not meet SAP requirements at one or more college covered under a Consortium agreement, shall remain ineligible, except as provided for in these rules, for future grant awards and disbursements at all colleges covered under the Consortium agreement.

(m) Student Appeal of Ineligibility Decisions

(i) Each community college or consortium shall implement an appeal process that permits an applicant to appeal a grant ineligibility determination for select eligibility criteria. Student appeals are permitted for:

(A) Not applying for grant funding at the time of applying for admission or before the commencement of the applicable credential program;

(B) Not maintaining continuous enrollment in approved program;

(C) Not meeting SAP requirements as required for the credential;

(D) Not meeting Wyoming residence requirements; and,

(E) Not being in good standing on repayment of student financial aid.

(ii) The student shall appeal prior to the start of the next period of enrollment in the approved program, and:

(A) Students appealing eligibility at a college for an approved credential program shall follow the college appeal process.

(B) Students appealing eligibility at a college for an approved credential program in a consortium shall follow the HEA appeal process.

(n) Reinstatement of Student Grant Eligibility for student eligibility lost due to not meeting SAP requirements. Community colleges or Consortiums may permit a student, who has forfeited eligibility to reestablish eligibility for a student grant in a future payment period.

(i) Approved programs of one term or less in length shall not permit a student to restore eligibility.

(ii) For approved programs offered at a college that permit a student to reestablish eligibility, the student shall meet college restorative criteria:

(A) Each college may determine different criteria for a student to reestablish eligibility for each approved program offered, and not all approved programs must offer criteria for a student to reestablish eligibility.

(B) Each college shall publish and otherwise make available to students who receive a student grant, any and all restorative criteria determined for their approved programs. Neither paying for one's classes or non-enrollment for a payment period is sufficient to reestablish grant eligibility.

(C) If an ineligible student transfers to another college for an approved program, eligibility shall not be automatically restored and the student must regain eligibility according to any restorative criteria established by the college applicable to the transferred program or as detailed in Section 13 (m) of these rules.

(iii) For approved programs offered through a Consortium agreement that permit a student to reestablish eligibility, the student shall meet restorative criteria as outlined in these rules.

(A) The college within a Consortium agreement which provides the greatest proportion of approved program content shall specify the restorative criteria.

(B) Approved programs within a Consortium agreement whereby the course content is delivered equally, colleges shall collaborate to specify the restorative criteria for the equally distributed portions of the approved program, but shall evaluate the student's accomplishments in their respective restorative criteria independently.

(C) Consortium agreements between a college and any entity other than a Wyoming community college shall have the college specify the restorative criteria.

(D) Students who do not achieve all restorative criteria requirements at one or more consortia members covered under a Consortium agreement shall be considered to have not regained eligibility, and shall remain ineligible for future grant awards and disbursements covered under the Consortium agreement.

(iv) Students who successfully have their eligibility restored for either a college or consortium approved program may receive a student grant for the next payment period if the college or consortium has remaining student grant funds available the approved program.

(o) Prioritization and funding of new or expanded programs with Wyoming Works eligibility.

(i) Programmatic funding shall only be considered for programs or courses, either credit or non-credit, that have been previously approved by the Commission for Wyoming Works student funding.

(ii) Programmatic funding may be requested in support of new college programs or courses, or expansion of existing programs and courses intended to better serve labor and economic development needs.

(iii) Preference shall be given to those programs characterized by consortia between colleges, and to a lesser degree, partnerships between colleges and other entities, including industries or businesses.

(A) Colleges shall comply with requirements set forth by their accrediting body before beginning instruction under a consortium plan.

(iv) Programmatic funding requests are due to the Commission no later than the second Friday following each regular Commission meeting.

(v) Colleges shall make application for programmatic funding using a two- part form developed and maintained by the Commission.

(A) The first part of the application form shall require the following:

(I) A narrative addressing the college's commitment to fund students who are admitted to the program or course, and who are deemed eligible for Wyoming Works funding.

(II) A description of the programmatic funding request, including the program's or course's support of a high-growth, high-demand industry as evidenced by alignment with the state's Economically Needed Diversification Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) initiative, Next Generation Sector Partnerships, or other documented need as recognized by the Commission, the Wyoming Business Council, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, and the Governor.

(III) Identification of specific economic indicators addressing both educational and employment needs in the service area.

(IV) A narrative addressing specific questions regarding the workforce impacts of the employment of students who have completed the program or course(s).

(V) A description of the job placement plan for students who have completed the program or course(s).

(B) The second part of the application form shall consist of a funding request budget, as well as a scoring rubric used to objectively quantify competing funding requests, and to assist in establishing priorities among these requests.

(I) As part of the funding request budget, colleges shall identify the total amount of the request, broken down by the amount of Wyoming Works grant funding being requested, and by the amount(s) and source(s) of cash and/or in-kind match contributions totaling no less than one-third of the total request.

(1.) Colleges shall provide explanations and/or evidence of match contribution commitments, including the basis for fair market value of in-kind donations of facilities, equipment or services.

(II) Allowable grant expenditures include instructor salaries and benefits, classroom equipment, and instructional and resource materials.

(1.) Estimates of these expenditures shall be based upon verifiable documentation.

(2.) The Commission shall develop audit procedures to ensure that grant awards are only expended as authorized, and that actual salaries and benefits, including health insurance premiums and increased retirement contributions, are reimbursed in the same proportion as for other college employees compensated by unrestricted operating funds. Reimbursement for salaries and benefits shall not exceed the total amount identified in the funding request budget, and such reimbursement shall not be considered in subsequent state aid appropriations without legislative authorization.

(III) The scoring rubric shall consist of points assessed by the college itself while completing the application, as well as points assessed by a review panel, and based upon information provided by the college in response to the first part of the application.

(1.) Points assessed by the college itself shall reflect objective aspects of consortium and partnership plans, contributions to total programmatic funding, program sustainability, and return-on-investment.

(2.) The review panel shall consist of one representative each from the Commission, the Wyoming Business Council, and the Department of Workforce Services. A representative from the governor's Office may also participate, if requested. Points assessed by the review panel shall reflect the college's narratives and descriptions addressing workforce placement, and satisfaction of regional/service area needs.

(IV) Prioritized by total points assessed under the scoring rubric, programmatic funding requests shall be fully funded until the balance of the Wyoming Works Program Account is insufficient to fund the next highest prioritized program. The review panel shall then decide between proportional funding of this next highest prioritized program or carryover of the unspent balance of the continuous appropriation until such time as another appropriation is made.

(V) Division of programmatic funding awards among consortium members shall be governed by those policies established by the United States Department of Education with respect to consortium funding processes.

Notes

057-5 Wyo. Code R. §§ 5-12

Adopted, Eff. 12/14/2015. Amended, Eff. 11/29/2016. Amended, Eff. 11/21/2017. Amended, Eff. 8/7/2020. Amended, Eff. 5/25/2021. Amended, Eff. 4/25/2023. Amended, Eff. 12/6/2023.