§9-9-21. West Virginia Works Separate State College Program; eligibility; special revenue account.
(a) There is established the West Virginia Works Separate State College Program. The program shall provide funding for participants who are enrolled in post-secondary courses leading to a two- or four-year degree. There is created within the state Treasury a special revenue account to be known as the West Virginia Works Separate State College Program Fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be for the purposes set forth in this section and are not authorized from collections but are to be made only in accordance with appropriations by the Legislature and in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code and upon fulfillment of the provisions of article two, chapter eleven-b of this code. Necessary expenditures include wage reimbursements to participating employers, temporary assistance to needy families, payments for support services, employment-related child care payments, transportation expenses and administrative costs directly associated with the operation of the program.
(b) All eligible adults attending post-secondary courses leading to a two- or four-year degree and who are not participating in vocational education training, as that term is defined in this article, shall be enrolled in the West Virginia Works Separate State College Program. Participants in the program shall not be required to engage in more than ten hours per week of federally defined work activities. The work, education and training requirements of this article are waived for any qualifying participant with a child under six years of age if the participant is unable to obtain appropriate and available child care services. All other requirements of West Virginia Works apply to program administration for adults enrolled in the program.
(c) The Department of Human Services shall work with the Higher Education Policy Commission, as set forth in article one-b, chapter eighteen-b of this code, and the Council for Community and Technical College Education, as set forth in article two-b, chapter eighteen-b of this code, to develop and implement a plan to use and expend funds for the programs available at the state's community and technical colleges and colleges and universities to assist participants who are enrolled, or wish to become enrolled, in two- and four-year degree programs of post-secondary education to meet the work requirements of this article.
