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POLICY STATEMENT

Non-graduated adult students are eligible for funding for courses leading to the British Columbia Certificate of Graduation (the Dogwood) or leading to the Adult Graduation Diploma (the Adult Dogwood).

Starting September 1, 2008, boards that have passed motions may offer graduated adults specific courses tuition-free under the conditions outlined below.

RATIONALE

Elimination of the cap on adult enrolment in regulation and the introduction of the Education Guarantee require this funding policy be revised to include funding criteria for both non-graduated and graduated adult students.

Additionally, the definition of “attendance” has been revised to include “active” and to define attendance requirements for students in Correctional Facilities.

The revised policy also redefines eligible courses to reference Ministry and Board/Authority Authorized courses because these are the specific courses that lead to a graduation diploma.  It removes the requirement that  a non-graduated adult student be on a clear path to graduation because the new definition of eligible courses makes this requirement unnecessary.

LEGISLATION/ REGULATIONS

Under authority of the School Act, Section 75 (8); Section 82 (2.1); and Section 106
75 (8) A board may, in accordance with any terms and conditions specified by the board, permit a person who is older than school age
(a) to attend an educational program, or
(b) to enrol and receive instruction in an educational program sufficient to meet the general requirements for graduation.

82 (2.1) Subject to subsection (2.2), if a board permits a student who is older than school age and is ordinarily resident in British Columbia to enrol in an educational program leading to graduation, the board must provide free of charge to that student
(a) instruction in an educational program sufficient to meet the general requirements for graduation, and
(b) educational resources materials necessary to participate in the educational program.

106 (Refer to the School Act  pp. C-101 – C-103)

ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS

Attendance (for adult non-graduated and graduated students),
Prior Learning Assessment

POLICY

Non-Graduated Adults:
Non-graduated adult students may be eligible for funding if they are enrolled in eligible courses that lead to the B.C. Certificate of Graduation or the B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma.
Eligible courses will be funded if they are documented on a Course Enrolment Form and if the student taking the course(s) meets the attendance requirements and if the student meets the following criteria as set out in the K-12 Funding – General Policy:
Students must be:

• ordinarily resident in BC
• enrolled in the district
• under the supervision of, assessed and evaluated by a Member of the BC College of Teachers.

Non-graduated adult students are eligible for special education funding if they have special needs: Level 1 (categories A&B), Level 2 (categories C through G), or Level 3 (category H). See K-12 Form Instructions Form 1701, for category details. The adult students must also have been reported on the Form 1701 in the prior school year (i.e. they are continuing their K-12 education program uninterrupted from when they were still school age), and are working towards their goals set out in their Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Non-graduated adult students who successfully challenge courses are eligible for funding. The Ministry will fund boards the equivalent per pupil funding of a 1-credit course for each successfully complete course Challenge. To receive funding, enrolling boards of education must report successful course challenges to the Ministry through the Transcript and Examinations (TRAX) system by June 30 of the school year in which the Challenge occurred.  More information about reporting course Challenges can be found in the Handbook of Procedures.

Graduated Adults:
Effective September 1, 2008, Boards of education will be funded for graduated adults taking courses offered at continuing education or K-12 schools through Phase 3 of the “Education Guarantee”. Courses eligible for funding can be found in Appendix 1 of the Education Guarantee Information  page.

To be eligible to claim for funding, the board of education must

• pass a motion that it intends to provide tuition-free education to graduated adults in Continuing Education and/or K-12 schools, and notify the ministry that it has done so;
• ensure that graduated students are ordinarily resident in BC, enrolled in the district, and under the supervision of, assessed and evaluated by a member of the BC College of Teachers.

Eligible courses will be funded if they are documented on a Course Enrolment Form and if the student taking the course(s) meets the attendance requirement as defined above.
Graduated adults are not eligible for special education funding.

ALL ADULTS:
Adult students are not eligible for ESL or Aboriginal Education Funding.

Adults may be charged fees for courses that are not “Eligible courses” as defined above.

PROCEDURES

For adults in K-12 and alternate schools funding will be based on the number of adult student FTEs in attendance on September 30 of the same year as reported on the Form 1701 (K-12 Form Instructions).
For adults in continuing education schools, funding will be determined using the greater of the May 31 (Form 1701 Full-Year Data Collection) or September 30 enrolments of the same year, as reported on the Form 1701 (K-12 Form Instructions).

For adults in distributed learning schools, funding will be based on the three data collections of enrolments in DL schools, September, February, and May.

The funding amount per course for adult students is different than for school age students, and is published annually in the Operating Grants Manual.