Adult Funding

Date came into force or revised

Issued and in effect after May 1, 2015.  Revised Jan, 2015

Status

Current

Policy statement

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

Boards of Education that have adopted motions may offer specific tuition-free courses to adult students who have graduated.

Rationale or purpose of policy

Several changes occurred in adult funding policy:

• The  cap on adult student enrolment was eliminated;
• The Education Guarantee was eliminated but funding will continue for graduated adults taking literacy foundation courses;
• Attendance requirements for adult students were revised.

The definition of “attendance” was revised to include “active” and attendance requirements for students in correctional facilities were set. The revised policy also redefined eligible courses as limited to Ministry of Education and Child Care and Board/Authority Authorized courses, because these are the specific courses that lead to a graduation diploma.

Authority

Under the School Act, Section 75 (8); Section 82 (2.1)

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.

Policy in full

Funding for Non-Graduated Adults:

Boards of Education enrolling adult students, who have not graduated, may receive funding in certain circumstances.

• The adult students must be enrolled in eligible courses that lead to the B.C. Certificate of Graduation or the B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma.
• Eligible courses must be documented on a Course Enrolment Form, 
• The adult student taking the course(s) must meet the attendance requirements, and
• The adult student must  meet the following criteria as set out in the K-12 Funding – General Policy:
  Students must be:
  • ordinarily resident in B.C.
  • enrolled in the district
  • under the supervision of, assessed and evaluated by an employee of the Board of Education who is certified by the Teacher Regulation Branch.

Special Needs Funding for Non-Graduated Adults:

Adult students who have not graduated are eligible for special needs funding if they have special needs under certain circumstances.

See K-12 Form Instructions Form 1701, for category details. Adult students must also have been reported on the Form 1701 in the prior school year (they are continuing their K-12 education program uninterrupted from when they were still school age), and are working towards the continuation of those goals set out in their Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Funding for Course Challenges by Non-Graduated Adults:

Boards of Education who enrol adult students who have not graduated and 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 completed 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.

Funding for Graduated Adults:

Effective Dec 4, 2014, boards of education may receive funding for adult students who have graduated and who enroll in any of the literacy courses offered at continuing education centres, K-12 schools or through distributed learning. See the list of tuition free foundation courses.

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

• adopt 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, and
• ensure that graduated students are ordinarily resident in B.C., enrolled in the district, and under the supervision of, assessed and evaluated by an employee of the Board of Education who is certified by the Teacher Regulation Branch.

Eligible courses will only be funded if they are documented on a Course Enrolment Form and if the student taking the course(s) meets the attendance requirement as referenced above under Non-Graduated Adults.

Adult students who have graduated are not eligible for special needs funding.

• For all schools, 50% of course funding will be based on eligible enrolments reported throught 1701 data collection; 50% of course funding will be based on course completions reported through SADE data collection.

Completion - Definition

• The completion portion of the funding will be provided to districts following submission of final marks via SADE (Student Achievement Data Exchange).
• Funding may be eligible for graduated adult students who do not complete a course, but attempt a minimum of 65 percent of the course work and receive a final grade. All completion-fundable courses must receive a final grade (SADE does not recognize "W" for funding purposes).

Completion - Evidence

• Primary evidence of completion is the teacher’s professional judgment, based on evidence such as course plans, report cards and attendance records.
  • For courses delivered in structured classrooms completion may be based on attendance to verify that at least 65 percent of the course work was completed, or evidence that at least 65 percent of the course work has been achieved.
  • For self-paced or distributed learning courses completion will be based on at least 65 percent of the achieved course work, as measured by the grade book.

Both Graduated and Non-Graduated Adults:

Adult students are not eligible for English Language Learning or Aboriginal Education Funding.

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

Procedures

For adults in standard and alternate schools, funding will be based on the number of adult student FTEs (full time equivalents) in attendance on September 30th of the same year as reported on the Form 1701 (K-12 Form Instructions).

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

School districts must comply with the Form 1701: Student Data collection Completion Instructions and Form 1601: School Data Collection Forms Completion Instructions for Public Schools when submitting adult student and school data to the Ministry.