2. Vocational Rehabilitation
3. Policy and Guidance
4. Summer School Attendance and Work Activities

Summer School Attendance and Work Activities

Reviewed: April 2023

Work Activities for Post-Secondary Students

Summer is a good time for post-secondary students to get work experience to build their skills and work references and to earn wages.

Examples of summertime goals could include:

• Increase stamina and reduce work restrictions through graduated work activities
• Develop positive work references
• Learn soft work skills
• Earn money to help with fall living expenses
• Develop experience in the field relevant to the consumer's course of study
• Validate the consumer's interest in working toward the selected employment goal

Encourage consumers who do not need to or otherwise will not attend summer school to obtain work either on or off campus during the summer to advance their Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) objectives. Consumers who lack a work history should be encouraged to get a job during the summer.

Summer School

For some consumers, the most appropriate summertime IPE activity will be to attend summer school. Students who attend summer school should go through the training grant portal process.

Examples when summer school is appropriate for a consumer may include:

• Completing summer school classes will allow the consumer to graduate at the end of summer school
• Classes are sequential, and a summer school course is not available in the upcoming academic year
• A summer school class is a prerequisite to take a required class in the upcoming academic year
• Summer school term attendance is a requirement of the academic program

The exception process must be used to request funding for summer school if additional funding beyond the DVR grant awarded for the last academic year is being requested (not to exceed $6,000 per academic year), or if summer school attendance is not part of the DVR training grant within the upcoming year’s Financial Aid Office (FAO) determination.

The Workforce Development Area (WDA) Director must review the training grant to make an exception request decision. If the exception is approved, process the training grant with the exception amount to the school. If the exception request is denied, provide the consumer their appeal rights in writing.

If the exception process is used, it is important to consider the impact of additional summer school funding on the FAO determination. For example, would additional funding for summer school produce an over-award? Contact your supervisor with any questions pertaining to over-awards and the exception process.