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Using Vocational Rehabilitation Funds to Support Study Abroad

by Mary Ann C. Higgins

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor Denise McKoy had seen it before – the importance of helping her clients gain experiences outside of North Carolina to prepare for independent living and future employment. When Nick Klein and three of her other VR clients who were enrolled at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina, approached her about a summer-abroad program for credit, she listened with an open mind.

Nick Klein uses an electric wheelchair and requires a personal care attendant (PCA) for a few hours a day. During his junior year, Klein heard about an opportunity to study abroad in Scotland during the summer. He approached McKoy about the possibility of including it as part of his VR plan. McKoy recalls her response: “Whenever a student is interested in doing something that is out of the ordinary and wants to receive VR funding for it, I always encourage them to write a letter. I told Nick to write down what he wants to do and how it will help him reach his vocational goals.” Goals could include degree related course support, increased confidence, global awareness, or functional skills such as adapting to new environments or hiring a PCA or notetaker. McKoy added, “I need the specifics, the program requirements, the costs and fees such as airline ticket costs, extra tuition or fees, food and, if applicable, any PCA expenses. I also need to know what the student can contribute financially. VR may not pay for everything, but I want the student to be as specific as possible and include everything that will be needed.”

Klein recalls, “I drew up a proposal that I would be abroad for three weeks and my need for a PCA for four hours a day at $9 per hour.” Nick was able to use other funds to pay for the balance of his PCA’s daily wages and the airfare, the university tuition, the lodging and transportation. One of the other participating students also used a PCA, so he and Klein were able to share some expenses: “My buddy and I split the costs for our PCAs’ airline ticket and meals.”

VR Funding

“There is no federal regulation that prohibits the funding of an international program as part of an individual’s vocational rehabilitation plan,” reports Mary Davis, Rehabilitation Program Specialist at the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the United States Department of Education, the federal agency that oversees the state level Vocational Rehabilitation Services. “Each state has flexibility in the nature and scope of what activities are covered, but cost alone can never be the only reason to deny a particular program.” She adds, however, “There does need to be a clear link between the international activity and the individual’s vocational objective.” It also should be clear that the experience is not available through participation in a domestic program. If a VR counselor agrees that the experience would be valuable and the VR department is supportive, it should be written into the vocational plan.

If VR has approved funding for a PCA, adaptive equipment or a notetaker to meet a vocational goal, it may be possible to use those funds to provide the same service while abroad. Davis recommends that individuals should discuss international program participation with their VR counselors if they feel it would increase their employability, as some states may have state level VR policies that apply. One of the considerations in approving the VR funding for Klein was that he would receive academic credit for the program. “The last two years we have not had summer school on the St. Andrew’s campus,” said McKoy, “so it was an advantage for the students to participate in this program and get credit during summer.”

SSI Options

Another funding option for students with disabilities to consider is the SSI study abroad provision. It applies if a person with a disability receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and has the opportunity to participate in an international exchange program. The provision allows for the continuation of benefits while participating in an overseas educational program. The exact wording from the Social Security Handbook (SSA, 2001) is:

A student of any age may be eligible for SSI benefits while temporarily outside the U.S. for the purpose of conducting studies that are not available in the U.S., are sponsored by an educational institution in the U.S., and are designed to enhance the student’s ability to engage in gainful employment. Such a student must have been eligible to receive an SSI benefit for the month preceding the first full month outside the U.S.

This is an exception to the more well- known “SSI Presence Rule” that does not allow for the continuation of SSI benefits while outside the United States for more than 30 days. The “30-day presence rule” was amended through legislation introduced by Rep. Pete Stark of California in 1994 as part of the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act, and it became effective January 1, 1995.

The Impact

Emily Silberberg, the Director of Disability Services at St. Andrews, coordinated the three-week summer Scotland Abroad Trip for Nick Klein and other students with and without disabilities. The College Department of Humanities and Fine Arts approved the program so the students would receive academic credit. With this approval, all the participants and PCAs were covered under the college health insurance while they were abroad. McKoy and Silberberg both feel the students gained new perspectives on their lives. Silberberg shares, “Many of them had not been outside of the USA, let alone North Carolina before this trip. They saw that it was not that difficult to travel abroad in their wheelchairs and some have considered studying abroad again in the future. Laurinburg is a small town and all of the students are from rural North Carolina. I wanted them to see some possibilities including living in big cities and traveling abroad.” Klein said about the impact for him, “Oh man, there are just no boundaries; it was the best thing for me. After I got hurt, I felt confined. This experience just really showed me that I can do anything – that I can be independent. It doesn’t matter what my goal is, I can accomplish it.”

Silberberg also had campus-wide goals in mind. “We wanted to show the faculty how easy it is to make a trip accessible, how working with the student to discuss needs related to transportation, lodging and other aspects of the program is completely possible. Being flexible is important for the student and the faculty member. If they think it is not accessible, they probably haven’t really explored it.” McKoy adds, “It is an alternative academic program. Just because a student has a disability doesn’t mean he or she can’t study abroad.” Mary Davis adds that individuals who feel that international experience is crucial to their future employability and yet are denied the opportunity to gain that experience as part of a vocational rehabilitation plan, should use their right to appeal through the Client Assistance Program. If an individual can present a strong case that the experience would make him or her more employable, it should be supported.

The Social Security Administration supports people with disabilities in getting the experience needed to be employed. It is critical that people with disabilities recognize the importance of international experience and, when possible, include it as part of employment preparation.

References

Social Security Administration (2001). Social Security handbook (SSA Publication # 65-008). Washington, DC: Author.

Mary Ann C. Higgins is a Consultant with Mobility International USA, Eugene, Oregon. She may be reached at 330/854-9048 or by e-mail at machiggins@sssnet.com. For international exchange information or a brochure on VR and SSI funding options contact Mobility International USA, The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, P.O. Box 10767, Eugene, Oregon 97440, (541) 343-1284 (voice/TTY); their e-mail address is clearinghouse@miusa.org, and their Web site is www.miusa.org.

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