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Content provided by the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
84.126
Rehabilitation Services_Vocational Rehabilitation Grants to States
FEDERAL AGENCY:
OFFICE OF ASSISTANT
SECRETARY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION
AUTHORIZATION:
Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
as amended, Title I, Parts A and B, Sections 100-111; 29 U.S.C. 720-724 and
730-731.
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OBJECTIVES:
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To assist States in
operating comprehensive, coordinated, effective, efficient and accountable
programs of vocational rehabilitation; to assess, plan, develop, and provide
vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities,
consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities,
and capabilities so they may prepare for and engage in competitive employment.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants.
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USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Federal and State funds are used to cover the costs of providing vocational
rehabilitation services which include: assessment, counseling, vocational and
other training, job placement, reader services for the blind, interpreter
services for the deaf, medical and related services and prosthetic and
orthotic devices, rehabilitation technology, transportation to secure
vocational rehabilitation services, maintenance during rehabilitation, and
other goods and services necessary for an individual with a disability to
achieve an employment outcome. Services are provided to families of disabled
individuals when such services will contribute substantially to the
rehabilitation of such individuals who are being provided vocational
rehabilitation services. Funds can also be used to provide Vocational
Rehabilitation services for the benefit of groups of individuals with
disabilities including the construction and establishment of community
programs.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: State agencies in all States (including
territories/possessions) designated as the sole State agency to administer the
vocational rehabilitation program may apply.
Beneficiary Eligibility: Eligibility for vocational rehabilitation
services is based on the presence of a physical and/or mental impairment, which
for such an individual constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to
employment, and the need for vocational rehabilitation services that may be
expected to benefit the individual in terms of an employment outcome.
Credentials/Documentation: The State agency must certify the
availability of State funds for matching purposes. Costs will be determined in
accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:
Pre-application Coordination: This program is eligible for coverage
under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An
applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point
of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State
requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected
the program for review.
Application Procedure: Applicants prepare a 5-year State Plan for
vocational rehabilitation services (meeting Federal requirements established
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended). Vocational rehabilitation
agencies submit State plans to the appropriate RSA Regional office. This program
is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedure: Notice of annual allotment to the State; grant award
notices and funds are withdrawn under the Electronic Transfer System.
Deadlines: State plans for vocational rehabilitation services are
submitted to the RSA Regional Program Offices for approval. The same date as a
complete 5-year single or unified State plan.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: State plans must be approved
within 90 days of being submitted to RSA, for a 5-year period.
Appeals: If a State plan is disapproved, and after reasonable effort
has been made to resolve, the State may appeal to the United States Court of
Appeals for the circuit in which the State is located.
Renewals: Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: Under the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended, Title I, Part A, Section 110, Federal funds are distributed
(78.7 percent Federal and 21.3 percent State) based on population weighted by
per capita income. Funds become available for obligations for the fiscal year
for which they are appropriated and may remain available for an additional year
if the matching requirement is met in the year of the appropriation. The
statistical factors for fund allocation are: 1) The per capita income 3-year
average by State and the source is the Survey of Current Business, Bureau of
Economic Analysis; 2) the U.S. total population and State population and the
source is the Population Estimates Annual, Bureau of the Census; Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Statistical factors used for eligibility do not apply to this
program. This program has maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements. The MOE
level is based on the amount of State expenditures for the Federal fiscal year
two years earlier. See funding agency for further details.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Notice of annual allotment to
the State; grant awards are issued biannually (1st and 4th quarter) with funds
released through the Electronic Transfer System.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: Annual and quarterly progress reports; annual budget and case
service reports; quarterly financial reports.
Audits: Conducted by ED Office of Inspector General and by site visits
of regional staff. Both are periodic but no set schedule. In accordance with the
provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of
States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal
entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards
will have a single or a program- specific audit conducted for that year.
Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are
exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in
Circular No. A-133.
Records: Financial and programmatic records for a prescribed period of
three years (34 CFR 80.42).
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 91-0301-0-1-506.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $2,375,790,000; FY 02 est $2,455,385,000;
and FY 03 est $2,589,521,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
In FY 2015 annual allotments to States, including D.C. and Puerto Rico ranged from $10.1 million to $301.6 million, with a median award of $41.8 million. Grants to outlying areas ranged from $0.9 million to $42.1 million.
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
As a group, persons who achieve employment as a result of vocational
rehabilitation services each year show notable gains in their ability to
function in economic terms, regardless of their employment status when they
apply for services.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Vocational Rehabilitation Regulations (34 CFR 361). Vocational Rehabilitation
Manual. Rehabilitation Services Policy Directives and Technical Assistance
Circulars.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office:
None.
Headquarters Office:
Carol Dobak, Department of Education, OSERS Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington , District of Columbia 20202 Email: Carol.Dobak@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-7325.
Web Site Address:
http://www.ed.gov/
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Not applicable.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Not applicable.
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