OAR 461-145-0150: Educational Income

(1) Educational income is income designated specifically for educational expenses. To be considered educational income, the income must be received by one of the following: (a) A student at a recognized institution of post-secondary education. Post-secondary education is education offered primarily to individuals 18 years of age or older. Admission may — but does not necessarily — require a high school diploma or equivalent. (b) A student at a school for individuals with disabilities. (c) A student in a vocational education program. (d) A student in a program that provides for completion of requirements for a secondary school diploma or the equivalent. (2) To determine the amount of educational income to exclude, education expenses listed in the financial aid award letter are used unless one of the following is true: (a) The student provides verification of amounts different from those listed in the award letter, in which case the verified amounts from the student are used. (b) The student receives child care benefits through the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program under the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) or other child care subsidies. The amount the student actually pays for child care (including the ERDC copay) is excluded as educational income instead of the amount shown in the award letter. (c) The student states that actual transportation costs exceed the amount allowed for the expense in the award letter. In that situation, the number of miles to and from school is multiplied by $0.20. The product or the amount from the award letter, whichever is greater, is excluded. (3) The following items are excluded: (a) Educational income authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act or Title IV of the Higher Education Act or made available by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). (b) All income from educational loans. (c) For Medicare Savings Programs (see OAR 461-001-0000) and Oregon Supplemental Income Program Medical (OSIPM), the augmented portion of a shelter stipend from the Department of Veterans Affairs designated for the individual’s dependent. (4) Except as provided in section (5) of this rule, the cost of the following items from remaining educational funds (including non‑Title IV work study, externship (see OAR 461-001-0015), graduate assistantship (see OAR 461-001-0015), graduate fellowship (see OAR 461-001-0015) wages, and internship (see OAR 461-001-0015)) is excluded: dependent care, tuition, mandatory fees, books and supplies, transportation, required rental or purchase of equipment or materials charged to students enrolled in a specific curriculum, other miscellaneous personal expenses (except room and board), and loan originator fees and insurance premiums required to obtain an educational loan. (5) For a participant in the Parents as Scholars (PAS) component of the JOBS program who has been approved for PAS pursuant to OAR 461-190-0199, all remaining educational funds, including those funds intended for room and board, are excluded. (6) In all programs covered by chapter 461 of the Oregon Administrative Rules, after allowing exclusions, the remaining income is treated as follows: (a) Income received through work study (including work study provided through a Veterans Affairs (VA) program or other educational program), fellowships and teaching-assistant positions not excluded by section (3) or (4) of this rule is earned income. (b) Educational income not covered by subsection (a) of this section is prorated over the period it is intended to cover. If the individual has already received the income, the prorated amount is counted monthly beginning with the first month of the period. If the individual has not received the income at the time the determination is made, the prorated income is counted starting in the month the individual expects to receive it. (7) Educational awards paid under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (including AmeriCorps) are treated in accordance with OAR 461-145-0365. (8) For Medicare Savings Programs and OSIPM, distributions from a Coverdell Education Savings account and gifts used for education purposes are treated in accordance with OAR 461-145-0145.