Appendix E: Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (ELECT)

What is ELECT?

Expectant, custodial, and noncustodial parents of all genders who meet the age requirements, attending a K-12 educational entity sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and receiving TANF may be referred to and have their work activity requirements met by the ELECT program. Individuals not receiving benefits with personal earned income under 235 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG) may also be eligible for the ELECT program through the Family Works (FW) initiative.

Who is eligible for ELECT?

Individuals eligible for ELECT:

• Under the age of 24
• Students that turn 22 while attending their senior year of high school may remain in the ELECT program until the end of their senior year. High School Equivalency (HSE) students less than 24 years of age may be referred to ELECT. Individuals who turn 24 while enrolled in ELECT may continue their education but are not eligible to remain in ELECT upon turning 25 years of age. These individuals must be referred to the appropriate E&T program.
• Attending an approved educational entity
• Pregnant, parenting, or a partner to a pregnant individual; AND
• Receiving TANF benefits, or
• Personal monthly earned income that does not exceed 235% of FPIG; AND
• Enrolled in elementary or secondary education at an approved entity within the service area of an ELECT service providers.

What is the principal goal of ELECT?

The principal goal of the ELECT program is to assist the eligible expectant, custodial, and noncustodial parenting youth break the cycle of welfare dependence by remaining in school, maintaining regular attendance, obtaining a high school diploma or HSE credential, and securing post-graduation employment, education, or training that will move them toward becoming successful parents and self-sufficient adults.

Does ELECT provide other services and assistance?

In addition to promoting self-sufficiency programs, ELECT will provide participants with pregnancy prevention information, guidance, and services to reduce the incidence of secondary youth pregnancies. ELECT provides services such as intensive case management, parenting and child development education, vocational and career planning, information and referral on domestic violence issues, budgeting and family planning, and summer programming. ELECT provides services to promote the importance of healthy parental relationships and encourage the significance of parents in their children’s lives.

Can ELECT participants receive Special Allowances (SPALs)?

ELECT participants who receive TANF may be eligible for special allowances. A TANF recipient’s eligibility for SPALs is not determined based on their participation with ELECT, it is based on their verified need to support an allowable TANF RESET activity. See 135.6 Special Allowances for Supportive Services.

ELECT participants enrolled via the Family Works (FW) initative are not eligible for SPALs regardless of age because they do not receive TANF. FW ELECT students who receive SNAP are not eligible for SNAP SPALs because high school is not an approved SNAP Employment and Training component and cannot be supported with SNAP SPALs.

1. Referral Process.

For TANF Participants:

• CAO will discuss ELECT with applicants/recipients who meet eligibility criteria and are either currently attending or interested in completing secondary education.
• The CAO will update or complete the Agreement of Mutual Responsibility (AMR) with the applicant/recipient who will be referred to an ELECT provider. All ELECT enrollees participate for 20-hours per week.

AMRs must be completed for students who are:

• 18 years of age or older, or
   
• a pregnant or parenting student under the age of 18 who is a minor head of household on their own TANF budget, or
   
• under 18 years of age and:

exempt from RESET due to full-time enrollment in school pursuing a high school diploma or equivalent (ETP 51) and volunteers to participate in ELECT (USE ETP 61). See 135.5 Volunteering to Participate in RESET.

• Complete a referral in eCIS by entering “Y” project on the ETP Project Enrollment screen.
• The AMR will be securely transmitted to the ELECT provider.

For Family Works Participants:

• CAO will discuss the Family Works (FW) program with potentially eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medical Assistance (MA) recipients at application or renewal.  SNAP and MA recipients who could benefit from the services ELECT provides will be informed of their ability to volunteer to participate.
  
  
• ELECT providers will complete the Preliminary Screening process in CWDS and will submit an Application for Family Works Services (PA1720) to the CAO.
  
  

NOTE: CAO must not register other benefits with the Family Works application.

• CAO will process the Family Works application including only:

• • The applicant requesting ELECT services

• • Applicant’s children (if applicable)

• • Applicant’s legal spouse (if applicable)

• • Applicant’s co-parent (only if they are residing in the household)

• Family Works eligible individuals will be opened with an 'SC' category code, Cash ETP code 70, and a referral to ELECT will be completed by creating the 'Y' project.  The 'SC' Category Code will be opened for all ELECT individuals not receiving TANF, even if they are receiving SNAP, MA or SNAP and MA.  Attachment 3 Family Works Processing Instructions provides detailed directions on opening the 'SC' category.

2.  Forms

• AMR (PA 1661)
• Family Works (PA 1720)

3.  eCIS Data Entry Procedures

For TANF participants:

• Individual Attributes screen.

Enter ETP code 60 if mandatory. Enter ETP code 61 if exempt but volunteers.

• ETP Project Enrollment screen
• Open Project Y.
• Enter the project ID which identifies the ELECT provider

• If the necessary project ID is not available in your county, a Service Now ticket must be submitted.

• Enter the appointment date.
• Update as necessary or required.
   

For FW participants:

Select Case Open mode to start process.

• Program Request Screen.
• Verify SC – Family Works is displaying
• Select Case Open mode to start process
• Non-Financial/Household screen.
• Select student as the payment name.
• Individual Attributes screens.
• Complete demographics for the student
• Complete tax information for the student
• Select ETP code 70
• Review pregnancy screen and complete if appropriate
• Complete school attendance screen
• Income screen.
• Input only the student’s earned income and/or the earned income of a legal spouse or other parent of a shared child residing in the same household.
• Enter the student’s income for the gross monthly earned income question. Include the student and their dependents in the people in the household question.
• Run eligibility.
• ETP Project Enrollment screen.
• Open Project “Y”.
• Enter the project ID.
• Enter the appointment date.
• Update as necessary or required.

The SC category is a time-limited budget. The End Date can be extended in 1-year increments until the student is no longer participating in the ELECT program. A new FW application is not required for renewal.  The participant is responsible for reporting any changes to household composition and earned income that could impact a participant’s ongoing eligibility for FW.

NOTE: The IMCW must set a manual alert for 12 months after the authorization date for renewal. If the student is still participating in ELECT, the SC budget must be reopened, and a system referral must be completed through the ETP Project Enrollment screen.

Additional processing instructions can be found in the Family Works Procedures Desk Guide.

4.  CODING

For TANF participants:

• Individual Attributes.
• Mandatory = ETP 60
• Exempt but volunteers = ETP 61
• ETP Project Enrollment screen.
• Project Code = Y

For FW participants:

• Individual Attributes.
• ETP 70
• ETP Project Enrollment screen.
• Project Code = Y

5.  ETANF Rules

• If the TANF recipient is under 18, the individual will not accrue TANF days unless they are a minor head of household. If the ELECT participant is under 25 and an ETANF individual, they can participate in the program.

6.  Sanction Procedures

• Failure to comply with the ELECT program will not result in a participant sanction. A student’s compliance is based on their participation in the educational activity working towards their High School diploma or HSE credential.
• See Section 135.7, Noncompliance with RESET Requirements.

Updated January 20, 2026, Replacing September 21, 2021.