Developmentally disabled students who are enrolled in Pulaski Technical College's 3D Program can now receive federal financial aid for classes, the school said Tuesday.
The program started in fall 2013 with help from Lisenne Rockefeller, the widow of Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller; civic leader Linus Raines; and former college Trustee Diane Bray, said Todd Gold, the dean of the college's Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute. It helps developmentally disabled adults earn certification in culinary arts, baking or hospitality and get jobs in those fields.
"We can offer this program, where in many cases when students leave their high school and have intellectual disabilities, there are no higher-ed opportunities for them, or they are very limited," Pulaski Tech President Margaret Ellibee said. "Our 3D Program is now offering this federal financial aid option for them. It is a win for the students and their families.
"It helps sustain our program well, well, well into the future. Our students are leaving with their certificate of completion. ... They are being employed, and it is a very, very successful program."
It's one of a handful of such programs in the state, and the only one that allows federal financial aid, Pulaski Tech officials said. The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has a program geared toward helping developmentally disabled adults live independently, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has an internship program that helps adults with developmental disabilities find employment.
Pulaski Tech's program doesn't set a curriculum for the students, but it allows them to find their place among the three areas. Students enrolled in the program must demonstrate certain competencies before they graduate, meaning it's more self-paced. Once students graduate, staff with Pulaski Tech and Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled go on site with them for job training.
The Rockefeller family helped to start the 3D Program -- Lisenne Rockefeller's son, John, went through the pilot program, and the Rockefellers gave financial support when he started and after he graduated. The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has since poured about $70,000 into the program to turn it into a federally deemed "certified transition program," which allows for the financial aid.
Because of the donations, the 3D Program was initially placed under the college's Business and Industry Center. The college also had been charging those students $6,520 per year in tuition, Gold said, but some students received financial assistance through Arkansas Rehabilitation Services.
On Tuesday, Pulaski Tech trustees unanimously passed a new tuition and fee structure for the 3D Program. Now, 3D Program students will pay the same tuition and mandatory fees that all Pulaski Tech students pay, adding up to about $176 per credit hour, documents show. The college is also tacking on a $167-per-credit-hour fee specific to that program.
The total cost to students participating in the program is now $10,290 per year, an increase of about 57 percent or $3,770 per year, documents show.
But, Gold said, the 3D Program students are now eligible for up to $5,000 per year in federal Pell grants, which help undergraduate students from low-income families and do not have to be repaid. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services also has offered students the same amount for fees and supplies.
"So, theoretically, a 3D student in this new tuition situation can enroll in the program, and for around $10,290 a year, everything is taken care of: books, kits, supplies, tuition," he said. "And $10,000 of that can potentially come from the Pell and the [Arkansas Rehabilitation Services] money.
"So, for about $100 a semester, the students can go through this program. Now with that being said, there's tons of scholarship opportunities. [Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled] does fundraisers for these students. So I really feel like these students can come and go through this program at no cost to them."
The structural change will help Pulaski Tech pay for the salaries and fringe benefits, which are estimated to cost $166,370 a year, board documents show. The college currently has three full-time employees in the program, which generally has a 3-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, Gold said, adding that 21 students are currently enrolled.
The changes are expected to bring in $216,090 more annually.
Pulaski Tech Trustee Wade Radke asked Tuesday about the success rate of the students. In total, the program has six graduates, all of whom are currently employed, Gold said.
"So that's 100 percent," Radke said. "That's great. I think the program in itself, the idea behind it, is magnificent."
Trustee James Herzfeld asked how many graduates the college was expecting from the program this year.
"It's difficult to pinpoint exactly who will graduate when because the program is so student-driven," program director Chelsey Moore said. "The goal is to complete 60 credit hours."
She added that they expect five graduates this spring.
Metro on 08/10/2016