($750 for each additional family member)

1. (a)

   1. (1) Special circumstances include:

      1. (A) Anything that has changed from one (1) year to the next; and
      2. (B) Anything that distinguishes the family from the typical family.

   2. (2) Examples of special circumstances include:

      1. (A) Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school;
      2. (B) Medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance;
      3. (C) Unusually high child care or dependent care, including elder care, costs; and
      4. (D) A parent or another sibling enrolled in a training program.

   3. (3) Note.

      1. (A) When using a special condition, proof of payments being made monthly must be provided to the counselor.
      2. (B) These payments must have been made prior to applying for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services services.

2. (b)

   1. (1) Ascertaining an individual’s financial resources is an important step in determining ability or inability to pay for rehabilitation services.
   2. (2) A resource is considered available only if it is at the individual’s disposal when needed.
   3. (3) Careful study of the individual’s resources is necessary to determine availability.

3. (c)

   1. (1) The provision of certain services to the individual is dependent upon financial need, but the counselor should use discretion upon applying financial need.
   2. (2) Stripping the individual of all resources may impair the individual’s rehabilitation.

4. (d)

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The comparable benefits provision provides VR agencies with an organized method for assessing an individual's eligibility for benefits under other programs.
      2. (B) Any benefit available to individuals under any other program to meet, in whole or in part, the cost of any VR service will be utilized.
      3. (C) This benefit will be considered only to the extent that it is available and timely.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) A “comparable benefit” is not the same as “determination of economic need”.
      2. (B) In determination of economic need, the objective is to set the conditions for equitably determining the amount, if any, an individual is expected to participate in the cost of the rehabilitation.
      3. (C) In the area of comparable benefits, the objective is to give full consideration to alternative funding sources prior to spending VR funds to purchase consumer services.
5. (e) If the individual refuses to apply for services for which the individual may be eligible or if the individual refuses to accept services from another agency as a comparable benefit when receipt of such services do not interfere with achieving the rehabilitation objective, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services cannot provide the services using VR funds.

6. (f)

   1. (1) Federal VR funds cannot be used to pay training costs in institutions of higher education unless every effort has been made to secure financial assistance, in whole or in part, from other funding sources.
   2. (2) In all training cases, the record of services must include evidence that applications were made and the individual will or will not receive assistance.

7. (g)

   1. (1) Evidence of approval of receipt of financial assistance may be documented through a financial aid award letter.
   2. (2) This letter originates at the training institution and lists the type/amount received by semester (quarter).
   3. (3) Federal law requires students to accept/reject awards by signing on this letter.
   4. (4) Repayable loans should not be considered as a comparable benefit or resource.
8. (h) Note. Comparable benefits do not include awards and scholarships based on merit.

Codification Notes: “VR” means vocational rehabilitation.