Lone Star College System
Workforce Solutions Scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Workforce Solutions (WFS)? www.wrksolutions.com
Workforce Solutions provides comprehensive human resource services for businesses and residents of the 13-county Houston-Galveston Gulf Coast region. Workforce Solutions helps employers solve workforce-related business problems and area residents build careers, so that both can better compete in the changing worldwide economy.
Workforce Solutions operates multiple community-based career offices in 13 Texas Gulf Coast counties called Workforce Solutions Centers to help residents get a job, keep a job or get a better job – offering placement, career counseling and scholarships for training.
How do I qualify for a scholarship from Workforce Solutions and where do I apply? Students may qualify for a Workforce Solutions Scholarship by being economically disadvantaged OR if they have been laid off from their job and receiving unemployment benefits, and in need of training to enter the job market. All eligibility is handled at the Workforce Solutions Center, visit http://www.wrksolutions.com/jobs/careeroffices/careeroffices.asp) for career center locations. Please note that only the full-service centers offer scholarships. Selected training programs must be on the Gulf Coast Workforce Board’s High-Skill, High-Growth Occupations list. Visit the following website for the list of high-demand occupations: http://www.wrksolutions.com/jobs/faj/highskillprofile/Scholarship%20Occs.pdf ).
What happens after I apply and get approved for a Workforce Solutions Scholarship? Once you are approved for training, you will be referred to the college to gather all of your training cost information. The college will send the cost to your financial aid specialist (FAS) at WFS. Once that cost is approved, you will return to the college with a service voucher, this is your scholarship. At that point, one of the LSCS – Workforce Scholarship staff will assist you with enrolling in your classes, award your tuition payment and issue you vouchers for approved training related expenses such as books/supplies/uniforms/tools/immunizations and they will also explain other program requirements while in school. The amount of your scholarship is determined by the amount approved at the WFS office.
I am interested in the Healthcare field such as Nursing or Radiology; does WFS cover those programs in full? In some cases, WFS has covered the cost of the pre-requisite courses in the Associate’s Degree Nursing program, but this is not always the case. This determination is made at the WFS office you visit.
Where does the money come from and do I have to pay it back? The majority of the funding comes out of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds; although, there are other types of funding available. The WFS staff determines what type of funding you are eligible for. These are scholarships not loans; therefore, you do not have to pay the money back. The end result and goal is employment upon graduation. WFS does not designate where you go to work, they just require that you go to work. Workforce Scholarships are performance based and students that receive assistance are followed-up on for the purpose of meeting performance benchmarks.
Can I receive a Workforce Solutions Scholarship and Pell Grant at the same time? Yes, based on the student’s individual need, the WFS staff determines how much scholarship money they will pay on top of the Pell Grant. Each case is handled on an individual basis. It is important to know that when you apply for scholarships in the financial aid office, a Workforce Solutions Scholarship is not one of them; you have to visit a Workforce Solutions office to apply for this scholarship. Also, if you are currently receiving unemployment benefits, you are encouraged to apply for the Pell Grant; stimulus funds are available for those who qualify. Visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm and follow all the directions.
Can I receive a WFS scholarship if I have a default student loan? No, you will not qualify for WFS or Pell.
Can I qualify for a WFS scholarship if I currently have a Bachelor’s Degree? Yes, unlike the Pell Grant, which does disqualify you if you have a Bachelor’s Degree; WFS can still assist you, as long as you meet the eligibility guidelines for the program (i.e.: laid off or low-income or underemployed/low skilled, etc.)
What steps do I need to take to become a Lone Star College student? For Continuing Education (CE) Workforce Certificates, you can visit the campus of your choice and visit the CE offices and they can take your admissions information and data enter it into our system. Please ask them for your student ID#, you will need that for registration. If you register for classes prior to meeting with Workforce Solutions and a LSCS Scholarship team member, you will be dropped for non-payment.
For credit enrollments, you will need to complete an online admissions application and a new student orientation for Lone Star College System: http://lonestar.edu/admissions.htm . Follow all the directions, takes about 15 minutes. If you have previous college, then you need to request ALL official transcripts to be sent to the Lone Star College System, if you do not have prior college, than you need to see an advisor to get a referral to take the Compass or Accuplacer test, cost is $29.00.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact the LSCS – Workforce Scholarship staff at the following locations or for general information, contact Yvonne Cross at 281-290-2837:
· LSC – University Park - Michelle Greer/281-290-2826
· LSC – Cy-Fair – Lucy Solomon/281-290-5978
· LSC – Kingwood – Chavon Miller/281-312-1667
· LSC - Montgomery – Michelle Greer/936-273-7027
· LSC – Conroe Center – Chavon Miller/936-271-6346
· LSC – North Harris – Shonta Sumlin/281-765-7972
· LSC – Tomball – Joyce Kitchen/281-401-1863