TO:All GEAR up Coordinators & Portal Users

TO:All GEAR up Coordinators & Portal Users

February 16, 2017

TO:All GEAR UP Coordinators & Portal Users

FROM:Marcie Sample & Kelly Keeney

RE:UPDATED Clarification on Portal Entry for Fee Only Activities

Protocol for ‘Other - Fee Only’ Activity Types

Use the “Fee Only” service category when GEAR UP pays a required fee on behalf of a student, but does not provide any direct service or support to the student related to that activity.

For example, GEAR UP may pay College in the High School tuition for a student, but does not provide any support to the student during the class time. This is a “Fee Only” Activity Type. Advanced Placement test fees also fall into this category because GEAR UP pays the fee, but does not help the student complete the test. For further clarification, see GEAR UP Activity Type Definitions, page 17.

‘Other - Fee Only’ may include but are not limited to:

AP Test Fees

Accelerated/rigorous course tuition

STAMP language proficiency exam fees

College in the High School tuition

Online learning course tuition (Red Comet, e.g.)

Use the following protocol to enter participation data for Other-Fee Only activities:

  1. Name the activity to match what was provided. Examples include: CiHS Tuition, AP Biology Test Fee, Red Comet English Course Fee, etc.
  2. Select “Other-Fee Only” Activity Type.
  3. Create a date for the activity that equals the first day of participation in the activity.
  4. Only enter students for the first day – do not enter any additional dates for the activity.

DO NOT: Do not go back and change anything you have already entered this year. These adjustments have already been made.

Additional Notes:

  1. For courses that occur during the school year, you should not wait until the student completes the course or activity to enter participation. Enter it as soon as possible once the student begins the course or activity.
  2. We will reimburse for school year courses, as long as the student remains enrolled in the course for that grading period. We do not require evidence of the student passing the course for reimbursement.
  3. Our expectation is that GEAR UP provide any students who are at risk of failing these courses with additional supports to reduce the likelihood of failure. If this occurs, this becomes an additional and separate activity and should be entered into the portal just as any other direct service is entered.
  4. Summer activities are not entered as “Other-Fee Only”. See specific guidance for summer activities in the GEAR UP Activity Type Definitions documents.
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