TLS Educational & Training Voucher (ETV) Payments Program

This grant award will have an initial period of performance starting in FY27 (07/01/2026 (or upon execution of the agreement) through 06/30/2029). A budget should be submitted for FY27 only.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program provides financial support services to eligible youth that are enrolled in an accredited college, university, or vocational program. The Provider will collaborate with the Office of Education and Transition Services (OETS) on the ETV Program. The Provider will issue ETV payments to Payees as approved by the OETS ETV Coordinator and submitted in the weekly payment request.

The ETV payments will include payments directly to ETV eligible students for reimbursement of eligible post-secondary expenses, including books, supplies, technology, and room/board expenses. Payments will also go directly to post-secondary education colleges, universities, and programs for eligible expenses included within the student’s cost of attendance.

The Provider will collaborate with the OETS to issue the start-up payments to the DCFS Scholarship recipients. The amount of the start-up payment is determined by the DCFS Budget and Finance Office and is a benefit of the DCFS Scholarship.

The Youth in College / Vocational Training (YIC) Program is a placement available to youth in care. A start-up payment is benefit of the program. The Provider will issue YIC start-up payments to Payees as directed on the weekly payment request.

Upon request and approval by the Provider and the Deputy Director, additional payments will also be allowed.
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PROVIDER RESPONSIBILITIES

The Provider shall issue payments as approved by the DCFS/OETS. The Provider must have these procedures in writing and available to all staff.

All payments approved by the DCFS/OETS shall be accepted and issued on a no decline basis unless the funds provided by DCFS have been exhausted.

The Provider shall issue the payments electronically when possible and shall only mail the payments to the payee as a last option. If the payment is being made to a payee on behalf of an eligible youth, the payment shall include the youth’s name, DCFS ID number, and if applicable, youth’s student ID number. All payments shall be processed and issued within 5 business days of receipt of the request. If the Department requests an emergency response, the payment shall be processed and issued within 1 business day.

If the Provider learns the check was not received by the payee within a reasonable amount of time, the Provider shall void the check. The Provider shall document such action as part of this Program’s record keeping. The Provider will be reimbursed for any bank fees incurred to stop payment on an issued check.
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CLIENT CONTACTS

The Provider will have direct contact with the Client to establish direct deposit for electronic payments.
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MINIMUM STAFFING EXPECTATIONS

Provider must maintain staffing levels sufficient to process checks in a timely manner Monday through Friday excepting state holidays.
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TARGET POPULATION

A Client is defined as:
• a youth that is referred by the ETV Coordinator and meets the criteria. The ETV Coordinator or designee must confirm that the client is appropriate for ETV funding.
• a youth in care approved for the YIC placement.
• a recipient of the DCFS Scholarship.

Inclusions:
Youth eligible for ETV funding include the following:
• Youth for whom the Department has court-ordered legal responsibility for; or
• Youth who have aged out of DCFS care at age 18 or older; or Youth who have achieved permanency through guardianship or adoption at age 16 or older.

In addition, the youth must meet the following requirements:
The youth must be enrolled, attending and making satisfactory academic progress as a student in an accredited college, university or vocational program prior to age 21;The youth must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) within the required deadlines set by the school and state each year; and the youth must successfully complete all paperwork requested by the school for the admission and financial aid process.

Youth eligible for YIC start-up payments include the following:
• Youth in care approved for the YIC placement.

Youth eligible for DCFS Scholarship start-up payments include the following:
• Recipients of the DCFS Scholarship.

Exclusions:
Youth are ineligible if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria.

Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: N/A
Capacity at Any Given Time: N/A

Client Capacity Under Program: N/A
Capacity at Any Given Time: N/A

Average Length of Services: 5 business days

The length of service under this Agreement shall be based from the time the Provider receives the request to issue payments to the time the check is issued to the approved recipient.

The provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters.
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BILLING SUBMITTAL

The Provider must submit monthly invoices. All invoices except the first must be accompanied by a written summary of the status of each project reporting the activities conducted and deliverables accomplished during the time period for the prior invoice. The Provider must submit financial/cost reports on a monthly basis reflecting the actual reimbursable costs to document an invoice already paid. All invoices except the first will be accompanied by monthly financial reports and quarterly program reports as outlined in the Program Plan.

Estimated Payments: Payment will be made at the beginning of each month in an amount equal to 1/12 of the annual budgeted Agreement amount provided this is supported by monthly reconciliation reports submitted by the Provider.

Monthly Reconciliation: The Provider will submit reconciliation reports each month. A separate Payment Spreadsheet is necessary for each service month. The Provider must submit the Payment Spreadsheet within 30 days after the month the Payments were made. The Provider may issue one Payment for more than one purpose for the same Payee. However, when billing, the payment must be split to match the Payment requests approved and submitted to the Provider by the DCFS/OETS. If the Payee is a school and the payment is on behalf of multiple youth, documentation must be submitted to the Payee documenting how the payment is to be applied to youth’s student accounts, including the youth’s student ID numbers. The Provider will submit a DCFS Scholarship start-up payments spreadsheet documenting payments.
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PAYMENT

The terms and conditions of this award comply with the requirements of a Fixed Amount Award. A Fixed Amount Award is defined as a type of grant or cooperative agreement pursuant to which the Federal agency or pass-through entity provides a specific amount of funding without regard to actual costs incurred under the Federal award consistent with the terms of this addendum.

The recipient or subrecipient must not earn or keep any profit resulting from Federal financial assistance unless explicitly authorized by the terms and conditions of the Federal award. See also § 200.307. When the required activities of a fixed amount award were completed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award, the unexpended funds retained by the recipient or subrecipient are not considered profit.

The Provider will receive the funds they will disburse and a direct administrative fee of 10% based on the actual amount of Payments disbursed to provide support and stability for youth in care. As a Fixed Amount Award, administrative costs are restricted to the direct administrative fee of 10% and no indirect administrative costs are allowed on these Direct Client Assistance payments.

The Department will make payments to the Provider based on the projected amount needed up to Agreement capacity. The Department will review program utilization based on authorizations made by the DCFS/OETS designee and on monthly reconciliation process described above, when determining appropriate payment amounts.
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PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS

• The Provider will process 100% of the Payment requests when they have available funds.
• The Provider will process 100% of the Payment requests within 5 business days. If the Department requests an emergency response, the payment will be processed within 1 business day.
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GEOGRAPHIC/SERVICE PROVISION AREA(S)

Services must be provided throughout the State of Illinois. Administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA 418-00-3604).