Request for Deferral of Employment Obligation

Stipend recipients may face extenuating circumstances that affect their ability to complete their contractual post-graduate work obligation within 90 days of graduation. Extenuating circumstances that typically may warrant deferral of a student's work obligation include:

• Acceptance into an participating MSW program and subsequent Idaho Child Welfare Scholar's stipend award;
• Military deployment; and
• Family and health-related emergencies.
  Circumstances other than those listed above will be considered for deferral approval on a case-by-case basis. All deferral requests will be processed and considered on their merits by the FACS Contract Monitor. The decision regarding deferral approval will be made by IDHW and that determination is final.

The process for requesting deferral based upon extenuating circumstances is:

A. Acceptance into a participating MSW program with Idaho Child Welfare Stipend award:

1. The student completes a Deferral Request form and submits it to their Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator. The student must attach copies of their participating MSW program (BSU, NNU, EWU) acceptance letter and a letter from the Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator from this university verifying that the student has applied for an Idaho Child Welfare Stipend.
2. The Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator verifies the information and submits it to the FACS Contract Monitor within 7 days.
3. The FACS Contract Monitor shall take action (approval, provisional approval or denial) on the request within 30 days of receipt and notify the applicant and child welfare coordinator of their decision in writing.
4. It is the student applicant's obligation to inform the FACS Contract Monitor of the eventual status of their MSW-level Idaho Child Welfare Stipend award. If this stipend is not awarded to the student, they will be required to meet their BSW contract employment obligations or repay their BSW stipend. (See Section D. 2 & 3 - Repayment, below.) If this stipend is awarded to the student, the FACS Contract Monitor may authorize an extension of the student's fulfillment of their CFS work obligation. If their approval for deferral is approved, the student must sign and adhere to the terms of the MSW-level stipend contract. Employment obligations for additional stipend program awards will be cumulative.

B. Military deployment:

1. The student completes a Deferral Request form and submits it to their Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator. The student must attach official documentation of their military deployment.
2. The Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator verifies the information and submits the request to the FACS Contract Monitor within 7 days.
3. The FACS Contract Monitor shall take action (approval, provisional approval or denial) on the request within 30 days of receipt and notify the applicant and child welfare coordinator of their decision in writing.

C. Family and health-related emergencies, and, other extenuating circumstances:

1. The student completes a Deferral Request form and submits it to their Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator. The student must provide sufficient supplementary information or documentation to enable the Child Welfare Faculty Field Coordinator to verify the information.
2. The Child Welfare Faculty Coordinator verifies the information and submits the request to the FACS Contract Monitor within 7 days.
3. The FACS Contract Monitor shall take action (approval, provisional approval or denial) on the request within 30 days of receipt and notify the applicant and child welfare coordinator of their decision in writing.

D. Denial of deferral requests:

1. Students who are currently enrolled in a BSW-level Child Welfare Scholars stipend program will be required to meet their contractual employment obligations before pursuing an MSW or other graduate degree from a non-participating MSW program (any universities other than BSU, NNU and EWU).
2. Students whose deferral requests are denied will be required to meet their contractual employment obligations, or, to reimburse the Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare for the full amount of the stipend they have received.
3. Stipend repayment: Students who opt for repayment must make arrangements with the FACS Contract Monitor. A repayment schedule will be developed according to the guidelines in the Stipend Reimbursement policy outlined above.