Welcome to Hire UP
Overview
The Allan Hancock College Hire UP program is a pilot program that gives awards to students equivalent to working a minimum wage job to eligible formerly incarcerated students in Rising Scholars, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth identified as a Guardian Scholar to help meet the true cost of college attendance and gain clear access to credential programs and workforce support needed to enter, participate, and succeed in California’s economy. This program may be terminated at any time or may end upon disbursement of all available grant funding for this program.
How It Works
Students in the Hire UP program receive a financial aid award that is equivalent to working a 20–40-hour minimum wage job in California. The intent is to provide enough support so that students can reduce or eliminate the hours that they work and instead focus on completing their program of study.
For the 2024-25 aid year, new and continuing students in the program as long as they remain eligible to receive the grant.
Calculating Award Amounts
Award amounts will be calculated based on the student’s enrollment status on the day of disbursement. Only attending hours will be used. Late-start classes will not count toward the total unit count until the class has started (although early modules will still continue to count after they have been completed).
Awards are based on CA minimum wage and enrollment status. The current state minimum wage is multiplied by the number of hours assigned to each enrollment status.
2024-2025 Awarding Amounts
|
Enrolled units |
Hours / week |
Total award for 17-week term |
Monthly award amount |
|
12+ |
40 |
$16 x 40 hours x 17 weeks = $10,880
|
$2,720 |
|
9 – 11.99 |
30 |
$16 x 30 hours x 17 weeks = $8,160
|
$2,040 |
|
6 – 8.99 |
20 |
$16 x 20 hours x 17 weeks = $5,440 |
$1,360 |
|
0 – 5.99 |
Ineligible |
N/A |
$0 |
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible in Hire UP, you need to be one of the following:
- A current Rising Scholars student who has been released from incarceration within the last 3 years;
- A former foster youth participating in Guardian Scholars; or
- A CalWORKs recipient
Additionally, you need to meet all these requirements:
- US citizen, eligible non-citizen, or exempt from paying nonresident tuition (AB-540 status)
- Enrolled in a certificate or degree program
- Maintain at least half-time enrollment (a minimum of 6 units)
- Remain in good academic standing according to Allan Hancock College policies including remaining eligible for financial aid with the college
- Completed a Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and completed all paperwork requested by the Allan Hancock College financial aid office
- Must have unmet financial need determined at Allan Hancock College as the primary awarding institution based on the FAFSA/CADAA data at each award period
- Agree to share post-pilot employment and/or further education information
- Participate in the required Hire UP Orientation
To maintain eligibility for future terms, you must:
- Stay enrolled in classes that count toward a certificate or degree program
- Stay eligible for the sponsoring program (e.g. Rising Scholars, CalWORKs, Guardian Scholars)
- Maintain good academic standing per college policy (no excessive withdrawals)
- Ensure that all conditions of the sponsoring program’s Mutual Responsibility Contract have been met
Applying for Hire UP
If you are a participant in one or more of the sponsoring programs highlighted above, please complete the following interest form and provide your availability for you to attend a Hire UP orientation.
Who Determines Eligibility?
Local determination of a student’s status as an eligible participant will be made by the EOPS+ program based on information received from CalWORKs, Rising Scholars, and Guardian Scholar staff. Interested students will be referred to the orientation and self-certification application once an eligible program has confirmed the student’s status as being a participant in good standing.
The EOPS+ Director is responsible for overseeing the eligibility process but does not confirm individual eligibility. Eligibility is determined by our algorithm. For guidance on maintaining or establishing eligibility, please refer to the available resources. The deadlines for eligibility for Hire UP participation for the 2024-2025 academic year are:
- Fall 2024: 10/18/2024
- Spring 2025: 3/28/2025
Effects of Status Changes
If participants in Hire UP drop any units within the term, their monthly disbursement will be adjusted accordingly in the next payment and throughout the term. Participants who fall below 6 units cease to be eligible for the Hire UP grant and will not receive any further aid in that term. Awards that have already been paid will not be revoked, but no future aid will be disbursed.
Rising Scholars students who are removed from the Rising Scholars program are no longer eligible for the Hire UP grant. Make sure to follow the rules in your Mutual Responsibility Contract.
CalWORKs recipients who cease to receive CalWORKs benefits are no longer eligible for the Hire UP grant at the point that they stop receiving those benefits. Students may be asked to provide documentation confirming they are currently receiving benefits at any point in the year.
It will be the responsibility of the program staff to maintain an accurate list of continued eligibility based upon the program requirements outlined in each program’s Mutual Responsibility Contract.
Earning a Credential
The goal of the program is to provide enough support for a student to earn their credential—a certificate or degree that will allow them to transfer or find gainful employment. When a Hire UP student achieves their goal, they will no longer be eligible to receive the Hire UP grant.
How Funds are Disbursed
Hire UP awards are financial aid awards and will be disbursed through BankMobile. Students must set up their refund preferences and ensure that their addresses on their file are correct. Otherwise, they may not receive their funds in a timely fashion. Any awards that are unclaimed or undeliverable at the end of the term will be reversed to be reallocated for the next semester’s participants.
Retractive Disbursements
Retroactive awards will not be made.
Disbursement Schedule for 2024-25
There will be one disbursement made on the last week of the month; if there is not a financial aid disbursement available in the last week, the award will be disbursed on the first week of the following month.
Primary terms (fall and spring) are 17-week periods. Four payments will be made. (Fall semester – September – December; Spring semester – February-May.)
| Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
| October 4, 2024 | February 28, 2025 |
| November 1, 2024 | March 28, 2025 |
| December 6, 2024 | May 2, 2025 |
| December 13, 2024 | May 23, 2025 |