Maureen Lane

Blocking the Quickest Way to Success

Earlier this week the state Assembly in Albany voted to expand access to college education for people receiving welfare. This legislation could help many poor and vulnerable New Yorkers, but the gridlock in the state Senate is jeopardizing its future.

The leaders of the political circus upstate should take a moment to consider the story of someone like Hirah, whose life is literally in their hands and depends on their action.

When Hirah graduated from high school last year, the NYC welfare agency notified her that she must do 35 hours of workfare and that her college education does not count. She got into Hunter, and is the first in her family to go to college--no small feat for a teenager receiving public assistance. She even scored an internship and started with a full load of classes. "I was then assigned nine hours of WEP (Work Experience Program) to go along with my internship and my classes. I was so upset. I kept thinking to myself, 'How will I be able to maintain a good GPA, take part in an internship, and fulfill the WEP requirement all at the same time?'," she told me. "My mom was even more worried and scared than I was. My mom was afraid that our family's case might get sanctioned and we would be left with no benefits. I am also afraid, right now, for my siblings. I do not want them to be in my same situation when it is their turn to go to college."

She continued: "When I was given the WEP assignment regardless of having 13 class hours and 22 hours of internship- which adds up to 35 hours of work activity- I felt like welfare policies were placing obstacles in my way to prevent me from going to college. The hours I would have spent fulfilling the WEP requirement were going to replace the hours I would spend studying and doing homework. I was scared I might have to drop out of college. I was overwhelmed. Within the last three months, I have already missed classes because I had to attend appointments at my welfare center, at the team assessment group, at the job center, and at a fair hearing."

Thousands of people like Hirah need access to education and training while receiving public benefits, especially right now, with welfare rolls growing, as the Wall Street Journal recently reported.

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Posted at 9:59 AM, Jun 26, 2009 in
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