LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska lawmakers will decide whether to extend a program that lets parents receive welfare benefits for up to three years if they are working to earn a college degree.
Lawmakers are set to vote Monday on a measure by Scottsbluff Sen. John Harms. The bill would allow recipients to count their class and study time toward the work-activity requirements they must fulfill to qualify for public assistance.
Recipients would be eligible if they spent at least 20 hours a week in college, for up to 36 months. Previous rules had given them 12 months to finish a degree while on public aid.
The bill is LB842.