The City of Springfield has stopped taking applications for the America’s Promise Grant. That’s after a special audit of the grant program.
The $3 million grant was awarded to the city by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration in December, 2016. Participants may choose one of six allied health care tracks to study for free at OTC.
During a City Council lunch Tuesday, BKD released the results of the audit. It was requested by city management after they heard from Workforce Development and Finance Department employees that enrollment processes may not have correctly assessed the eligibility of America’s Promise grant recipients. They found that 106 of the 376 participants in the grant program could not be classified as eligible due to incorrect categorization regarding employment status and/or county of residence through enrollment, according to the City of Springfield.
Springfield City Manager Jason Gage said in a news release that they’re currently working with the Labor Department to determine whether the city will need to reimburse any of the grant funds. And he said they’re working to fix the enrollment process so the problem doesn’t happen again.
Those currently enrolled in the program will be allowed to continue their studies, according to city officials.
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