Senior Community Service Employment Program

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a community service and work-based job training program for older Americans. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors. Participa

The SCSEP program creates and pays for part-time job training and work experience in community service assignments for unemployed persons age 55 and above whose income is not more than 125 percent of the poverty level. The individuals who are enrolled in the program receive work experience and skills training at host agencies, which are public agencies and/or private nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under § 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. A portion of the funds may be used to provide participants with additional trainings, such as occupational skills training (outside of the normal job-training assignments at host organizations), and supportive services.

The following types of organizations are eligible to receive grants: (1) States; (2) U.S. territories; (3) Public and nonprofit private agency and organizations; and (4) Public or nonprofit national Indian aging organizations and public or nonprofit Pacific Island and Asian American aging organizations. Unless otherwise stipulated, entities carrying out the project are subject to Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards found at 2 CFR Part 200 along with the OMB approved exceptions for DOL at 2 CFR Part 2900 published on December 19, 2014 in the Federal Register; Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016 published April 22, 2016; Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2020 published March 2020; Performance Accountability Final Rule published July 10, 2018); Final Rule published December 26, 2010; and Training and Employment Guidance Letters available via https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/seniors/technical-assistance.

SCSEP applicants must be unemployed adults 55 years or older with a family income that is not more than 125 percent of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) poverty level. Prospective participants must provide documentation relevant to age and income, which is required to determine whether the individual is program eligible. With certain exceptions, the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey definition of income governs the determination of SCSEP applicants' income eligibility. Section 518 (a)(3)(A) of the OAA-2016 specifies that any income that is unemployment compensation, a benefit received under title XVI of the Social Security Act; a payment made to or on behalf of veterans or former members of the Armed Forces under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 25 percent of a benefit received under title II of the Social Security Act, is excluded from SCSEP income eligibility determinations.

Entities carrying out the project use the funds to create and pay for part-time job training and work experience in community service assignments for unemployed persons age 55 and above whose income is not more than 125 percent of the poverty level. The individuals who are enrolled in the program receive work experience and skills training at host agencies, which are public agencies and/or private nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under S 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. A portion of the funds may be used to provide participants with additional trainings, such as occupational skills training, on-the-job experience training, etc. (outside of the normal job-training assignments at a host agency) and supportive services. Entities carrying out the project must consult with appropriate area agencies on aging, with the State workforce development board and local workforce development board, and with other appropriate agencies and entities to promote coordination of activities. Additionally, each local project is required to coordinate its activities with training and other service providers under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, including utilizing the one-stop delivery system of the local workforce development areas involved to recruit eligible individuals to ensure that the maximum number of eligible individuals will have an opportunity to participate in the project. The amount of Federal funds expended for enrollee wages and fringe benefits shall be no less than 75 percent of the grant (20 CFR Section 641.873) except in those instances in which a grantee has requested, and DOL has approved such request, to use not less than 65 percent of the grant funds to pay for participant wage and fringe benefits so as to use up to an additional 10 percent of grant funds for participant training and supportive services (42 USC The amount of Federal funds expended for the costs of administration during the program year shall be no more than 13.5 percent of the grant (20 CFR Section 641.867(a)). A waiver of this requirement to increase administrative expenditures to 15 percent may be granted by the DOL (20 CFR Section 641.867(b)). Grantees are required to negotiate share in infrastructure costs with required local partners in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Final Rule 20 CFR 679.370(k). The Secretary of Labor may reserve up to 1.5 percent of annual appropriation for pilots, demonstration, and evaluation activities and related technical assistance.

Participants may not train in projects involving political or sectarian activities, nor may participants displace any employed worker, nor perform work which impairs existing contracts for service. Additionally, entities carrying out the project cannot use funds for construction of major renovation, serve participants who do not meet the eligibility requirements, enrolled participants above the authorized slot count, nor use participants to fill unauthorized inherently governmental functions.

SCSEP funds are allocated to and administered through grants to all state governors, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories, as well as competitively awarded to national non-profit agencies for services across the country. The national non-profit organizations compete for the awards every four years (subject to annual appropriations). ETA renews SCSEP state and territorial grant awards on an annual basis and SCSEP national grants on an annual basis during non-competitive years. Each year, ETA requires grantees to submit a grant application that includes an SF-424, an SF-424A, the geographic areas to be served, a detailed budget narrative, a program narrative, signed programmatic assurances, and any optional special requests.

Pre-application coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The distribution of funds under this project is a division between national grants (public and nonprofit private agency and organization grantees) and grants to states. Funds are allotted to States at 22 percent and to National organizations and agencies at 78 percent. SCSEP grantees must follow the instructions and submit all documents to https://www.grantsolutions.gov with a copy to their respective Federal Project Office, as well as the SCSEP program office at grants.scsepdocs@dol.gov.

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. National nonprofit organizations are required under Section 502(d) of the Older Americans Act to submit an application to the state agency, in addition to the Department of Labor. The Office of Workforce Investment in the Employment and Training Administration will provide information concerning proper application, format, and content and furnish standard application forms. Governors may comment on SCSEP grant proposals prior to award and may make recommendations to the Secretary of Labor to improve the distribution of SCSEP services.

The Department annually renews grant agreements. The Department will have an open competition every four years to select national grantees. National grants were last competed in 2024 and the next competition opportunity, as specified in the authorizing legislation, will be no sooner than 2028. When such a competition occurs, a Notice will be published in the Federal Register.

Awards are made directly to eligible applicants by the Employment and Training Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor.

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines.

The approval range for formula grants is approximately 30 to 60 days.

Grantees must meet the eligibility and responsibility test each year in order to be funded. In addition, grantees must meet negotiated performance measures described in Section 513(b) of OAA-2016, in administrative guidance, and in the Final Rule on SCSEP Performance Accountability published July 10, 2018. Each year in January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes the poverty and low-income guidelines based on the last calendar year's increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index. These numbers, multiplied by 125 percent, are the basis of "low income" for eligibility determinations as defined at Section 518(a)(3)(A) of the OAA Amendments of 2006, 42 USC §3056p(a)(3)(A).

Appeals may be filed according to the regulations at 20 CFR 641.900.