Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Cameron County Childcare Management Services (CCMS) helps families find and afford child care. Fees are paid to the child care provider as services are rendered. Students must contact CCMS in order to begin the pre- application process, as well as schedule an appointment with a representative.
• Work Force Solutions - Child Care Services offers subsidized daycare for students living in the Hidalgo/ Willacy Counties. Portions of the cost for child care services are paid for by the agency, however, families are still responsible for paying a percentage of the cost. The cost is based on monthly income and the number of children needing services. Students must contact Work Force Solutions - Child Care Services prior to the semester in order to schedule an appointment and begin the application process.

TSTC provides child care services here on campus.

• The TSTC Early Childhood (0- 3 yrs.) and TSTC NINOS Headstart (3 - 4 yrs.) are located conveniently on campus. Child care is provided at no charge, however, parents must meet the income and eligibility requirements. Students must contact the TSTC Early Childhood/ NINOS Headstart to be directed as to the application process.

A: Students receiving sponsorship from DARS are encouraged to identify themselves with our office. Support Services is the designated office to serve as a liaison with these agencies. Students are not required to receive accommodations to process their sponsorship for the college.

Student Process for Books/Tools:

1. Student will need to contact our office to inform that they will be sponsored by DARS prior to beginning of semester. Appointment will be set to meet with the Disability Accommodation Specialist. Student may opt to have an intake done at this time to discuss possible accommodations. If student does not want to receive accommodations, a Release of Information Form will be signed to receive and send information from sponsoring agency.
2. Students receiving books or tools sponsorship will need to obtain a Book/Tool List form from the office. This form must be completed by the student and returned to our office. This form will then be faxed to the sponsoring agency for approval. Student will need to follow up with our office to inquire if DARS has approved the request by forwarding a Purchase Order to our office for sponsorship.
3. Once the Purchase Order is received from the sponsoring agency, student may pick up their Purchase Order (Voucher) from our office to purchase approved items at the TSTC Bookstore. Student will need to return the receipt to Support Services.

Student Process for Tutorial Sponsorship:

1. Students who receive sponsorship for tutorials will need to contact their respective DARS counselor to inform them of their need for tutorials.
2. Student will need to come by Support Services and complete an Instructor Recommendation for Tutoring Service Form. The completed form will then be faxed to the sponsoring agency.
3. Student will need to follow up with DARS counselor to inquire of specific tutorial arrangements.

A: Instructors are not required to provide classroom accommodations to students who have not presented them with a Course Accommodation Form. If you have provided your instructor with these forms and returned the signed copies to our office, please contact the Disability Accommodation Specialist to discuss your concerns in a timely manner. Support Services Office will mediate all concerns regarding accommodations regarding Instructor refusal to accommodate qualified students with disabilities in the classroom.

A: Because TSTC is a technical school offering more than 30 different programs in an array of fields, there are often times programs that have been geared towards a certain gender. Fortunately, today’s employment has become more dependent on an individual’s technical and mental capabilities, and not gender. Non Traditional occupations for both males and females are defined as a "field of study in which either gender compromises less than 25% of the current enrollment." TSTC currently lists 13 Non Traditional programs for females and 8 programs for males. Students going into a program that has been labeled Non Traditional qualify for services in order to entice increasing enrollment of students in non-traditional based careers.

A: A student that is labeled Displaced Homemaker is defined as "an adult individual, male or female, who has worked primarily without pay to care for the home and family and for this reason has diminished skills for entering the work force." Documentation needed to show proof of Displaced Homemaker status is as follows: tax returns for the past consecutive 3 - 5 years identifying the individual as a housewife/house husband. Upon proof of status, students qualify for services through the TSTC Support Services Office.

Sources:  http://www.chsc.org

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