WIOA Title I-A & I-B Policy & Procedure Manual
Ch. 8) Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs

8.2 Eligibility

Table of Contents 

8.2.1 Adult Program

Effective date: October 1, 2017

Revised date: October 15, 2018

Revised date: September 23, 2019

Anyone interested in being considered for the WIOA Title I Adult Program must be allowed to apply.¹ All applicants must receive an eligibility determination.² While WIOA is not an entitlement program,³ this only means that funding for WIOA programs is not unlimited. Local WDBs must offer services to all eligible applicants when funding is available.

Individuals are eligible for the WIOA Title I Adult Program if they are:

1. 18 years of age or older;⁴
2. eligible to work in the United States;⁵
   
   AND
3. registered with Selective Service (if applicable).⁶
   
   Note: Participants who lose their authorization to work in the United States become ineligible for the WIOA Title I Adult Program as of the date the authorization was lost.⁷
   
   Note: If someone is required to register with the Selective Service, but has not, follow the "Failure to Register for Selective Service" procedure.

States and local WDBs may not add eligibility criteria, including, but not limited to, criteria related to county or state of residence.⁸

Any costs associated with providing WIOA Title I services to ineligible individuals may be disallowed.⁹

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• ¹ WIOA Sec. 188(a)(2) and (5); 20 CFR § 680.110(c); 29 CFR part 38
• ² 29 CFR §§ 38.4, 38.5, 38.6(b) and (d), & 38.41 combine to require that applicants must not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, citizenship, or participation in any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. An "applicant" is an individual who is interested in being considered for WIOA Title I assistance. To ensure that discrimination does not occur, recipients of WIOA funding must maintain records on the race/ethnicity, sex, age, and disability status of every applicant. See also WIOA Sec. 188(a); 20 CFR § 683.285; and 81 FR 56113.
• ³ WIOA Sec. 194(12); 81 FR 56124
• ⁴ 20 CFR § 680.120
• ⁵ WIOA Sec. 188(a)(5); TEGL 02-14, p. 2
• ⁶WIOA Sec. 189(h); 50 USC App. 453
• ⁷WIOA Sec. 188(a)(5); 20 CFR § 683.285(a)(5); TEGL 02-14, p. 2. Career planners must keep expiration dates of work authorization documents in mind when scheduling services. If a participant's authorization to work in the U.S. will expire before the planned close date for a service, the participant should renew his or her work authorization before beginning the service. If that is not possible, services must be scheduled so that they can be completed before the work authorization expires.
• ⁸81 FR 56220; Email from DOL to DWD-DET, 4/25/2017
• ⁹TEGL 11-11, Change 2, p. 4