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Helpline

The Helpline staff is available to assist participants of Family Rewards

Got questions about filling out coupons, getting your payments, going to the next event at your community organization, or anything else related to Family Rewards? The friendly Helpline staff on the other end of the line is specially trained to get you the information you need. Plus, recent improvements to the Helpline have made it an even better resource for families in Opportunity NYC.

Call the Helpline: (212) 994-4528

Hours: Monday: 9AM-8PM / Tuesday-Friday: 9AM-5PM

Tips for getting the most out of your call to the Helpline.

1. Have all your information ready. If you have a question about a Reward payment or Earning Statement, the Helpline staff can assist you much more quickly if you have all your documentation in front of you. For example, keep your latest Earnings Statement, bank account statement, Coupon Book, forms completed by doctors, teachers, or employers, or any other related documents close at hand before calling the Helpline. The more background information you can provide, the better answer the staff can give you.

2. Stay calm. Having a positive attitude and being patient while talking to the Helpline staff will keep your calls short and efficient. If one of your coupons is rejected and you don’t know why, it’s understandable to feel frustrated. Filling out paperwork isn’t always easy. But the Helpline staff can help you much more effectively if both of you communicate clearly and calmly.

3. Read the FAQ below before you call. Your questions might already be answered in the commonly asked questions listed below. Finding an answer here could save you time. However, you are always encouraged to reach out to the Helpline and your community organization for support when you need it. We’re here to help.

You can also get help by browsing the Frequently Asked Questions below or by calling your community organization. You can find their contact information here: Contact

 

Family Rewards Frequently Asked Questions

EDUCATION REWARDS QUESTIONS

Q: My child attends a private, parochial, or charter school? Is he or she still eligible to earn education Rewards?

A: Children enrolled at a private, parochial, or charter school are still eligible to earn most Opportunity NYC Family Rewards. However, you will have to send in additional documents to earn the Rewards. We cannot automatically verify certain activities for them.

For example, if you have a child at a private, parochial or charter school, you will need to submit to Opportunity NYC an official school document for these activities:

  1. Attendance: a letter showing the amount of school days in session and the amount of days the child was absent for the two-month period along with a Special Coupon.
  2. ELA/Math scores: a copy of the ELA/Math scores report showing the level (1-4) the child achieved with a Special Coupon.
  3. High School credits: a letter and transcript showing how many credits your child earned and how many credits were needed to pass to the next grade level with a Special Coupon.
  4. For Regents scores: a copy of the official score report with a passing score of 65.

You can get a special coupon by either:

  • going to the community organization where you enrolled, or
  • clicking here: Special Coupon.

Remember, we cannot automatically verify any data for children at private, parochial, or charter schools.

Q. Will my high school student earn Rewards for taking any Regents exam?

A: No. Your student can only earn Rewards for passing a Regents exam in these five subjects:

  1. Mathematics (any ONE of the following)
    • MATH A
    • Integrated Algebra I
    • MATH B
    • Geometry
    • Algebra II/ Trigonometry
  2. Science (any ONE of the following):
    • Physical Setting/Chemistry
    • Physical Setting/Earth Science
    • Living Environment
    • Physical Setting/Physics
  3. Comprehensive English
  4. Global History and Geography
  5. U.S. History and Government Remember, high school students cannot earn Rewards for foreign language Regents or any other Regents exams not listed above.

Q. How long does it take for my high school child to receive his/her Reward after taking and passing the Regents Exam?

A: This activity is automatically verified using data from the government. As with other automatically verified activities, it can sometimes take time for the City and the Department of Education to receive test results and send them to Opportunity NYC. It can take 4-6 months from the time your high school child takes and passes a Regents exams to the time he or she receives the money in his or her account.
 

WORK REWARDS QUESTIONS

Q: I am a babysitter or nanny employed by an individual or household. Can I still earn the Full-Time Work and Work/Training Rewards?

A: Yes, you can still earn Rewards as long as you are working “on the books” (either your taxes are being withheld from your pay or your employer is paying quarterly estimated taxes on your income). Your employer must fill out a Child Care Provider Form, which can be obtained from the community organization where you enrolled or by clicking here.

Q: How can I earn the Education and Training Reward?

A: You can earn a Reward payment if you have worked at least 10 hours a week, each week during the two-month activity period you are submitting for, in addition to successfully completing an approved training or education course (a minimum of 35 hours). You must submit proof of the hours and dates you have worked and proof of your successfully completed coursework. As proof of coursework, an official transcript or letter from your education/training provider will need to show:

  • Your full name.
  • Name of the institution.
  • Official title of the course completed.
  • Official name of your training or education provider (with contact information if a letter).
  • Date of course completion.
  • Indication that the course was successfully completed.
  • Hours completed for each course. We will NOT accept number of credits in place of course hours.

Q: What does it mean to successfully complete a training or education course?

A: Successfully completing a training or education course means:

  1. You received a passing grade or earned a certificate for a training/education course that is at least 35 hours; AND
  2. You completed the course within the activity period you are submitting for; AND
  3. You worked at least 10 hours per week during your training/education course.

Q: If I am enrolled or have identified a training that I would like to take, how can I find out if it is on the list of approved training courses?

A: You should confirm whether the course you have chosen is approved by checking to see if it is listed on one of the following websites:

  1. Licensed by the Bureau of Proprietary School (BPS)— you can find an accredited training provider at this site: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/bpss/directory_main_page.htm
  2. New York State directory of Higher Education Institutions —you can find an accredited institution of higher education at this site: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/Quality_Assurance/directory/index.html
  3. Sloan Consortium Directory of Online degree and certificate programs —you can find information about online courses at this site: http://catalog.sloan-c.org/programs/
  4. High Growth Industry Trainings approved by Department of Small Businesses (DSBS) — you can find NYC trainings in high-growth industries at this site: www.nyc.gov/trainingguide

If you do not find your training or education course on one of the web sites above, it is probably not an approved training course. However, you can speak with someone at your community organization if you have questions or if you do not find your training course, but think it might be eligible.

Also, if you are taking an ESL or GED course at a certified nonprofit organization (501 (c) 3), you may earn the Reward. Please contact your community organization or the Opportunity NYC Helpline to find out what kind of documentation you need to submit.

Q: My transcript only includes course credits, not hours. Will I get paid for credits?

A: No. For every course that you complete successfully, you need to have the school registrar or administrator provide a document that indicates how many hours it was. 

PAYMENT QUESTIONS

Q: I received a payment in my account but I am not sure what activities I am getting paid for. How do I find out what the payments were for?

A: During every activity period you will receive an Earning Statement up to two weeks after the payment date. The Earning Statement will tell you how much you earned for each of the activities your family was eligible to complete.

Please keep in mind that if your Earning Statement shows that a Reward has been earned, this does not necessarily mean that a payment has been made into your account. It only means that you successfully completed the activity. Sometimes Opportunity NYC is unable to process payments because of problems with a participant’s bank account.

The Opportunity NYC Helpline is only able to answer questions about rejections AFTER you receive your Earning Statement.

Q: What do I do if I switch bank accounts in the middle of the program?

A: To make sure that your Opportunity NYC Rewards are going into a different bank or credit union account than the one you started with at the beginning of the program, you must send in two forms:

  1. a Change of Account Form
  2. a new Account Information Form with the new account information.

You can get these forms from your community organization or by clicking here: Forms. In order to receive your payments on time for the next payment cycle, you will need to send in these forms at least six weeks before the next scheduled payment date.

Please note that switching bank accounts may cause delays in payments. It takes 6-8 weeks to process new Account Information Forms.

Q: What should I do if the bank account I use to receive Opportunity NYC Reward Payments is frozen or closed?

A: If you have a problem with your bank account, such as being frozen or closed, you need to call the Helpline (212) 994-4528 immediately. They will tell you what you need to do.

Q: Do high school students need to have their own bank or credit union accounts, or can their Rewards be deposited into the parent’s account?

A: For high school students to receive their own payments, they must have an account with their name on it. As with the adults, high school students must provide Opportunity NYC with an Account Information Form. The form must show the student’s name and where the Rewards payments they earn can be deposited.

Taking the steps necessary to graduate high school takes a lot of work. By giving some of the payments directly to the high school student, Opportunity NYC is encouraging them to take these steps.

However, if parents are concerned about the student having an account of their own and wish to have greater supervision, Opportunity NYC will allow the high school student’s payments to be deposited into a joint account with both the student’s and parent’s name on it.

Remember, if a high school student does not have a bank, credit union, or stored-value account with his or her own name on it—whether alone or jointly with a parent—he/she will NOT receive payments for his/her portion of the education activities. (Note also that anyone under 18 is prohibited from receiving his/her own ATM card.)

Q: Why should I open up an Opportunity NYC Basic Savings Account?

A: There are many advantages to opening an Opportunity NYC Account with one of our partnering banks and credit unions. The Opportunity NYC Account is:

  1. Basic and safe – the Opportunity NYC Account is a savings account that allows you to deposit and withdraw funds from a mainstream financial institution without facing the growing and costly problem of “overdraft fees” from insufficient funds.
  2. Accessible – No opening deposit is required to open the Opportunity NYC Account. Additionally, because of the commitment of the banks and credit unions participating in the program, the Opportunity NYC Account is great for people who have never had an account before or have had problems with banks or credit unions in the past.
  3. Convenient – Although it doesn’t provide checks or a debit card—again, to avoid the overdraft problem—the Opportunity NYC savings account does provide an ATM card. This means you can access your funds from a variety of banks, credit unions, and ATM machines, and you can receive cash back or use it for purchases from some stores.
  4. Protects from fees - There are no monthly fees for maintaining the Opportunity NYC Account, and again, overdraft fees are unlikely to occur.
  5. A Starting point for future growth – The Opportunity NYC Account is a stepping stone to further bank or credit union accounts. Keeping even a small amount of savings can help pay for small emergencies and open up doors to improving your finances. Maintaining a positive balance in your account can assist your credit and improve your eligibility for financial products such as loans and credit cards. It can also help you maximize your earnings.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Q: I completed activities during the second year of the program but didn’t submit any coupons. Can I still submit coupons to earn Rewards for these Year 2 activities?

A: You had until September 15th, 2009 to submit coupons for Year 2 (activities completed between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009). No new Year 2 coupons are being accepted.

There’s one exception—If you needed to send tax documentation to earn the Reward for Work or Work and Training, we accepted such Year 1 coupons and documentation up until February 15th, 2009.

Q: Can I send my activity coupons and documentation with my own envelope and stamps so that I don’t miss the deadline?

A: Yes. You can send your coupons and documentation in your own envelope, but please be sure to provide the correct postage for the size and weight of your mail. We strongly recommend that you use the pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelope Opportunity NYC provides. Be sure to submit all coupons, completed forms, and documents in one envelope/package to the following address:

Opportunity NYC
P.O. Box 757
New York, NY 10159

Q: I had a coupon rejected, can I resubmit for payment?

A: Yes. All you need to do is get a Resubmission Coupon from the community organization where you enrolled or by clicking here: Forms.

Send in the Resubmission Coupon along with any additional documentation required. It is a good idea to talk to call the Helpline or your community organization to find out exactly what you need to do to resubmit.

 

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