CPS Employees Frequently asked Questions

You must continue to work for the agency either full-time or part-time in a IV-E eligible position while you receive the stipend. You will also sign an agreement with DFPS that will commit you to four months employment in CPS for each semester you receive the stipend.  Your employment payback does not begin until after graduation.  If you withdraw from the MSW program due to unforeseen circumstances, you can request to begin payback at that time.  If you do not want to continue the stipend, you must notify DFPS and UTA in writing so that your employment commitment can be calculated correctly.

If you leave the agency without fulfilling your employment commitment, you will be obligated to reimburse the remaining unpaid funds to DFPS.  A payment plan will be set up for you through the State office.  You need to contact Contract Services at DFPS to discuss payment arrangements.  You must also notify the Title IV-E program in writing so your stipend can be cancelled.  If you leave employment in a semester for which you received a stipend, the stipend may be cancelled, and you may be billed by UTA for the amount you received.

It is your responsibility to determine how many hours you want to take each semester based on your schedule and CPS workload.  However, the stipend is designed to cover the cost of only six hours per semester.  You will not receive a larger stipend if you choose to enroll in more hours.  The minimum number of hours you must take is six hours.  If you decide not to enroll in the summer, please notify us so that we may stop your check in the summer and re-process you for the fall semester.

The Office of Field Instruction will allow you to complete one of your two required field placements in the agency if you meet the criteria and can arrange a suitable placement that meets your educational requirements.  However, it has become more difficult to switch positions with another UTA student due to the decrease in the number of employees in school in specialized training requirements in CPS.  The key is to begin planning for field as soon as possible, and to involve your supervisor and possibly your PD as well as the Title IV-E Coordinator.  If you are an Advanced Standing student, you will only be required to complete one field placement that can be completed within CPS of an outside placement.

If a placement is not available for you within the agency, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of Field Instruction as early as possible to plan for a placement that offers night and weekend hours. Assistance from the Office of Field Instruction and the Title IV-E Coordinator will be provided, but it is up to you to take the initiative as you will be competing with all other field students.  All placements must be coordinated with and approved by your supervisor.

If you decide that you want to do your field placement in the agency, you must contact the Title IV-E Coordinator early in the semester before you plan to do your field placement.  The Title IV-E Coordinator will attempt to help you coordinate your field placement within the agency, but you should also get information about other students with whom you can switch jobs.  Also, if you plan to complete field placement outside of CPS, inform the Title IV-E Coordinator.

In addition, you MUST be cleared for field assignment by a UTA advisor and submit an online application to the Office of Field Instruction by the deadline.  Please indicate in your application that you are a CPS employee and a Title IV-E stipend student.  The application process begins early in the semester prior to the semester you plan to do your field placement.  Fall applications will be due late in the spring semester.  Be sure to notify the Title IV-E Coordinator early as she will work closely with the Office of Field Instruction to monitor employee applications.