Covering TAA program training costs
The TAA program prohibits TAA trainees from directly or indirectly contributing towards the cost of training. This means that all training related expenses are paid on behalf of the trainee directly to the provider by the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL), via third party billing.
TAA clients must be approved before training begins and are not permitted to pay for training related expenses with personal funds.
Federal student financial assistance and the TAA program
Any federal financial aid the participant is eligible for must be paid directly to the participant while attending TAA approved training. The participant may use Federal student financial assistance for other expenses, as allowable under applicable rules for such financial assistance.
Upon the approval of a Trade Act training program and if applicable, any payments of Federal student financial assistance must cease to be applied to the training participant's tuition or other training-related costs covered by TAA Program funds. Any remaining Federal financial aid must be paid directly to the participant while attending TAA approved training.
If payments of Federal student financial assistance or other training allowances from other Federal funding sources were made to the training provider instead of the worker and were applied towards the worker's approved training costs, the State must deduct the amount of those other payments from the amount of TAA Program funds payable to the training provider in order to prevent duplication in the payment of training costs. However, if possible, the financial assistance applied toward approved training costs should be refunded to the participant by the training provider and subsequently paid by the TAA program.
Invoicing and the TAA program
Once an invoice is received and approved by the TAA Administration Unit, it is passed on to our Business Management Unit for payment.
To expedite payment, we strongly recommend signing up for electronic direct deposit (ACH) instead of paper checks. Vendors participating in direct deposit will also be enrolled in Vendor Self-Serve (VSS), which allows vendors to check on outstanding invoices, confirm payment information, review address information, or reconcile accounts receivable. Through electronic banking, funds will be automatically transferred to your financial institution the evening you see them as PAID in VSS. This allows you to use those funds on the very next business day after the payment is processed through the Comptroller’s Office (OSC).
To learn more and enroll in direct deposit, visit OSC's direct deposit page.
*NOTE: As a State agency, CTDOL is exempt from paying Connecticut sales and use taxes on the purchase of property and services.