Frequently Asked Questions:

Afghan Refugee School Impact—Support to Schools (ARSI—S2S) and Ukrainian Refugee School Impact (URSI) Programs

Last updated on 3/5/2025 

General

  • Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CIRH) has checklist and sign-in sheet templates available if needed. These can be requested at refugeeschoolimpact@phi.org. However, these documents are just suggestions, they are not required and can be edited by your organization to meet your needs. 

  • Subscribe to ORR updates, check the official website regularly, and maintain contact with ORR liaisons. 

  • ORR Policy Letters provide official guidance on using ORR funds, implementing funded programs, determining service eligibility, and fulfilling reporting requirements. 

  • DCLs ensure consistent application of regulations, promote transparency, provide updates, and facilitate communication across programs. 

  • PLs are formal, binding, and focus on policy implementation, while DCLs are less formal and more informational, offering reminders or guidance. 

  • Monitor updates, train staff, adjust processes, and implement changes promptly.

Eligibility 

  • For the ARSI—S2S supplement, “school-aged” is defined by ORR as from the age at which a child enters school, including Early Childhood Development programs, Early Childhood Education programs, pre-school or pre-kindergarten when applicable, until the age of 18. ASA-eligible youth 18 or older are eligible for the ARSI—S2S initiative if the individual is enrolled in high school or a high school equivalent GED program.  

    For the URSI supplement, “youth” is defined as ORR-eligible individuals from birth until the age of 18. ORR-eligible youth 18 or older are eligible if the individual is enrolled in high school or a high school equivalent GED program. 

    Family members of ARSI—S2S/URSI-eligible individuals can receive support services as well. Family members can include parents, siblings, guardians, grandparents or other family members in the household. 

    Please find the details regarding eligibility for timelines of entry to the US here.  

    Eligibility training recording here.

  • Yes, family members of ORR-eligible students/youth to the ARSI—S2S AND URSI programs including parents, immediate family members, and grandparents may receive services. 

  • Family members may receive services even if the ORR-eligible student/youth is not receiving services, as long as the student meets the eligibility criteria.

  • Primary refers to the first humanitarian parolee in the family meeting the statutory requirements for ORR eligibility (usually the first entering the U.S.). 

  • Yes, if they file required applications for re-parole, asylum, or adjustment of status in a timely manner. If a re-parole application is delayed or denied, services may continue if eligibility requirements are met before the initial parole expiration.  

  • Services cannot be provided if there is a change in the eligibility status. 

  • All eligible children are counted as separate entries. If they are counted as students, they cannot also be counted as family members. 

  • The alien number is also referred to by other names depending on the immigration document such as A-number, USCIS number, case number and file number. 

Documentation

  • Yes, eligibility documents can be kept as hard copies or stored electronically as long as security and confidentiality measures are taken to keep information secure with restricted access. 

  • The file should include:  

    a. Documentation of services performed (type and date) and demographic data 

    b. Copy of the acceptable eligibility documentation (this applies only to students) 

    c. If they are a family member, which eligible student they are related to 

  • All ORR-funded recipients must have their immigration documentation collected in order to show the dates of entry that grant them eligibility to the ARSI—S2S or URSI programs. See PL 16-01. Documentation Requirements for the Refugee Resettlement Program | The Administration for Children and Families

  • Participants must provide immigration documents that show their eligibility before enrollment in ORR-funded benefits and services. It is a requirement for enrollment into programs. 

    Eligibility documents must be collected within 30 days. Please note that before a student or family member can be counted for reporting purposes, their eligibility documents must be verified and collected. Please see Question #6 under Reporting for additional info. 

  • No, collecting eligibility documentation for staff participating in the Community of Practice or receiving other training under this grant is not required.  

  • Via I-94 Official Website.  

  • Organizations should reach out to the client and request the documentation required. Staff should explain to the client that copies documents will be kept in a safe and confidential space and are required to continue services.

Reporting

  • Smartsheet is a secure cloud-based software program which has similar features to Microsoft Excel. You will use Smartsheet in two different ways: (1) To submit Semi-Annual and Quarterly Progress Reports + Invoices via this Smartsheet link (no login and password is required); and, (2) To enter individual-level data (e.g., Alien #, Date of Birth, Program Entry Date, Dates of Service, etc.) for each program participant. A Smartsheet license, login, and password are required for participant data collection on Smartsheet. 

  • The following 4 downloadable forms below are intended to assist you in preparing the required data for reports. You do not need to submit these forms to PHI/CIRH; these are tools for you and your team to prepare and plan for report and invoice submissions. These 4 forms are also available for download on the Smartsheet homepage under “Assistance”.  

    You can refer to prior Smartsheet training recordings for further guidance: 

    The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) team is here to help you! You are welcome to contact us at CIRHmer@phi.org or (323) 317-3819 for any one-on-one assistance you may need. You can also request a Zoom meeting with us so we can address reporting needs and concerns you may have. 

  • No. A Smartsheet license is not required to submit Semi-Annual and Quarterly Progress Reports/Invoices; you can directly click on the provided Smartsheet link to submit your reports/invoice. However, a Smartsheet license is required for the individual-level data collection platform. PHI/CIRH will provide your organization with a Smartsheet license for this purpose. 

  • Yes. Most organizations will be using Smartsheet for their participant data platform (to collect individual-level data per the program’s requirements). In some exceptions, organizations are permitted to use other secure data platforms upon agreement with PHI/CIRH. 

  • Organizations are required to enter in individual-level information for ALL participants, student/youth AND family member participants (including minimal information for staff participants, as applicable). This means that you will enter demographic information and other program information (e.g., Program Start Date, Date of Each Service Provided) for each participant whether they are a student or family member. These data element requirements are pre-built into your Smartsheet licensed platform. 

  • For sections F. and G. in the Quarterly and Semi-Annual Progress Reports, the TOTAL number of student and family member participants served should ONLY include numbers for participants served whose eligibility has already been verified and documentation has been collected. However, in section B., where you can write out program progress notes/details/descriptions, you are welcome (optional, not required) to share a separate number for those student and family member participants you have served who have pending eligibility. In this way, we can see a broader understanding of your organization’s efforts with participant reach. 

  • Organizations who have shared participants with sub-contractors/partnering entities, who are also ARSI—S2S- and/or URSI-funded organizations, will need to coordinate to ensure that the same services are not duplicated between ORR-eligible participants served by the awardee/sub-awardee and a partnering organization named in the awardee/sub-awardee's lower tier budget. Organizations can count shared participants with their sub-contractors/partnering entities as long as each organization provides a different service to the participant. 

  • This scenario is applicable to some entities who were able to organizationally and fiscally serve ORR-eligible participants prior to their contract date. So for the scenario above- if these participants met ORR eligibility for ARSI—S2S and/or URSI criteria AND were provided services/activities funded by your ARSI—S2S/URSI program within the workplan timeframe stated in your contract (most organizations will have a contract start date of July 1, 2024), then yes- you can count these participants into your reporting.