Effective Dates: 08/06/2020 - Present Previous | Next

TN 14 (08-20)

DI 25015.010 Education as a Vocational Factor

CITATIONS:

20 CFR 404.1564 and 20 CFR 416.964
20 CFR 404.1568(d)(4) and 20 CFR 416.968(d)(4)
20 CFR 404 Subpart P Appendix 2
SSR 20-01p: Titles II and XVI: How We Determine an Individual's Education Category

A. Policy for Considering Education as a Vocational Factor

Consider the claimant’s education with residual functional capacity (RFC), age, and work experience at step 5 of sequential evaluation.

B. Education as a Vocational Factor

Education means formal schooling or other training that contributes to the claimant’s ability to meet vocational requirements of work, such as basic:

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    reasoning,

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    arithmetical ability, and

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    communicating

C. Education Categories

We have four categories of education:

1. Illiteracy

a. Illiteracy

Illiteracy means the inability to read or write (in any language). We find a person illiterate if the person cannot read or write a simple message (in any language) even though the person can sign his or her name. An illiterate person generally has little or no formal schooling.

IMPORTANT: Do not consider the location of the claimant when assessing illiteracy. If a claimant living in the United States is able to read and write a simple message in any language (does not have to be English), find the claimant literate

b. How to apply the Illiteracy category

First, determine the highest grade the claimant has completed in school, then analyze whether to assign the Illiteracy category in the manner described below:

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    If the claimant has completed at least a 4th grade education (in any country), it is generally appropriate to find the claimant is literate and assign the claimant to another, more appropriate education category listed below in DI 25015.010C. 2-4 because most people learn to read and write by the time they complete 4th grade.

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    However, if the evidence in the case shows that the claimant cannot read or write a simple message (in any language), despite having completed at least 4th grade, find the claimant illiterate. Examples of relevant evidence may include whether a claimant:

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      has received long-term special education related to difficulty learning to read or write at a basic level;

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      lacks work history due to an inability to read or write;

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      has valid intelligence test results demonstrating an inability to read or write a simple message;

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      has valid reading and writing test results demonstrating an inability to read or write a simple message.

NOTE 1: The above is not an exhaustive list of evidence that may be relevant in assessing whether a claimant can read and write a simple message. Consider any other relevant evidence in the case.

NOTE 2: Do not rely on test results alone to determine that a claimant is illiterate.

IMPORTANT: If the evidence in the case supports the finding that a claimant is unable to read or write a simple message (in any language), despite having completed at least a 4th grade education, find the claimant illiterate.

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    If the claimant has completed less than a 4th grade education (in any country), consider all relevant evidence to determine whether the claimant is able to read and write a simple message (in any language). Do not assume that the claimant is unable to read or write because he or she has had little or no formal education. Formal education is not the only way a person can learn to read and write. Examples of relevant evidence that may be helpful in assessing illiteracy may include whether a claimant:

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      has worked in the past and the responsibilities the claimant had when working;

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      can read, write and understand short and simple statements in everyday life, such as shopping lists, short notes, and simple directions;

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      can read newspapers or books;

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      can read and write a simple emails or text messages;

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      had any vocational training or certification requiring reading and writing;

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      has or ever had a driver's license that required passing a written test.

NOTE 1: The above is not an exhaustive list of evidence that may be relevant in assessing whether a claimant can read and write a simple message. Consider any other relevant evidence in the case.

NOTE 2: Do not rely on test results alone to determine that a claimant is illiterate

2. Marginal Education

Formal schooling completed at a level of 6th grade or less (in any country).

3. Limited Education

Formal schooling completed at a level of 7th through 11th grade (in any country).

4. High School Education and Above

Formal schooling completed at a level of 12th grade and above (in any country). Accept high school equivalent education, such as passing General Educational Development (GED) exam, High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), as a high school education.

NOTE 1: If a claimant has education equivalent to high school from another country, use High School Education and Above category.

NOTE 2: Generally, we use the highest level of formal education that a claimant completed to determine the claimant's education category, which takes into consideration abilities in reasoning, arithmetic, and language. If there is a question about a claimant's language ability, use the language in which the claimant most effectively communicates. For most claimants, this language would be the language that they use every day in most situations, including at home, work, school, and in the community.

IMPORTANT: For a claimant who completed high school or more, we consider, as appropriate, whether the claimant recently completed education that prepared him or her to do a specific skilled or semi-skilled work. See below, DI 25015.010F Education that Provides for Direct Entry into Skilled or Semi-skilled Work, for detailed guidance.

D. Evidence of Education

1. What evidence to consider

Consider all evidence relevant to the issue of the claimant’s education, including self-reported information. Absent evidence showing that the claimant's present educational abilities are higher or lower than his or her highest grade of school completed, use the highest grade of school completed.

2. Where to find the evidence

A claimant’s education information may be found in:

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    SSA-3368 (Disability Report - Adult) - Section 5 asks about the claimant's education and training.

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    SSA-3441 (Disability Report - Adult) - Section 8 asks about the claimant's education and training at time of filing an appeal.

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    SSA-454 (Continuing Disability Review Report) - Section 7 asks about the claimant's education and training at the time of continuing disability review.

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    Elsewhere in the record, including in the consultative examiner's reports and other medical and non-medical document.

NOTE: The Educational Info section under the Case Data tab of the Electronic Folder also provides education information. For details about the Case Data Tab in eView, see DI 81005.045.

3. What if conflicting evidence exists

If there is evidence showing that the numerical grade a claimant completed in school may not be representative of the claimant's present educational abilities, assess all such evidence carefully. If the evidence supports a different finding, assign the claimant to a higher or lower education category, as appropriate. Examples of convincing evidence may include:

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    The kinds of responsibilities one assumed when working clearly indicates the existence of intellectual capacities (e.g., reasoning ability, communication skills and arithmetical ability) far greater than would be indicated by the amount of formal schooling he or she completed.

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    Special education records or educational testing records clearly demonstrates a lower level of educational abilities than indicated by numerical grade the claimant completed.

NOTE 1: Do not find a claimant's education category to be lower than his or her highest level of formal education based solely on a claimant's history of having received special education. Consider the nature and extent of the special education. In all cases, determine facts on an individual basis. Before assigning a claimant to an education category lower or higher than his or her highest level of formal education, there must be specific evidence supporting the finding in the determination.

NOTE 2: Do not consider whether the claimant attained his or her education in another country or whether the claimant lacks English language proficiency when determining the education category. Neither the country in which a person was educated nor the language a person speaks informs us about whether the person’s reasoning, arithmetic, and language abilities are commensurate with his or her formal education level.

E. When Conflicting Information about a Claimant's Education is not Material to the Disability Determination

Even if there is conflicting information about a claimant’s education, do not resolve the discrepancy unless doing so is material to the disability determination.

If all possible applicable medical-vocational rules would direct the same determination, no matter which education category is assigned to the claimant, use the education level the claimant reported on the most recent disability report to select the medical-vocational rule.

F. Education that Provides for Direct Entry into Skilled or Semiskilled Work

1. Policy for evaluating whether education provides for direct entry into skilled or semiskilled work

The significance of education that provides for direct entry depends on:

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    how much time has passed between the completion of the education and the date of adjudication, the date last insured, or the prescribed period ending date, whichever is earlier; and

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    the nature of the occupation for which the education provided preparation.

Evaluating education that provides for direct entry into skilled or semiskilled work is similar to evaluating whether skills transfer to other work. The education must provide an advantage in doing a particular skilled or semiskilled occupation at a high degree of proficiency with a minimal amount of job orientation.

2. Evaluating the recency of education

In order to evaluate the recency of education, consider the time lapse between the education and the date of adjudication, the date last insured, or the prescribed period ending date, whichever is earlier.

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    The shorter the duration of education and the lesser the skill of the occupation it prepared the claimant for, the more likely it is for the advantage of education to diminish over time. In this situation, to qualify as a direct entry education, the time lapse should be shorter.

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    The longer the duration of education and the higher the skill of the occupation it prepared the claimant for, the less likely it is for the advantage of education to diminish over time. In this situation, to qualify as direct entry education, the time lapse can be longer.

EXAMPLE: A claimant who completed a registered nurse bachelor’s degree program two years ago would be more likely to have an education that provided for direct entry than a claimant who completed a six-month travel agent training course two years ago.

3. When direct entry into skilled or semiskilled work is material to the disability determination

The issue of direct entry education may be material to the disability determination only if the claimant:

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    is a high school graduate (or equivalent) or more;

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    is age 50 or older;

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    recently completed specific education (no more than 5 years from the date of adjudication) designed to prepare an individual for a specific skilled or semiskilled job (for example, truck driving school, nursing school, law school, or cosmetology school); and

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    has the residual functional capacity (RFC) or mental residual functional capacity (MRFC) to do that skilled or semiskilled occupation (for example, truck driver, nurse, lawyer, or cosmetologist).

4. When direct entry into skilled or semiskilled work is not material to the disability determination

The issue of direct entry education is not material to the disability determination if:

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    the education or training was completed more than 5 years prior to adjudication;

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    the claimant’s RFC or MRFC is consistent with the ability to do no more than unskilled work; or

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    the medical-vocational rules that apply to the claimant’s age, work experience, and RFC result in not disabled for both the “provides for direct entry” and “does not provide for direct entry” rules.

5. Developing evidence to document direct entry into skilled or semiskilled work

If the issue of direct entry is material to a case, develop and document the following information:

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    ensure that the claimant has a high school education (or equivalent) or above because direct entry applies only to claimants who completed high school education (including GED) or more;

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    if not available on the SSA-3368 or SSA-3441, obtain the date when the claimant completed the recent education;

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    document the length and the type of the education recently completed, and any certifications or degrees achieved;

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    identify skilled or semi-skilled occupations in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) that the claimant can do using his or her recently completed education; and

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    verify the physical and mental demands of the occupation(s) that the education prepared the claimant to do.

IMPORTANT: If there is reference to recent education in the claimant’s medical evidence, and the issue of direct entry is material to the disability determination, develop and resolve the direct entry issue prior to making the disability determination.

6. Providing a rationale for the direct entry decision:

If there is a potential issue of direct entry, explain why direct entry does or does not apply. If the claimant has recent education that provides for direct entry into an occupation, cite the corresponding specific skilled or semiskilled DOT occupation.

EXAMPLE: A 58-year-old claimant with a high school education recently completed medical coding training one year prior to adjudication. He attended the program for 18 months, and received a medical record coder certification. His RFC permits a full range of light work. Use medical-vocational rule 202.05 to deny the claim. Cite the DOT occupation Medical Record Coder.

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0425015010
DI 25015.010 - Education as a Vocational Factor - 08/06/2020
Batch run: 08/06/2020
Rev:08/06/2020