Scope, Purpose and General Definitions

34 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart A
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

34 C.F.R. § 690.1 Scope and purpose.

The Federal Pell Grant Program awards grants to help financially needy students meet the cost of their postsecondary education.

34 C.F.R. § 690.2 Definitions.

(a) The following definitions are contained in the regulations for Institutional Eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 34 CFR part 600: (b) The following definitions are contained in subpart A of the Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668: (c) Other terms used in this part are: Annual award: The Federal Pell Grant award amount a full-time student would receive under the Payment Schedule for a full academic year in an award year, and the amount a three-quarter-time, half-time, and less-than-half-time student would receive under the appropriate Disbursement Schedule for being enrolled in that enrollment status for a full academic year in an award year. Central processor: An organization under contract with the Secretary that calculates an applicant's expected family contribution based on the applicant's application information, transmits an ISIR to each institution designated by the applicant, and submits reports to the Secretary on the correctness of its computations of the expected family contribution amounts and the accuracy of the answers to questions on application forms for the previous award year cycle. Disbursement Schedule: A table showing the annual awards that three-quarter, half-time, and less-than-half-time students at term-based institutions using credit hours would receive for an academic year. This table is published annually by the Secretary and is based on— (1) A student's expected family contribution, as determined in accordance with title IV, part F of the HEA; and (2) A student's attendance costs as defined in title IV, part F of the HEA. (3) The amount of funds available for making Federal Pell Grants. Electronic Data Exchange: An electronic exchange system between the central processor and an institution under which— (1) A student is able to transmit his or her application information to the central processor through his or her institution and an ISIR is transmitted back to the institution; (2) A student through his or her institution is able to transmit any changes in application information to the central processor; and (3) An institution is able to receive an ISIR from the central processor for a student. Eligible student: An eligible student as described in 34 CFR part 668, subpart C. Enrollment status: Full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time depending on a student's credit-hour work load per academic term at an institution using semesters, trimesters, quarters, or other academic terms and measuring progress by credit hours. Institution of higher education (Institution). An institution of higher education, or a proprietary institution of higher education, or a postsecondary vocational institution as defined in 34 CFR part 600. Payment Data: An electronic record that is provided to the Secretary by an institution showing student disbursement information. Payment Schedule: A table showing a full-time student's Scheduled Federal Pell Grant for an academic year. This table, published annually by the Secretary, is based on— (1) The student's EFC; and (2) The student's cost of attendance as defined in part F of title IV of the HEA. Scheduled Federal Pell Grant: The amount of a Federal Pell Grant which would be paid to a full-time student for a full academic year. Award year Clock hour Correspondence course Credit hour Secretary State Academic year Dependent student Eligible program Enrolled Expected family contribution Federal Pell Grant Program Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program Federal Work-Study Program Full-time student Half-time student HEA Independent student Institutional student information record (ISIR) Parent Payment period Student aid report (SAR) Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program TEACH Grant Three-quarter-time student Undergraduate student Valid institutional student information record (valid ISIR) Valid student aid report (valid SAR) William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

34 C.F.R. § 690.6 Duration of student eligibility.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, a student is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the period of time required to complete his or her first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study. (b) An institution shall determine when the student has completed the academic curriculum requirements for that first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study. Any noncredit or remedial course taken by a student, including a course in English language instruction, is not included in the institution's determination of that student's period of Federal Pell Grant eligibility. (c) An otherwise eligible student who has a baccalaureate degree and is enrolled in a postbaccalaureate program is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the period of time necessary to complete the program if— (1) The postbaccalaureate program consists of courses that are required by a State for the student to receive a professional certification or licensing credential that is required for employment as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school in that State; (2) The postbaccalaureate program does not lead to a graduate degree; (3) The institution offering the postbaccalaureate program does not also offer a baccalaureate degree in education; (4) The student is enrolled as at least a half-time student; and (5) The student is pursuing an initial teacher certification or licensing credential within a State. (d) An institution must treat a student who receives a Federal Pell Grant under paragraph (c) of this section as an undergraduate student enrolled in an undergraduate program for title IV purposes. (e) A student may receive no more than six Scheduled Awards, as determined by the Secretary.

34 C.F.R. § 690.7 Institutional participation.

(a) If an institution begins participation in the Federal Pell Grant Program during an award year, a student enrolled and attending that institution is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the payment period during which the institution enters into a program participation agreement with the Secretary and any subsequent payment period. (b) If an institution becomes ineligible to participate in the Federal Pell Grant Program during an award year, an eligible student who was attending the institution and who submitted a valid SAR to the institution, or for whom the institution obtained a valid ISIR, before the date the institution became ineligible is paid a Federal Pell Grant for that award year for— (1) The payment periods that the student completed before the institution became ineligible; and (2) The payment period in which the institution became ineligible. (c)(1) If an institution loses its eligibility to participate in the Direct Loan program under the provisions of subpart M or N of 34 CFR part 668, it also loses its eligibility to participate in the Federal Pell Grant Program for the same period of time. (2) That loss of eligibility must be in accordance with the provisions of 668.187(d) or 668.206(d). (d) An institution which becomes ineligible shall, within 45 days after the effective date of loss of eligibility, provide to the Secretary— (1) The name and enrollment status of each eligible student who, during the award year, submitted a valid SAR to the institution or for whom the institution obtained a valid ISIR before it became ineligible; (2) The amount of funds paid to each Federal Pell Grant recipient for that award year; (3) The amount due each student eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant through the end of the payment period during which the institution became ineligible; and (4) An accounting of the Federal Pell Grant expenditures for that award year to the date of termination.

34 C.F.R. § 690.8 Enrollment status for students taking regular and correspondence courses.

(a) If, in addition to regular coursework, a student takes correspondence courses from either his or her own institution or another institution having an agreement for this purpose with the student's institution, the correspondence work may be included in determining the student's enrollment status to the extent permitted under paragraph (b) of this section. (b) Except as noted in paragraph (c) of this section, the correspondence work that may be included in determining a student's enrollment status is that amount of work which— (1) Applies toward a student's degree or certificate or is remedial work taken by the student to help in his or her course of study; (2) Is completed within the period of time required for regular course work; and (3) Does not exceed the amount of a student's regular course work for the payment period for which the student's enrollment status is being calculated. (c)(1) Notwithstanding the limitation in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, a student who would be a half-time student based solely on his or her correspondence work is considered a half-time student unless the calculation in paragraph (b) of this section produces an enrollment status greater than half-time. (2) A student who would be a less-than-half-time student based solely on his or her correspondence work or a combination of correspondence work and regular course work is considered a less-than-half-time student. (d) The following chart provides examples of the rules set forth in this section. It assumes that the institution defines full-time enrollment as 12 credits per term, making the half-time enrollment equal to 6 credits per term.

34 C.F.R. § 690.10 Administrative cost allowance to participating schools.

(a) Subject to available appropriations, the Secretary pays to each participating institution $5.00 for each student who receives a Federal Pell Grant at that institution for an award year. (b) All funds an institution receives under this section must be used solely to pay the institution's cost of administering the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs. (c) If an institution enrolls a significant number of students who are attending less-than-full-time or are independent students, the institution shall use a reasonable proportion of these funds to make financial aid services available during times and in places that will most effectively accommodate the needs of those students.

34 C.F.R. § 690.11 Federal Pell Grant payments from more than one institution.

A student is not entitled to receive Federal Pell Grant payments concurrently from more than one institution or from the Secretary and an institution.

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