| General Question | Data Used to make Determination | Waiver Requests/Exemptions | | COVID Related | Eligibility Matrix Availablity | Recording/Slides Availability |  

**GENERAL QUESTIONS:**	  Q: Where can I find the Notice Inviting Applications  (NIA) for being designated an eligible institution for Titles III and V?	  A: The Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) is available at Federal  Register :: Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving Eligibility  Requirements; Programs Under Parts A and F of Title III and Programs Under  Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA).

Q: When are applications available for being deemed  eligible for Titles III and V?      A: For FY 2024, the eligibility application opens on  January 22 and closes on February 27, 2024.

Q: Why should I apply for eligibility?      A: An institution must be deemed an eligible institution  of higher education (IHE) to be considered for funding under the Titles III and  V programs. You MUST apply for eligibility even if you have a current Titles  III, V, or VII grant. An institution that submits an application, and is  designated as an eligible institution, will also be eligible to receive a  waiver of certain non-Federal cost-share requirements for one year or for the  duration of their Titles III or V grant, if awarded, under the Federal  Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) and the Federal Work Study  program (FWS).

Q: Do institutions that have their letter of eligibility  need to submit an application/waiver request?      A: No, institutions that have their letter of eligibility  for Titles III and V for FY 2024 are not required to submit an  application/waiver request for eligibility.

Q: Do we have to apply annually if we submit the same  information each year?      A: Yes, campuses that aren’t deemed eligible based on the  Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data must submit an  application annually.

Q: How do I check to see if I am eligible for Titles III  and V?      A: Visit the HEPIS system HTTPS://HEPIS.ed.gov/ and follow the instructions to login. If you do not have an account, you may  request access by emailing HEPIS.HelpDesk@thetactilegroup.com.  Accounts can only be created for emails whose domain end with “.edu.” 

Q: Where do I find our campus’ eligibility information  when I login to the HEPIS website?      A: You should see the general eligibility application (GEA)  information on the side of your screen. If you do not see it, you may not have  access to the GEA subsystem yet. Send an email to HEPIS.HelpDesk@thetactilegroup.com and request access for your HEPIS account.

Q: What do I need to do to apply for eligibility?      A: The eligibility process is set forth in the statutory  and regulatory requirements for Titles III and V. You can review the  application booklet available under the GEA link in the help section at https://hepis.ed.gov/main/help.  Additionally, you may review the eligibility infographic available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility-infographic.pdf.  The Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) is available at Federal  Register :: Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving Eligibility  Requirements; Programs Under Parts A and F of Title III and Programs Under  Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA).

Q: What are the eligibility thresholds for this year?      A: The thresholds are published in the federal register NIA  (Federal  Register :: Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving Eligibility  Requirements; Programs Under Parts A and F of Title III and Programs Under  Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA)). These vary  based on the institutions control (public/private) and type (2-year/4-year).

Q: Can I have access to multiple branch campuses in the  system?      A: Yes, you can email HEPIS.HelpDesk@thetactilegroup.com and provide them with the OPEID for each campus for which you need to check the  status.  

Q: Who at my institution should complete the eligibility  application?      A: The eligibility process is different on each campus.  Various entities will have the required data you may need. It is recommended  that more than one person work together on the application to ensure it is  completed annually as required.

Q: What is the actual eligibility year?      A: Eligibility is for FY 2024. This is from October 1,  2023, to September 30, 2024. Grants awarded during this period would begin on  October 1, 2024. For the Federal Cost-Share Waiver, the dates are July 1, 2024,  to June 30, 2025.

Q: If our campus has more than 25% Hispanic population,  are there additional steps necessary to apply to be an HSI?      A: Yes, each institution needs to be deemed eligible  based on the additional requirements for Titles III and V eligibility as  instructed in the in the Notice Inviting Applications Federal  Register :: Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving Eligibility  Requirements; Programs Under Parts A and F of Title III and Programs Under Title  V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA).  

Q: What is the difference between the eligibility matrix  using IPEDS data and the eligibility application?        A: The application is for schools that do not meet the  requirements for the eligibility matrix based on the data that the Department  of Education has and provides the opportunity for them to submit updated data  or, in the case of the Needy Student requirement, uses a different variable  that the Department is not able to calculate with data that are available to  us. 

Q: Can an institution be designated an AANAPISI and HSI?      A: Yes, an institution can be deemed eligible for  multiple programs. However, each grant program has specific regulations and that  may mean they aren’t eligible to receive funds in every program for which they  are eligible. Contact the program specialist(s) for the program(s) you are  interested in.

Q: Are Tribal Colleges and HBCUs required to apply for  eligibility?      A: No, HBCUs and TCCUs are not required to apply for  eligibility.

Q: Are there waivers for programmatic level requirements  such as the demographic requirements?      A: There are no waivers/exemptions on programmatic  requirements.

Q: How do you define the various demographic groups for  each Titles III and V program?      A: We use the federal definitions set forth in the Higher  Education Act.

Q: If an institution is deemed eligible for that fiscal  year, do they need to do anything for approval for the waiver of matching funds  (Title IV Federal cost-share waiver)?      A: We provide the final Eligibility Matrix to Federal  Student Aid in the spring. All questions regarding the match should be directed  to Federal Student Aid at CODSupport@ed.gov.

**DATA USED TO MAKE DETERMINATIONS:**      Q: What data are used to determine eligibility?      A: For FY 2024, we use the 2021-2022 dataset from IPEDS  and PEPS (Federal Student Aid).

Q: Can you define "half-time" student?      A: Half-time is dependent on the institution’s definition  of half-time.

Q: Can we use the IPEDS core expense calculation for the core  expense portion of the application?      A: Yes, you can use the same core expense calculation  from IPEDS.

Q: Are the data we are asked to enter into the  application different from the data that the system automatically pulls from  IPEDS for us for the initial determination?      A: It could be. Institutions may have data that are  different from what was reported to IPEDS. You must review the application  booklet and determine how to respond to each question.

Q: Are we able to apply for the Federal cost-share waiver  if we only meet one of the eligibility requirements?      A: No, you would need to submit an application/exemption  in the system for the eligibility requirements if you are seeking the Federal cost-share  waiver.

Q: How do we know whether we are classified as a 2-year  or 4-year institution when applying to be an eligible institution?      A: This would be based on whatever your designation is in  IPEDS for your campus during the base year.

Q: Are there samples of successful and unsuccessful  applications and/or exemption requests? And, if so, how can an institution  obtain these for guidance?      A: There are not. Every institution has unique  circumstances that may make them eligible for a waiver request. However, we can  assist where campuses have questions. Please contact Dr. Jason Cottrell at Jason.Cottrell@ed.gov. 

Q: What are appropriate examples of supporting  documentation?      A: This is going to be based on the campus’ processes.  Each campus may have different data supporting the various waiver requests.  Please do not include personally identifiable information (PII).

Q: How are high school and international students counted  in the calculations for the eligibility requirements?      A: High school and international students can be counted  in the core expenses per FTE number. However, they cannot be counted in the needy  student number.

Q: Can we use internal data to complete the application?      A: Yes, you may have data that is different than what  IPEDS has. If those data are accurate and can provide support for your request,  you may submit it in the waiver request. For example, we use two different  calculations for the needy student requirement. Pre-eligibility is based on  Pell percentage. The application allows institutions to provide additional  information for a different calculation that includes other need-based financial  aid. 

Q: Why are graduate students included in the needy  student percentage calculation?      A: Graduate students are eligible for Federal Work Study,  and Federal Work Study is included in the needy student criterion.

**WAIVER REQUESTS/EXEMPTIONS:**      Q: Do we have to apply annually for an exemption if we  submit the same information each year?      A: Yes, campuses seeking a waiver/exemption must submit  an application and request annually.

Q: If an institution applies for needy student Waiver  Option #6, are there associated reporting requirements to demonstrate  achievement of the stated program implementation and student enrollment  objectives?      A: No. 

Q: Does the exemption qualify an institution for  designation as an eligible institution under Titles III and V programs or just the  non-federal cost share waiver?      A: It qualifies them for both.

**COVID RELATED:**      Q: How do COVID-related variables  (enrollment/funding/expenses) affect data and decisions?      A: All institutions are still subject to the same  measures and thresholds from the same base year. If the campus believes that  COVID affects one or both criteria, they are eligible to submit an application  and exemption as described in the regulations and application booklet that are  published in the Notice Inviting Applications (Federal  Register :: Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving Eligibility  Requirements; Programs Under Parts A and F of Title III and Programs Under  Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA)).

Q: Will COVID related enrollment declines be considered  evidence for exemptions under core expenses Waiver Option #1?      A: Yes.

**ELIGIBILITY MATRIX AVAILABILITY:**      Q: When will you post the Eligibility Matrix on your  website?      A: The Eligibility Matrix will be publicly available  later this spring.

Q: Why isn’t the Eligibility Matrix available now?      A: Each institution can look up their information in the  HEPIS system. As institutions apply for eligibility and exemptions are  approved/denied, the Eligibility Matrix will change so we post when it is  complete.

**RECORDING/SLIDES AVAILABILITY:**      Q: Will the webinar recording be available?      A: Yes, it will be made available under the Help link on  the HEPIS system at https://hepis.ed.gov/main/help. 

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