Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?mc=true&node=pt34.4.691&rgn=div5
Timestamp: 2020-02-18 20:38:40
Document Index: 51608599

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', 'arts 682', '§691', 'art 690', '§691', 'art 690', '§691', '§691', '§691', 'art 668', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691', '§691']

Title 34 → Subtitle B → Chapter VI → Part 691
§691.1 Scope and purpose.
§691.2 Definitions.
§§691.3-691.5 [Reserved]
§691.6 Duration of student eligibility—undergraduate course of study.
§691.7 Institutional participation.
§691.8 Enrollment status for students taking regular and correspondence courses.
§§691.9-691.10 [Reserved]
§691.11 Payments from more than one institution.
§691.12 Application.
§§691.13-691.14 [Reserved]
§691.15 Eligibility to receive a grant.
§691.16 Rigorous secondary school program of study.
§691.17 Determination of eligible majors.
§691.61 Submission process and deadline for a Student Aid Report or Institutional Student Information Record.
§691.62 Calculation of a grant.
§691.63 Calculation of a grant for a payment period.
§691.64 Calculation of a grant for a payment period which occurs in two award years.
§691.65 Transfer student.
§691.66 Correspondence study.
§691.71 Scope.
§§691.72-691.74 [Reserved]
§691.75 Determination of eligibility for payment.
§691.76 Frequency of payment.
§§691.77-691.78 [Reserved]
§691.79 Liability for and recovery of grant overpayments.
§691.80 Redetermination of eligibility for a grant award.
§691.81 Fiscal control and fund accounting procedures.
§691.82 Maintenance and retention of records.
§691.83 Submission of reports.
Source: 71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, unless otherwise noted.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 74 FR 20221, May 1, 2009]
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP): A taxonomy of instructional program classifications and descriptions developed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics used to identify eligible majors for the National SMART Grant Program. Further information on CIP can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2002165.
Eligible major: A major, as identified by the Secretary under §691.17(a), in one of the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering, or a critical foreign language as defined in section 103(3) of the HEA; or a qualifying liberal arts curriculum as identified by the Secretary under §691.17(b).
(1) For purposes of the ACG Program—
(2) For purposes of the National SMART Grant Program—
(ii) In the case of a five-year program, is a program that—
(C) Is not a program that is a qualifying liberal arts curriculum identified as an eligible major under §691.17(b).
(e)(1) As used in this part, the terms “first-year,” “second-year,” “third-year,” “fourth-year,” and “fifth-year” refer to a student's grade level in the student's eligible program as determined by the institution for all students in the eligible program.
(2) A student's grade level for purposes of the ACG and National SMART Grant programs must be the same grade level as used for determining annual loan limits under the FFEL and Direct Loan programs (34 CFR parts 682 and 685).
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 61263, Oct. 29, 2007; 72 FR 62034, Nov. 1, 2007; 74 FR 20221, May 1, 2009; 74 FR 61245, Nov. 23, 2009; 75 FR 66968, Oct. 29, 2010]
(a) While enrolled in an ACG-eligible program, a student is eligible to receive up to one ACG Scheduled Award while enrolled as a first-year student and one ACG Scheduled Award while enrolled as a second-year student.
(b)(1) While enrolled in a National SMART Grant-eligible program, a student is eligible to receive up to one National SMART Grant Scheduled Award while enrolled as a third-year student, one National SMART Grant Scheduled Award while enrolled as a fourth-year student, and, in the case of a National SMART Grant-eligible program with five full years of coursework, one National SMART Grant Scheduled Award while enrolled as a fifth-year student.
(2)(i) A student's eligibility to receive up to one National SMART Grant Scheduled Award as a fourth-year student, in the case of a National SMART Grant-eligible program with less than five full years of coursework, extends from the beginning of the student's fourth year until he or she completes his or her first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study.
(ii) A student's eligibility to receive up to one National SMART Grant Scheduled Award as a fifth-year student, in the case of a National SMART Grant-eligible program with at least five full years of coursework, extends from the beginning of the student's fifth year until he or she completes his or her first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study.
(c) A student may not receive more than two ACG Scheduled Awards and three National SMART Grant Scheduled Awards during the student's undergraduate education in all eligible programs.
[74 FR 20222, May 1, 2009]
(a) An institution that offers one or more eligible programs, as defined in §691.2(d), for purposes of the ACG Program, and that participates in the Federal Pell Grant Program under 34 CFR part 690 must participate in the ACG Program.
(b) An institution that offers one or more eligible programs, as defined in §691.2(d), for purposes of the National SMART Grant Program, and that participates in the Federal Pell Grant Program under 34 CFR part 690 must participate in the National SMART Grant Program.
(d) If an institution becomes ineligible to participate in the ACG or National SMART Grant Program during an award year, a student who was eligible for a grant under §691.15 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 grant for that award year for—
(1) The name of each eligible student under §691.15 who, during the award year, submitted a valid SAR to the institution or for whom it obtained a valid ISIR before it became ineligible;
(4) An accounting of the ACG or National SMART Grant Program expenditures for that award year to the date of termination.
Under §691.8
*Any combination of regular and correspondence work that is greater than zero, but less than six hours. A less-than-half-time student would be ineligible for an ACG or a National SMART Grant.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 62034, Nov. 1, 2007; 74 FR 20222, May 1, 2009]
(a) General. A student who meets the requirements of 34 CFR part 668, Subpart C, is eligible to receive an ACG or a National SMART Grant if the student is receiving a Federal Pell Grant disbursement in the same award year.
(ii) For the first year of his or her eligible program—
(B) Has successfully completed, after January 1, 2006, a rigorous secondary school program of study under §691.16;
(C) Has not been previously enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program of undergraduate education except as part of a secondary school program of study. A transfer student who is a first-year student is not considered to have been previously enrolled; and
(iii) For the second year of his or her eligible program—
(B) Has successfully completed, after January 1, 2005, a rigorous secondary school program of study under §691.16;
(C) For the first year of his or her eligible program, obtained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or the numeric equivalent, consistent with other institutional measures for academic and title IV, HEA program purposes.
(ii) A home-schooled student's parent or guardian is the cognizant authority for purposes of providing the documentation required under paragraph (b) of this section. This documentation must show that the home-schooled student successfully completed a rigorous secondary school program under §691.16. This documentation may include a transcript or the equivalent or a detailed course description listing the secondary school courses completed by the student.
(5)(i) If a student self-certifies on an application under §691.12, or otherwise self-identifies to the institution, that he or she completed a rigorous secondary school program of study under §691.16, an institution must attempt to collect the documentation described under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
(c) National SMART Grant Program. A student is eligible to receive a National SMART Grant for the third, fourth, or fifth year of his or her eligible program if the student—
(2)(i) In accordance with the institution's academic requirements, formally declares an eligible major;
(ii) Is at an institution where the academic requirements do not allow a student to declare an eligible major in time to qualify for a National SMART Grant on that basis and the student demonstrates his or her intent to declare an eligible major in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section; or
(iii) Is at an institution that offers as an eligible major a qualifying liberal arts curriculum identified under §691.17(b); and
(3) Has a cumulative GPA through the most recently completed payment period of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or the numeric equivalent measure, consistent with other institutional measures for academic and title IV, HEA program purposes, in the student's eligible program.
(3) If the student is enrolled in a qualifying liberal arts curriculum as a major, there is no requirement to declare a major.
(e) Documentation of progression in the major. The institution must document a student's progress in taking the courses necessary to complete the program in the intended or declared major that establishes eligibility for a National SMART Grant. Documentation of coursework progression in the eligible program may include, but is not limited to:
(f) Transfer students. (1)(i) Under the ACG Program, if a student transfers to an institution that accepts for enrollment at least the credit or clock hours to be considered a second-year student from all prior postsecondary institutions attended by the student, the GPA to determine second-year eligibility for an ACG is calculated using the grades from all coursework accepted by the current institution into the student's eligible program.
(ii) Under the ACG Program, if a student transfers to an institution that accepts for enrollment less than the credit or clock hours to be considered a second-year student from all prior postsecondary institutions attended by the student, the GPA to determine second-year eligibility for an ACG is calculated using the grades from—
(B) The coursework earned at the current institution through the payment period in which the student completes the credit or clock hours of the student's first year in an eligible program based on the total of the credit or clock hours accepted on transfer and the credit or clock hours earned at the current institution.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 71 FR 64419, Nov. 1, 2006; 72 FR 61265, Oct. 29, 2007; 74 FR 20222, May 1, 2009]
(a)(1) For each award year commencing with the 2009-2010 award year, the Secretary establishes a deadline for submission of information about secondary school programs of study that are recognized by a designated official, consistent with State law, to prepare students for college and that the designated official deems rigorous.
(2) The designated official may submit information pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section—
(i) For students graduating during the current award year; and
(ii) For students graduating during one or more specified upcoming award years.
(b) In addition to those programs reported to the Secretary as rigorous by the designated official under paragraph (a) of this section, the following secondary school programs of study are rigorous:
(1) Advanced or honors secondary school programs established by States and in existence for the 2004-2005 school year or later school years.
(2) Any secondary school program in which a student successfully completes at a minimum the following courses:
(4) Any secondary school program for a student who completes at least two courses from an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program sponsored by the International Baccalaureate Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, and receives a score of “4” or higher on the examinations for at least two of those courses.
(6) Rigorous secondary school programs of study established by an SEA or, if legally authorized by the State to establish a separate secondary school program of study, an LEA, where such programs were recognized by the Secretary as rigorous after January 1, 2005, but before July 1, 2009.
[74 FR 20223, May 1, 2009]
(a) Eligible major. For each award year, the Secretary identifies the eligible majors in the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering, critical foreign languages as defined in section 103(3) of the HEA, or a qualifying liberal arts curriculum as an eligible major as determined under paragraph (b) of this section.
(b) Qualifying liberal arts curriculum as an eligible major. The Secretary may designate a baccalaureate-degree liberal arts curriculum as an eligible major if—
(1) The curriculum is the only curriculum at the institution of higher education and was offered prior to February 8, 2006;
(2) A student is not allowed to declare a major in a particular subject area; and
(3) The Secretary determines that the curriculum—
(i) Is at least equal to the requirements for an identified National SMART Grant-eligible major at an institution of higher education that offers a baccalaureate degree in that eligible major; or
(ii) Requires the student to undertake a rigorous course of study in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics that consists of at least four years of study in mathematics and three years of study in the sciences, with a laboratory component in each of those years.
(d) Designation of an additional eligible major. (1) For each award year, the Secretary establishes a deadline for an institution to request designation of an additional eligible major.
(2) Requests for designation of an additional eligible major must include—
(3) In addition to the information in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, requests for designation of a liberal arts curriculum as an eligible major must include the information demonstrating that the liberal arts curriculum complies with the requirements described in paragraph (b) of this section.
(4) For each award year, the Secretary will confirm the final list of eligible majors.
(e) Duration of eligible major. A major that ceases to be listed as an eligible major for an award year remains an eligible major in subsequent award years for a student who pursues that major and receives a National SMART Grant in the award year in which the major was an eligible major.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 61267, Oct. 29, 2007; 74 FR 20223, May 1, 2009]
(a) Submission process. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, an institution must disburse an ACG or a National SMART Grant to a student who is eligible under §691.15 and is otherwise qualified to receive that disbursement and electronically transmit disbursement data to the Secretary for that student if—
(2) In determining a student's eligibility to receive a grant under this part, an institution is entitled to assume that the SAR information or ISIR information is accurate and complete except under the conditions set forth in 34 CFR 668.16(f) and 668.60.
(a)(1) For each award year, the Secretary establishes and announces the ACG and National SMART Grant Scheduled Awards depending on the availability of funds for all students who are eligible for a grant under §691.15.
(2) The Secretary may revise the ACG and National SMART Grant Scheduled Awards in an award year depending on the availability of funds for all students who are eligible for a grant under §691.15.
(i) $750 for the first year of the student's eligible program; and
(ii) $1,300 for the second year of the student's eligible program.
(2) The maximum National SMART Grant Scheduled Award for an eligible student may be up to $4,000 for each of the third, fourth, and fifth years of the student's eligible program.
(c) The ACG first-year annual award for—
(1) A full-time student is the lesser of $750 or a reduced ACG Scheduled Award as determined under paragraph (a)(2) of this section;
(2) A three-quarter-time student is the lesser of $562.50 or 75 percent of a reduced ACG Scheduled Award; and
(3) A half-time student is the lesser of $375 or 50 percent of a reduced ACG Scheduled Award.
(d) The ACG second-year annual award for—
(1) A full-time student is the lesser of $1,300 or a reduced ACG Scheduled Award as determined under paragraph (a)(2) of this section;
(2) A three-quarter-time student is the lesser of $975 or 75 percent of a reduced ACG Scheduled Award; and
(3) A half-time student is the lesser of $650 or 50 percent of a reduced ACG Scheduled Award.
(e) The National SMART Grant annual award for—
(1) A full-time student is the lesser of $4,000 or a reduced National SMART Grant Scheduled Award as determined under paragraph (a)(2) of this section;
(2) A three-quarter-time student is the lesser of $3,000 or 75 percent of a reduced National SMART Grant Scheduled Award; and
(3) A half-time student is the lesser of $2,000 or 50 percent of a reduced National SMART Grant Scheduled Award.
(f) The amount of a student's grant under this part, in combination with the student's EFC and other student financial assistance available to the student, including the student's Federal Pell Grant, may not exceed the student's cost of attendance. Other student financial assistance is estimated financial assistance as defined in 34 CFR 673.5(c).
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 71 FR 64419, Nov. 1, 2006; 74 FR 20223, May 1, 2009]
(A) Paragraph (b) of this section provided that the program meets all the criteria in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, except that in lieu of paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section, the program provides at least the same number ofweeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section as are in the program's academic year; or
(2) Based upon that enrollment status, determining his or her ACG or National SMART Grant annual award under §691.62; and
(ii) The number of terms over which the institution chooses to distribute the student's ACG or National SMART Grant annual award if—
(A) An institution chooses to distribute all of the student's ACG or National SMART Grant annual award determined under paragraph (b)(2) of this section over more than two terms at institutions using semesters or trimesters or more than three quarters at institutions using quarters; and
(2) Based upon that enrollment status, determining his or her ACG or National SMART Grant annual award under §691.62;
(ii) Dividing the student's ACG or National SMART Grant annual award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section by the number of terms over which the institution chooses to distribute the student's ACG or National SMART Grant annual award if—
(3) Multiplying his or her ACG or National SMART Grant annual awarddetermined under paragraph (d)(2) of this section by the following fraction:
(1) Determining that the student is attending at least half-time;
(f) Maximum disbursement. A single disbursement may not exceed 50 percent of any award determined under paragraph (d)) of this section. If a payment for a payment period calculated under paragraph (d) of this section would require the disbursement of more than 50 percent of a student's ACG or National SMART Grant annual award in that payment period, the institution shall make at least two disbursements to the student in that payment period. The institution may not disburse an amount that exceeds 50 percent of the student's ACG or National SMART Grant annual award until the student has completed the period of time in the payment period that equals, in terms of weeks of instructional time, 50 percent of the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year.
(h) Payment period and grade level progression. A student may not progress to the next year during a payment period. The student's payment for the payment period—
(1) Is from the ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award of the year being completed; and
(2) Is calculated based on the student's credit or clock hours for the payment period, and weeks of instructional time in the payment period.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 62034, Nov. 1, 2007; 74 FR 20224, May 1, 2009; 74 FR 31182, June 30, 2009]
(2) The institution shall determine for each ACG or National SMART Grant recipient the award year in which the payment period will be placed subject to the restrictions set forth in paragraphs (a)(3) and (a)(6) of this section;
(b) An institution may not make a payment that results in the student receiving more than his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award for a year of the student's eligible program.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 74 FR 20224, May 1, 2009]
(2) The student is receiving a Federal Pell Grant in the same award year.
(b) The second institution shall calculate the student's award according to §691.63.
(c) The second institution may pay a grant only for that portion of the year of the student's eligible program in which a student is enrolled at that institution. The grant amount must be adjusted, if necessary, to ensure that the grant does not exceed the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award for the student's year at the second institution.
(d) If a student transfers between award years and the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award at the second institution differs from the ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award at the first institution for that year of the student's eligible program, the grant amount at the second institution is calculated as follows—
(e) The student's ACG or National SMART Grant payment for each payment period is calculated according to the procedures in §691.63 unless the remaining percentage of the ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award at the second institution, referred to in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, is less than the amount the student would normally receive for that payment period. In that case, the student's payment is equal to that remaining percentage.
(f) A transfer student shall repay any amount received that exceeds his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award for a year in accordance with §691.79.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 71 FR 64419, Nov. 1, 2006; 74 FR 20224, May 1, 2009]
(a) An institution calculates the ACG or National SMART Grant for a payment period for a student in a program of study offered by correspondence courses without terms, but not including any residential component, by—
(2) Determining the student's half-time annual award determined under §691.62; and
(3) Multiplying the student's half-time annual award by the lesser of—
(2)(i) If the student is enrolled in at least 6 credit hours that commence and are completed in that term, the student's half-time annual award determined under §691.62 is used to calculate the payment for the payment period; or
(ii) If the student is enrolled in less than 6 credit hours that commence and are completed in that term, the student is not eligible for an ACG and National SMART Grant;
(3) A payment for a payment period is calculated using the formula in §691.63(d) except that paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section are used in lieu of §691.63(d)(1) and (2), respectively; and
(d) Payments for periods of residential training must be calculated under §691.63(d) if the residential training is offered using terms and credit hours or §691.63(e) if the residential training is offered using credit hours without terms.
[74 FR 20224, May 1, 2009]
(1) Qualifies as a student who is eligible under §691.15;
(3) If enrolled in a self-paced credit-hour program without terms or a self-paced clock-hour program, as described in paragraph (e), is progressing as at least a half-time student after completing at least—
(2) For purposes of the ACG Program, if an institution determines at the beginning of a payment period that a student enrolled in the second year of his or her eligible program is not maintaining the necessary GPA for an ACG under §691.15(b)(1)(iii)(C), but reverses that determination before the end of the payment period, the institution may pay an ACG to the student for the entire payment period.
(3) For purposes of the National SMART Grant Program, if an institution determines at the beginning of a payment period that a student is not maintaining the necessary GPA for a National SMART Grant under §691.15(c)(3) or is not pursuing a required major under §691.15(c)(2), but reverses that determination before the end of the payment period, the institution may pay a National SMART Grant to the student for the entire payment period.
(c) If an institution determines at the beginning of a payment period that a student is not maintaining satisfactory progress or the necessary GPA for an ACG under §691.15(b)(1)(iii)(C), a National SMART Grant under §691.15(c)(3), or, in the case of a National SMART Grant is not pursuing a required major under §691.15(c)(2), but reverses that determination after the end of the payment period, the institution may neither pay the student an ACG or a National SMART Grant for that payment period nor make adjustments in subsequent payments to compensate for the loss of aid for that period.
(1)(i) For the first payment period of the student's ACG for the second year, a student's GPA for the first year under §691.15(b)(1)(iii)(C) is not yet available; or
(ii) For a payment period for a National SMART Grant, a student's cumulative GPA through the prior payment period under §691.15(c)(3) for the student's enrollment in the eligible program through the prior payment period under §691.15(c)(3) is not yet available; and
(2) The institution assumes liability for any overpayment as a result of the student failing to meet the required GPA to qualify for the disbursement.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 71 FR 64419, Nov. 1, 2006; 72 FR 61267, Oct. 29, 2007; 74 FR 20225, May 1, 2009]
(b) The institution may pay funds in one lump sum for all the prior payment periods for which the student was eligible under §691.15 within the award year. The student's enrollment status must be determined according to work already completed.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 74 FR 20225, May 1, 2009]
(b) Change in enrollment status. (1) If the student's enrollment status changes from one payment period to another within the same award year, the institution must recalculate the student's award for the new payment period taking into account any changes in the cost of attendance.
(2)(i) If the student's projected enrollment status changes during a payment period after the student has begun attendance in all of his or her classes for that payment period, the institution may (but is not required to) establish a policy under which the student's award for the payment period is recalculated. If such a policy is established, it must apply to all students and be the same as the policy established for the Federal Pell Grant Program.
(ii)(A) If a student's projected enrollment status changes during a payment period before the student begins attendance in all of his or her classes for that payment period, the institution must recalculate the student's enrollment status to reflect only those classes for which the student actually began attendance.
(B) If a student's projected enrollment status changes to less-than-half-time during a payment period before the student begins attendance in all of his or her classes for that payment period, the institution must determine that the student is ineligible for a grant for that payment period.
[71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006, as amended at 71 FR 64419, Nov. 1, 2006; 74 FR 20225, May 1, 2009]
(3) An institution that timely submits, and has accepted by the Secretary, the Payment Data for a student in accordance with this section shall report a reduction in the amount of an award that the student received when it determines that an overpayment has occurred, unless that overpayment is one for which the institution is not liable under §691.79(a).