Source: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr;rgn=div6;view=text;node=34%3A3.1.3.1.34.1;idno=34;cc=ecfr
Timestamp: 2014-09-21 10:10:40
Document Index: 776732622

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', 'art 690', 'art 691', 'arts 673', 'art 692', 'art 682', 'art 682', 'art 682', 'arts 673', 'art 685', 'arts 673', 'art 691', '§668', 'art 600', 'arts 673', 'arts 673', 'arts 673', 'art 682', 'art 682', 'art 1', '§668', 'art 600', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', 'art 603', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', 'art 2', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668', '§668']

Title 34 → Subtitle B → Chapter VI → Part 668 → Subpart A
Subpart A—GeneralContents§668.1 Scope.
§668.2 General definitions.
§668.3 Academic year.
§668.4 Payment period.
§668.5 Written arrangements to provide educational programs.
§668.6 Reporting and disclosure requirements for programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.
§668.7 Gainful employment in a recognized occupation.
§668.9 Relationship between clock hours and semester, trimester, or quarter hours in calculating Title IV, HEA program assistance.
§668.1 Scope.(a) This part establishes general rules that apply to an institution that participates in any student financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title IV, HEA program). To the extent that an institution contracts with a third-party servicer to administer any aspect of the institution's participation in any Title IV, HEA program, the applicable rules in this part also apply to that servicer. An institution's use of a third-party servicer does not alter the institution's responsibility for compliance with the rules in this part.(b) As used in this part, an “institution” includes—(1) An institution of higher education as defined in 34 CFR 600.4;(2) A proprietary institution of higher education as defined in 34 CFR 600.5; and(3) A postsecondary vocational institution as defined in 34 CFR 600.6.(c) The Title IV, HEA programs include—(1) The Federal Pell Grant Program (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.; 34 CFR part 690);(2) The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) Program (20 U.S.C. 1070a-1; 34 CFR part 691);(3) The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program (20 U.S.C. 1070b et seq.; 34 CFR parts 673 and 676);(4) The Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Program (20 U.S.C. 1070c et seq.; 34 CFR part 692);(5) The Federal Stafford Loan Program (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.; 34 CFR part 682);(6) The Federal PLUS Program (20 U.S.C. 1078-2; 34 CFR part 682);(7) The Federal Consolidation Loan Program (20 U.S.C. 1078-3; 34 CFR part 682);(8) The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program (42 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.; 34 CFR parts 673 and 675);(9) The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.; 34 CFR part 685);(10) The Federal Perkins Loan Program (20 U.S.C. 1087aa et seq.; 34 CFR parts 673 and 674);(11) The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) Program (20 U.S.C. 1070a-1; 34 CFR part 691); and(12) The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program.
[52 FR 45724, Dec. 1, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 36696, July 31, 1991; 59 FR 22418, Apr. 29, 1994; 61 FR 60396, Nov. 27, 1996; 63 FR 40623, July 29, 1998; 65 FR 38729, June 22, 2000; 71 FR 38002, July 3, 2006; 73 FR 35492, June 23, 2008]
§668.2 General 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 apply to all Title IV, HEA programs:Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) Program: A grant program authorized by Title IV-A-1 of the HEA under which grants are awarded during the first and second academic years of study to eligible financially needy undergraduate students who successfully complete rigorous secondary school programs of study.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-1)Campus-based programs: (1) The Federal Perkins Loan Program (34 CFR parts 673 and 674);(2) The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program (34 CFR parts 673 and 675); and(3) The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program (34 CFR parts 673 and 676).Defense loan: A loan made before July 1, 1972, under Title II of the National Defense Education Act of 1958.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 421-429)Dependent student: Any student who does not qualify as an independent student (see Independent student).Designated department official: An official of the Department of Education to whom the Secretary has delegated responsibilities indicated in this part.Direct Loan Program loan: A loan made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.)Direct PLUS Loan: A loan made under the Federal Direct PLUS Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1078-2 and 1087a et seq.)Direct Subsidized Loan: A loan made under the Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1071 and 1087a et seq.)Direct Unsubsidized Loan: A loan made under the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.)Enrolled: The status of a student who—(1) Has completed the registration requirements (except for the payment of tuition and fees) at the institution that he or she is attending; or(2) Has been admitted into an educational program offered predominantly by correspondence and has submitted one lesson, completed by him or her after acceptance for enrollment and without the help of a representative of the institution.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088)Expected family contribution (EFC): The amount, as determined under title IV, part F of the HEA, an applicant and his or her spouse and family are expected to contribute toward the applicant's cost of attendance. Federal Consolidation Loan program: The loan program authorized by Title IV-B, section 428C, of the HEA that encourages the making of loans to borrowers for the purpose of consolidating their repayment obligations, with respect to loans received by those borrowers, under the Federal Insured Student Loan (FISL) Program as defined in 34 CFR part 682, the Federal Stafford Loan, Federal PLUS (as in effect before October 17, 1986), Federal Consolidation Loan, Federal SLS, ALAS (as in effect before October 17, 1986), Federal Direct Student Loan, and Federal Perkins Loan programs, and under the Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) Program authorized by subpart II of part C of Title VII of the Public Health Service Act, for Federal PLUS borrowers whose loans were made after October 17, 1986, and for Higher Education Assistance Loans (HEAL) authorized by subpart I of part A of Title VII of the Public Health Services Act.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1078-3)Federal Direct PLUS Program: A loan program authorized by title IV, Part D of the HEA that is one of the components of the Direct Loan Program. The Federal Direct PLUS Program provides loans to parents of dependent students attending schools that participate in the Direct Loan Program. The Federal Direct PLUS Program also provides loans to graduate or professional students attending schools that participate in the Direct Loan Program. The borrower is responsible for the interest that accrues during any period. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 10782 and 1087a et seq.)Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan Program: A loan program authorized by Title IV, Part D of the HEA that is one of the components of the Direct Loan Program. The Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan Program provides loans to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students attending schools that participate in the Direct Loan Program. The Secretary subsidizes the interest while the borrower is in an in-school, grace, or deferment period.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1071 and 1087a et seq.)Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan Program: A loan program authorized by Title IV, Part D of the HEA that is one of the components of the Direct Loan Program. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan Program provides loans to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students attending schools that participate in the Direct Loan Program. The borrower is responsible for the interest that accrues during any period.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.)Federal Pell Grant Program: A grant program authorized by Title IV-A-1 of the HEA under which grants are awarded to help financially needy students meet the cost of their postsecondary education. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a)Federal Perkins loan: A loan made under Title IV-E of the HEA to cover the cost of attendance for a period of enrollment beginning on or after July 1, 1987, to an individual who on July 1, 1987, had no outstanding balance of principal or interest owing on any loan previously made under Title IV-E of the HEA.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087aa et seq.)Federal Perkins Loan program: The student loan program authorized by Title IV-E of the HEA after October 16, 1986. Unless otherwise noted, as used in this part, the Federal Perkins Loan Program includes the National Direct Student Loan Program and the National Defense Student Loan Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087aa-1087ii)Federal PLUS loan: A loan made under the Federal PLUS Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1078-2)Federal PLUS program: The loan program authorized by Title IV-B, section 428B, of the HEA, that encourages the making of loans to parents of dependent undergraduate students. Before October 17, 1986, the PLUS Program also provided for making loans to graduate, professional, and independent undergraduate students. Before July 1, 1993, the PLUS Program also provided for making loans to parents of dependent graduate students. Beginning July 1, 2006, the PLUS Program provides for making loans to graduate and professional students. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1078-2)Federal SLS loan: A loan made under the Federal SLS Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1078-1)Federal Stafford loan: A loan made under the Federal Stafford Loan Program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.)Federal Stafford Loan program: The loan program authorized by Title IV-B (exclusive of sections 428A, 428B, and 428C) that encourages the making of subsidized Federal Stafford and unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans as defined in 34 CFR part 682 to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.)Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program: The grant program authorized by Title IV-A-2 of the HEA.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070b et seq.)Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (Federal SLS) Program: The loan program authorized by Title IV-B, section 428A of the HEA, as in effect for periods of enrollment that began before July 1, 1994. The Federal SLS Program encourages the making of loans to graduate, professional, independent undergraduate, and certain dependent undergraduate students.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1078-1)Federal Work Study (FWS) program: The part-time employment program for students authorized by Title IV-C of the HEA.
(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2751-2756b)FFELP loan: A loan made under the FFEL programs.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.)Free application for Federal student aid (FAFSA): The student aid application provided for under section 483 of the HEA, which is used to determine an applicant's eligibility for the title IV, HEA programs.Full-time student: An enrolled student who is carrying a full-time academic workload, as determined by the institution, under a standard applicable to all students enrolled in a particular educational program. The student's workload may include any combination of courses, work, research, or special studies that the institution considers sufficient to classify the student as a full-time student including for a term-based program, repeating any coursework previously taken in the program but not including either more than one repetition of a previously passed course, or any repetition of a previously passed course due to the student failing other coursework. However, for an undergraduate student, an institution's minimum standard must equal or exceed one of the following minimum requirements:(1) For a program that measures progress in credit hours and uses standard terms (semesters, trimesters, or quarters), 12 semester hours or 12 quarter hours per academic term.(2) For a program that measures progress in credit hours and does not use terms, 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours over the weeks of instructional time in the academic year, or the prorated equivalent if the program is less than one academic year.(3) For a program that measures progress in credit hours and uses nonstandard terms (terms other than semesters, trimesters or quarters) the number of credits determined by—(i) Dividing the number of weeks of instructional time in the term by the number of weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year; and(ii) Multiplying the fraction determined under paragraph (3)(i) of this definition by the number of credit hours in the program's academic year.(4) For a program that measures progress in clock hours, 24 clock hours per week.(5) A series of courses or seminars that equals 12 semester hours or 12 quarter hours in a maximum of 18 weeks.(6) The work portion of a cooperative education program in which the amount of work performed is equivalent to the academic workload of a full-time student.(7) For correspondence coursework, a full-time courseload must be—(i) Commensurate with the full-time definitions listed in paragraphs (1) through (6) of this definition; and(ii) At least one-half of the coursework must be made up of non-correspondence coursework that meets one-half of the institution's requirement for full-time students.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082 and 1088)Graduate or professional student: A student who—(1) Is not receiving title IV aid as an undergraduate student for the same period of enrollment;(2) Is enrolled in a program or course above the baccalaureate level or is enrolled in a program leading to a professional degree; and(3) Has completed the equivalent of at least three years of full-time study either prior to entrance into the program or as part of the program itself.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082 and 1088)Half-time student: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this definition, an enrolled student who is carrying a half-time academic workload, as determined by the institution, that amounts to at least half of the workload of the applicable minimum requirement outlined in the definition of a full-time student.(2) A student enrolled solely in a program of study by correspondence who is carrying a workload of at least 12 hours of work per week, or is earning at least six credit hours per semester, trimester, or quarter. However, regardless of the work, no student enrolled solely in correspondence study is considered more than a half-time student.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082 and 1088)Independent student: A student who qualifies as an independent student under section 480(d) of the HEA.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087vv)Initiating official: The designated department official authorized to begin an emergency action under 34 CFR 668.83.Institutional student information record (ISIR): An electronic record that the Secretary transmits to an institution that includes an applicant's—(1) FAFSA information; and(2) EFC.Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Program: The grant program authorized by Title IV-A-4 of the HEA.National Defense Student Loan program: The student loan program authorized by Title II of the National Defense Education Act of 1958.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 421-429)National Direct Student Loan (NDSL) program: The student loan program authorized by Title IV-E of the HEA between July 1, 1972, and October 16, 1986.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1087aa-1087ii)National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership (NEISP) program: The scholarship program authorized by Chapter 2 of subpart 1 of Title IV-A of the HEA.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-21 et seq.)National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) Program: A grant program authorized by Title IV-A-1 of the HEA under which grants are awarded during the third and fourth academic years of study to eligible financially needy undergraduate students pursuing eligible majors in the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering, or foreign languages determined to be critical to the national security of the United States.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-1)One-third of an academic year: A period that is at least one-third of an academic year as determined by an institution. At a minimum, one-third of an academic year must be a period that begins on the first day of classes and ends on the last day of classes or examinations and is a minimum of 10 weeks of instructional time during which, for an undergraduate educational program, a full-time student is expected to complete at least 8 semester or trimester hours or 12 quarter hours in an educational program whose length is measured in credit hours or 300 clock hours in an educational program whose length is measured in clock hours. For an institution whose academic year has been reduced under §668.3, one-third of an academic year is the pro-rated equivalent, as measured in weeks and credit or clock hours, of at least one-third of the institution's academic year.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088)Output document: The Student Aid Report (SAR), Electronic Student Aid Report (ESAR), or other document or automated data generated by the Department of Education's central processing system or Multiple Data Entry processing system as the result of the processing of data provided in a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).Parent: A student's biological or adoptive mother or father or the student's stepparent, if the biological parent or adoptive mother or father has remarried at the time of application. Participating institution: An eligible institution that meets the standards for participation in Title IV, HEA programs in subpart B and has a current program participation agreement with the Secretary.Professional degree: A degree that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor's degree. Professional licensure is also generally required. Examples of a professional degree include but are not limited to Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.), Law (L.L.B. or J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), and Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.).
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082 and 1088)Show-cause official: The designated department official authorized to conduct a show-cause proceeding for an emergency action under 34 CFR 668.83.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070c et seq.)Student aid report (SAR): A report provided to an applicant by the Secretary showing his or her FAFSA information and the amount of his or her EFC.Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program: A grant program authorized by title IV of the HEA under which grants are awarded by an institution to students who are completing, or intend to complete, coursework to begin a career in teaching and who agree to serve for not less than four years as a full-time, highly-qualified teacher in a high-need field in a low-income school. If the recipient of a TEACH Grant does not complete four years of qualified teaching service within eight years of completing the course of study for which the TEACH Grant was received or otherwise fails to meet the requirements of 34 CFR 686.12, the amount of the TEACH Grant converts into a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g)TEACH Grant: A grant authorized under title IV-A-9 of the HEA and awarded to students in exchange for prospective teaching service.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g)Third-party servicer: (1) An individual or a State, or a private, profit or nonprofit organization that enters into a contract with an eligible institution to administer, through either manual or automated processing, any aspect of the institution's participation in any Title IV, HEA program. The Secretary considers administration of participation in a Title IV, HEA program to—(i) Include performing any function required by any statutory provision of or applicable to Title IV of the HEA, any regulatory provision prescribed under that statutory authority, or any applicable special arrangement, agreement, or limitation entered into under the authority of statutes applicable to Title IV of the HEA, such as, but not restricted to—(A) Processing student financial aid applications;(B) Performing need analysis;(C) Determining student eligibility and related activities;(D) Certifying loan applications;(E) Processing output documents for payment to students;(F) Receiving, disbursing, or delivering Title IV, HEA program funds, excluding lock-box processing of loan payments and normal bank electronic fund transfers;(G) Conducting activities required by the provisions governing student consumer information services in subpart D of this part;(H) Preparing and certifying requests for advance or reimbursement funding;(I) Loan servicing and collection;(J) Preparing and submitting notices and applications required under 34 CFR part 600 and subpart B of this part; and(K) Preparing a Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP);(ii) Exclude the following functions—(A) Publishing ability-to-benefit tests;(B) Performing functions as a Multiple Data Entry Processor (MDE);(C) Financial and compliance auditing;(D) Mailing of documents prepared by the institution;(E) Warehousing of records; and(F) Providing computer services or software; and(iii) Notwithstanding the exclusions referred to in paragraph (1)(ii) of this definition, include any activity comprised of any function described in paragraph (1)(i) of this definition.(2) For purposes of this definition, an employee of an institution is not a third-party servicer. The Secretary considers an individual to be an employee if the individual—(i) Works on a full-time, part-time, or temporary basis;(ii) Performs all duties on site at the institution under the supervision of the institution;(iii) Is paid directly by the institution; (iv) Is not employed by or associated with a third-party servicer; and(v) Is not a third-party servicer for any other institution.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088)Three-quarter time student: An enrolled student who is carrying a three-quarter-time academic workload, as determined by the institution, that amounts to at least three quarters of the work of the applicable minimum requirement outlined in the definition of a full-time student.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082 and 1088)Two-thirds of an academic year: A period that is at least two-thirds of an academic year as determined by an institution. At a minimum, two-thirds of an academic year must be a period that begins on the first day of classes and ends on the last day of classes or examinations and is a minimum of 20 weeks of instructional time during which, for an undergraduate educational program, a full-time student is expected to complete at least 16 semester or trimester hours or 24 quarter hours in an educational program whose length is measured in credit hours or 600 clock hours in an educational program whose length is measured in clock hours. For an institution whose academic year has been reduced under §668.3, two-thirds of an academic year is the pro-rated equivalent, as measured in weeks and credit or clock hours, of at least two-thirds of the institution's academic year.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088)Undergraduate student: (1) A student who is enrolled in an undergraduate course of study that usually does not exceed four years, or is enrolled in a longer program designed to lead to a degree at the baccalaureate level. For purposes of 34 CFR 690.6(c)(5) students who have completed a baccalaureate program of study and who are subsequently completing a State-required teacher certification program are treated as undergraduates.(2) In addition to meeting the definition in paragraph (1) of this definition, a student is only considered an undergraduate for purposes of the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program, the Federal Pell Grant Program, the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) Program, National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant Program, and TEACH Grant program if the student has not yet earned a baccalaureate or professional degree. However, for purposes of 34 CFR 690.6(c)(5) and 686.3(a) students who have completed a baccalaureate program of study and who are subsequently completing a State-required teacher certification program are treated as undergraduates.(3) For purposes of dual degree programs that allow individuals to complete a bachelor's degree and either a graduate or professional degree within the same program, a student is considered an undergraduate student for at least the first three years of that program.(4) A student enrolled in a four to five year program designed to lead to an undergraduate degree. A student enrolled in a program of any other, longer length is considered an undergraduate student for only the first four years of that program.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g)U.S. citizen or national: (1) A citizen of the United States; or(2) A person defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22), who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.
(Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1101)Valid institutional student information record (valid ISIR): An ISIR on which all the information reported on a student's FAFSA is accurate and complete as of the date the application is signed.Valid student aid report (valid SAR): A student aid report on which all of the information reported on a student's FAFSA is accurate and complete as of the date the application is signed.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq., unless otherwise noted)William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program: The loan program authorized by Title IV, Part D of the HEA.
[59 FR 22418, Apr. 29, 1994]
Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting §668.2, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov. Back to Top
§668.3 Academic year.(a) General. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, an academic year for a program of study must include—(1)(i) For a program offered in credit hours, a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time; or(ii) For a program offered in clock hours, a minimum of 26 weeks of instructional time; and(2) For an undergraduate educational program, an amount of instructional time whereby a full-time student is expected to complete at least—(i) Twenty-four semester or trimester credit hours or 36 quarter credit hours for a program measured in credit hours; or(ii) 900 clock hours for a program measured in clock hours.(b) Definitions. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section— (1) A week is a consecutive seven-day period; (2) A week of instructional time is any week in which at least one day of regularly scheduled instruction or examinations occurs or, after the last scheduled day of classes for a term or payment period, at least one day of study for final examinations occurs; and (3) Instructional time does not include any vacation periods, homework, or periods of orientation or counseling. (c) Reduction in the length of an academic year. (1) Upon the written request of an institution, the Secretary may approve, for good cause, an academic year of 26 through 29 weeks of instructional time for educational programs offered by the institution if the institution offers a two-year program leading to an associate degree or a four-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree. (2) An institution's written request must— (i) Identify each educational program for which the institution requests a reduction, and the requested number of weeks of instructional time for that program; (ii) Demonstrate good cause for the requested reductions; and (iii) Include any other information that the Secretary may require to determine whether to grant the request. (3)(i) The Secretary approves the request of an eligible institution for a reduction in the length of its academic year if the institution has demonstrated good cause for granting the request and the institution's accrediting agency and State licensing agency have approved the request.(ii) If the Secretary approves the request, the approval terminates when the institution's program participation agreement expires. The institution may request an extension of that approval as part of the recertification process. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0022) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088)
§668.4 Payment period.(a) Payment periods for an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and uses standard terms or nonstandard terms that are substantially equal in length. For a student enrolled in an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and uses standard terms (semesters, trimesters, or quarters), or for a student enrolled in an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and uses nonstandard terms that are substantially equal in length, the payment period is the academic term.(b) Payment periods for an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and uses nonstandard terms that are not substantially equal in length. For a student enrolled in an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and uses nonstandard terms that are not substantially equal in length—(1) For Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, FSEOG, Perkins Loan, and TEACH Grant program funds, the payment period is the academic term;(2) For FFEL and Direct Loan program funds—(i) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that is one academic year or less in length—(A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes half of the number of credit hours in the program and half of the number of weeks of instructional time in the program; and(B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes the program; and(ii) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that is more than one academic year in length—(A) For the first academic year and any subsequent full academic year—(1) The first payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes half of the number of credit hours in the academic year and half of the number of weeks of instructional time in the academic year; and(2) The second payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes the academic year;(B) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is more than half an academic year but less than a full academic year in length—(1) The first payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes half of the number of credit hours in the remaining portion of the program and half of the number of weeks of instructional time remaining in the program; and(2) The second payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes the remainder of the program; and(C) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is not more than half an academic year, the payment period is the remainder of the program.(c) Payment periods for an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and does not have academic terms or for a program that measures progress in clock hours. (1) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that is one academic year or less in length—(i) The first payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes half of the number of credit hours or clock hours, as applicable, in the program and half of the number of weeks of instructional time in the program; and(ii) The second payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes the program or the remainder of the program.(2) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that is more than one academic year in length—(i) For the first academic year and any subsequent full academic year—(A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes half of the number of credit hours or clock hours, as applicable, in the academic year and half of the number of weeks of instructional time in the academic year; and(B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes the academic year;(ii) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is more than half an academic year but less than a full academic year in length—(A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes half of the number of credit hours or clock hours, as applicable, in the remaining portion of the program and half of the number of weeks of instructional time remaining in the program; and(B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the student successfully completes the remainder of the program; and(iii) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is not more than half an academic year, the payment period is the remainder of the program.(3) For purposes of paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section, if an institution is unable to determine when a student has successfully completed half of the credit hours or clock hours in a program, academic year, or remainder of a program, the student is considered to begin the second payment period of the program, academic year, or remainder of a program at the later of the date, as determined by the institution, on which the student has successfully completed—(i) Half of the academic coursework in the program, academic year, or remainder of the program; or(ii) Half of the number of weeks of instructional time in the program, academic year, or remainder of the program.(d) Application of the cohort default rate exemption. Notwithstanding paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section, if 34 CFR 682.604(c)(10) or 34 CFR 685.301(b)(8) applies to an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and uses nonstandard terms, an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and does not have academic terms, or an eligible program that measures progress in clock hours, the payment period for purposes of FFEL and Direct Loan funds is the loan period for those portions of the program to which 34 CFR 682.604(c)(10) or 34 CFR 685.301(b)(8) applies.(e) Excused absences. For purposes of this section, in determining whether a student successfully completes the clock hours in a payment period, an institution may include clock hours for which the student has an excused absence (i.e., an absence that a student does not have to make up) if—(1) The institution has a written policy that permits excused absences; and(2) The number of excused absences under the written policy for purposes of this paragraph (e) does not exceed the lesser of—(i) The policy on excused absences of the institution's accrediting agency or, if the institution has more than one accrediting agency, the agency designated under 34 CFR 600.11(b);(ii) The policy on excused absences of any State agency that licenses the institution or otherwise legally authorizes the institution to operate in the State; or(iii) Ten percent of the clock hours in the payment period.(f) Re-entry within 180 days. If a student withdraws from a program described in paragraph (c) of this section during a payment period and then reenters the same program within 180 days, the student remains in that same payment period when he or she returns and, subject to conditions established by the Secretary or by the FFEL lender or guaranty agency, is eligible to receive any title IV, HEA program funds for which he or she was eligible prior to withdrawal, including funds that were returned by the institution or student under the provisions of §668.22.(g) Re-entry after 180 days or transfer. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (g)(3) of this section, and subject to the conditions of paragraph (g)(2) of this section, an institution calculates new payment periods for the remainder of a student's program based on paragraph (c) of this section, for a student who withdraws from a program described in paragraph (c) of this section, and—(i) Reenters that program after 180 days;(ii) Transfers into another program at the same institution within any time period; or(iii) Transfers into a program at another institution within any time period.(2) For a student described in paragraph (g)(1) of this section—(i) For the purpose of calculating payment periods only, the length of the program is the number of credit hours and the number of weeks of instructional time, or the number of clock hours and the number of weeks of instructional time, that the student has remaining in the program he or she enters or reenters; and(ii) If the remaining hours and weeks constitute half of an academic year or less, the remaining hours constitute one payment period.(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (g)(1) of this section, an institution may consider a student who transfers into another program at the same institution to remain in the same payment period if—(i) The student is continuously enrolled at the institution;(ii) The coursework in the payment period the student is transferring out of is substantially similar to the coursework the student will be taking when he or she first transfers into the new program;(iii) The payment periods are substantially equal in length in weeks of instructional time and credit hours or clock hours, as applicable;(iv) There are little or no changes in institutional charges associated with the payment period to the student; and(v) The credits from the payment period the student is transferring out of are accepted toward the new program.(h) Definitions. For purposes of this section—(1) Terms are substantially equal in length if no term in the program is more than two weeks of instructional time longer than any other term in that program; and(2) A student successfully completes credit hours or clock hours if the institution considers the student to have passed the coursework associated with those hours.
§668.5 Written arrangements to provide educational programs.(a) Written arrangements between eligible institutions. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, if an eligible institution enters into a written arrangement with another eligible institution, or with a consortium of eligible institutions, under which the other eligible institution or consortium provides part of the educational program to students enrolled in the first institution, the Secretary considers that educational program to be an eligible program if the educational program offered by the institution that grants the degree or certificate otherwise satisfies the requirements of §668.8.(2) If the written arrangement is between two or more eligible institutions that are owned or controlled by the same individual, partnership, or corporation, the Secretary considers the educational program to be an eligible program if—(i) The educational program offered by the institution that grants the degree or certificate otherwise satisfies the requirements of §668.8; and(ii) The institution that grants the degree or certificate provides more than 50 percent of the educational program.(b) Written arrangements for study-abroad. Under a study abroad program, if an eligible institution enters into a written arrangement under which an institution in another country, or an organization acting on behalf of an institution in another country, provides part of the educational program of students enrolled in the eligible institution, the Secretary considers that educational program to be an eligible program if it otherwise satisfies the requirements of paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(3) of this section.(c) Written arrangements between an eligible institution and an ineligible institution or organization. If an eligible institution enters into a written arrangement with an institution or organization that is not an eligible institution under which the ineligible institution or organization provides part of the educational program of students enrolled in the eligible institution, the Secretary considers that educational program to be an eligible program if— (1) The ineligible institution or organization has not—(i) Had its eligibility to participate in the title IV, HEA programs terminated by the Secretary;(ii) Voluntarily withdrawn from participation in the title IV, HEA programs under a termination, show-cause, suspension, or similar type proceeding initiated by the institution's State licensing agency, accrediting agency, guarantor, or by the Secretary;(iii) Had its certification to participate in the title IV, HEA programs revoked by the Secretary;(iv) Had its application for re-certification to participate in the title IV, HEA programs denied by the Secretary; or(v) Had its application for certification to participate in the title IV, HEA programs denied by the Secretary;(2) The educational program offered by the institution that grants the degree or certificate otherwise satisfies the requirements of §668.8; and (3)(i) The ineligible institution or organization provides 25 percent or less of the educational program; or (ii)(A) The ineligible institution or organization provides more than 25 percent but less than 50 percent of the educational program; (B) The eligible institution and the ineligible institution or organization are not owned or controlled by the same individual, partnership, or corporation; and (C) The eligible institution's accrediting agency, or if the institution is a public postsecondary vocational educational institution, the State agency listed in the Federal Register in accordance with 34 CFR part 603, has specifically determined that the institution's arrangement meets the agency's standards for the contracting out of educational services. (d) Administration of title IV, HEA programs. (1) If an institution enters into a written arrangement as described in paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this section, except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the institution at which the student is enrolled as a regular student must determine the student's eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds, and must calculate and disburse those funds to that student. (2) In the case of a written arrangement between eligible institutions, the institutions may agree in writing to have any eligible institution in the written arrangement make those calculations and disbursements, and the Secretary does not consider that institution to be a third-party servicer for that arrangement. (3) The institution that calculates and disburses a student's title IV, HEA program assistance under paragraph (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this section must— (i) Take into account all the hours in which the student enrolls at each institution that apply to the student's degree or certificate when determining the student's enrollment status and cost of attendance; and (ii) Maintain all records regarding the student's eligibility for and receipt of title IV, HEA program funds. (e) Information made available to students. If an institution enters into a written arrangement described in paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this section, the institution must provide the information described in §668.43(a)(12) to enrolled and prospective students.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [65 FR 65674, Nov. 1, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 66948, Oct. 29, 2010; 75 FR 67198, Nov. 1, 2010]
§668.7 Gainful employment in a recognized occupation.(a) Gainful employment. (1) Minimum standards. A program is considered to provide training that leads to gainful employment in a recognized occupation if—(i) As determined under paragraph (b) of this section, the program's annual loan repayment rate is at least 35 percent;(ii) As determined under paragraph (c) of this section, the program's annual loan payment is less than or equal to—(A) 30 percent of discretionary income (discretionary income threshold); or(B) 12 percent of annual earnings (actual earnings threshold); or(iii) The data needed to determine whether a program satisfies the minimum standards are not available to the Secretary.(2) General. For the purposes of this section—(i)(A) A program refers to an educational program offered by an institution under §668.8(c)(3) or (d) that is identified by a combination of the institution's six-digit OPEID number, the program's six-digit CIP code as assigned by an institution or determined by the Secretary, and credential level;(B) The Secretary determines whether an institution accurately assigns a CIP code for a program based on the classifications and program codes established by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); and(C) The credential levels for identifying a program are undergraduate certificate, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, post-baccalaureate certificate, master's degree, doctoral degree, and first-professional degree;(ii) Debt measures refers collectively to the loan repayment rate and debt-to-earnings ratios described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section;(iii) A fiscal year (FY) is the 12-month period starting October 1 and ending September 30 that is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example FY 2013 is from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013. That designation also represents the FY for which the Secretary calculates the debt measures;(iv) A two-year period is the period covering two consecutive FYs that occur on—(A)(1) The third and fourth FYs (2YP) prior to the most recently completed FY for which the debt measures are calculated. For example, if the most recently completed FY is 2012, the 2YP is FYs 2008 and 2009; or(2) For FYs 2012, 2013, and 2014, the first and second FYs (2YP-A) prior to the most recently completed FY for which the loan repayment rate is calculated under paragraph (b) of this section. For example, if the most recently completed FY is 2012, the 2YP-A is FYs 2010 and 2011; or(B) For a program whose students are required to complete a medical or dental internship or residency, as identified by an institution, the sixth and seventh FYs (2YP-R) prior to the most recently completed FY for which the debt measures are calculated. For example, if the most recently completed FY is 2012, the 2YP-R is FYs 2005 and 2006. For this purpose, a required medical or dental internship or residency is a supervised training program that—(1) Requires the student to hold a degree as a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, or a doctor of dental science;(2) Leads to a degree or certificate awarded by an institution of higher education, a hospital, or a health care facility that offers post-graduate training; and(3) Must be completed before the borrower may be licensed by the State and board certified for professional practice or service;(v) A four-year period is the period covering four consecutive FYs that occur on—(A) The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth FYs (4YP) prior to the most recently completed FY for which the debt measures are calculated. For example, if the most recently completed FY is 2017, the 4YP is FYs 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014; or(B) For a program whose students are required to complete a medical or dental internship or residency, as identified by an institution, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth FYs (4YP-R) prior to the most recently completed FY for which the debt measures are calculated. For example, if the most recently completed FY is 2017, the 4YP-R is FYs 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. For this purpose, a required medical or dental internship or residency is a supervised training program that—(1) Requires the student to hold a degree as a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, or a doctor of dental science;(2) Leads to a degree or certificate awarded by an institution of higher education, a hospital, or a health care facility that offers post-graduate training; and(3) Must be completed before the borrower may be licensed by the State and board certified for professional practice or service; and(vi) Discretionary income is the difference between the mean or median annual earnings and 150 percent of the most current Poverty Guideline for a single person in the continental U.S. The Poverty Guidelines are published annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and are available at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty.(b) Loan repayment rate. For the most recently completed FY, the Secretary calculates the loan repayment rate for a program using the following ratio:
View or download PDF (1) Original Outstanding Principal Balance (OOPB). (i) The OOPB is the amount of the outstanding balance, including capitalized interest, on FFEL or Direct Loans owed by students for attendance in the program on the date those loans first entered repayment.(ii) The OOPB includes FFEL and Direct Loans that first entered repayment during the 2YP, the 2YP-A, the 2YP-R, the 4YP, or the 4YP-R. The OOPB does not include PLUS loans made to parent borrowers or TEACH Grant-related unsubsidized loans.(iii) For consolidation loans, the OOPB is the OOPB of the FFEL and Direct Loans attributable to a borrower's attendance in the program.(iv) For FYs 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Secretary calculates two loan repayment rates for a program, one with the 2YP and the other with the 2YP-A, so long as the 2YP-A represents more than 30 borrowers whose loans entered repayment. Provided that both loan repayment rates are calculated, the Secretary determines whether the program meets the minimum standard under paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section by using the higher of the 2YP rate or the 2YP-A rate.(2) Loans Paid in Full (LPF). (i) LPF are loans that have never been in default or, in the case of a Federal Consolidation Loan or a Direct Consolidation Loan, neither the consolidation loan nor the underlying loan or loans have ever been in default and that have been paid in full by a borrower. A loan that is paid through a Federal Consolidation loan, a Direct Consolidation loan, or under another refinancing process provided for under the HEA, is not counted as paid-in-full for this purpose until the consolidation loan or other financial instrument is paid in full by the borrower.(ii) The OOPB of LPF in the numerator of the ratio is the total amount of OOPB for these loans.(3) Payments-Made Loans (PML). (i) PML are loans that have never been in default or, in the case of a Federal Consolidation Loan or a Direct Consolidation Loan, neither the consolidation loan nor the underlying loan or loans have ever been in default, where—(A)(1) Payments made by a borrower during the most recently completed FY reduce the outstanding balance of a loan, including the outstanding balance of a Federal Consolidation Loan or Direct Consolidation Loan, to an amount that is less than the outstanding balance of the loan at the beginning of that FY. The outstanding balance of a loan includes any unpaid accrued interest that has not been capitalized; or(2) If the program is a post-baccalaureate certificate, master's degree, doctoral degree, or first-professional degree program, the total outstanding balance of a Federal or Direct Consolidation Loan at the end of the most recently completed FY is less than or equal to the total outstanding balance of the consolidation loan at the beginning of the FY. The outstanding balance of the consolidation loan includes any unpaid accrued interest that has not been capitalized;(B) A borrower is in the process of qualifying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness under 34 CFR 685.219(c) and submits an employment certification to the Secretary that demonstrates the borrower is engaged in qualifying employment and the borrower made qualifying payments on the loan during the most recently completed FY; or(C)(1) Except as provided under paragraph (b)(3)(i)(C)(2) of this section, a borrower in the income-based repayment plan (IBR), income contingent repayment plan (ICR), or any other repayment plan makes scheduled payments on the loan during the most recently completed FY for an amount that is equal to or less than the interest that accrues on the loan during the FY. The Secretary limits the dollar amount of these interest-only or negative amortization loans in the numerator of the ratio to no more than 3 percent of the total amount of OOPB in the denominator of the ratio, based on available data on a program's borrowers who are making scheduled payments under these repayment plans.(2) Until the Secretary determines that there is sufficiently complete data on which of the program's borrowers have scheduled payments that are equal to or less than accruing interest, the Secretary will include in the numerator 3 percent of the OOPB in the denominator.(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(3)(i)(C)(1) of this section, with regard to applying the percent limitation on the dollar amount of the interest-only or negative amortization loans, the Secretary may adjust the limitation by publishing a notice in the Federal Register. The adjusted limitation may not be lower than the percent limitation specified in paragraph (b)(3)(i)(C)(1) of this section or higher than the estimated percentage of all outstanding Federal student loan dollars that are interest-only or negative amortization loans.(ii) The OOPB of PML in the numerator of the ratio is the total amount of OOPB for the loans described in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section.(4) Exclusions. For the most recently completed FY, the OOPB of the following loans is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator of the ratio:(i) Loans that were in an in-school deferment status during any part of the FY.(ii) Loans that were in a military-related deferment status during any part of the FY.(iii) Loans that were discharged as a result of the death of the borrower under 34 CFR 682.402(b) or 34 CFR 685.212(a).(iv) Loans that were assigned or transferred to the Secretary that are being considered for discharge as a result of the total and permanent disability of the borrower, or were discharged by the Secretary on that basis under 34 CFR 682.402(c) or 34 CFR 685.212(b).(c) Debt-to-earnings ratios. (1) General. For each FY, the Secretary calculates the debt-to-earnings ratios using the following formulas:(i) Discretionary income rate = Annual loan payment/(Mean or Median Annual Earnings −(1.5 × Poverty Guideline)).(ii) Earnings rate = Annual loan payment/Mean or Median Annual Earnings.(2) Annual loan payment. The Secretary determines the annual loan payment for a program by—(i) Calculating the median loan debt of the program by—(A) For each student who completed the program during the 2YP, the 2YP-R, the 4YP, or the 4YP-R, determining the lesser of—(1) The amount of loan debt the student incurred, as determined under paragraph (c)(4) of this section; or(2) If tuition and fee information is provided by the institution, the total amount of tuition and fees the institution charged the student for enrollment in all programs at the institution; and(B) Using the lower amount obtained under paragraph (c)(2)(i)(A) of this section for each student in the calculation of the median loan debt for the program; and(ii) Using the median loan debt for the program and the current annual interest rate on Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans to calculate the annual loan payment based on—(A) A 10-year repayment schedule for a program that leads to an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate certificate or to an associate's degree;(B) A 15-year repayment schedule for a program that leads to a bachelor's or master's degree; or(C) A 20-year repayment schedule for a program that leads to a doctoral or first-professional degree.(3) Annual earnings. The Secretary obtains from the Social Security Administration (SSA), or another Federal agency, the most currently available mean and median annual earnings of the students who completed the program during the 2YP, the 2YP-R, the 4YP, or the 4YP-R. The Secretary calculates the debt-to-earnings ratios using the higher of the mean or median annual earnings.(4) Loan debt. In determining the loan debt for a student, the Secretary—(i) Includes FFEL and Direct loans (except for parent PLUS or TEACH Grant-related loans) owed by the student for attendance in a program, and as reported under §668.6(a)(1)(i)(C)(2), any private education loans or debt obligations arising from institutional financing plans;(ii) Attributes all the loan debt incurred by the student for attendance in programs at the institution to the highest credentialed program subsequently completed by the student at the institution; and(iii) Does not include any loan debt incurred by the student for attendance in programs at other institutions. However, the Secretary may include loan debt incurred by the student for attending other institutions if the institution and the other institutions are under common ownership or control, as determined by the Secretary in accordance with 34 CFR 600.31.(5) Exclusions. For the FY the Secretary calculates the debt-to-earnings ratios for a program, a student in the applicable two- or four-year period that completed the program is excluded from the ratio calculations if the Secretary determines that—(i) One or more of the student's loans were in a military-related deferment status at any time during the calendar year for which the Secretary obtains earnings information under paragraph (c)(3) of this section;(ii) The student died;(iii) One or more of the student's loans were assigned or transferred to the Secretary and are being considered for discharge as a result of the total and permanent disability of the student, or were discharged by the Secretary on that basis under 34 CFR 682.402(c) or 34 CFR 685.212(b); or(iv) The student was enrolled in any other eligible program at the institution or at another institution during the calendar year for which the Secretary obtains earnings information under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.(d) Small numbers. (1) The Secretary calculates the debt measures for a program with a small number of borrowers or completers by using the 4YP or the 4YP-R, as applicable, if—(i) For the loan repayment rate, the corresponding 2YP or the 2YP-R represents 30 or fewer borrowers whose loans entered repayment after any of those loans are excluded under paragraph (b)(4) of this section; or(ii) For the debt-to-earnings ratios, the corresponding 2YP or the 2YP-R represents 30 or fewer students who completed the program after any of those students are excluded under paragraph (c)(5) of this section.(2) In lieu of the minimum standards in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the program satisfies the debt measures if—(i)(A) The 4YP or the 4YP-R represents, after any exclusions under paragraph (b)(4) or (c)(5) of this section, 30 or fewer borrowers whose loans entered repayment or 30 or fewer students who completed the program; or(B) SSA did not provide the mean and median earnings for the program as provided under paragraph (c)(3) of this section; or(ii) The median loan debt calculated under paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section is zero.(e) Draft debt measures and data corrections. For each FY beginning with FY 2012, the Secretary issues draft results of the debt measures for each program offered by an institution. As provided under this paragraph, the institution may correct the data used to calculate the draft results before the Secretary issues final debt measures under paragraph (f) of this section.(1) Pre-draft corrections process for the debt-to-earnings ratios. (i) Before issuing the draft results of the debt-to-earnings ratios for a program, the Secretary provides to an institution a list of the students who will be included in the applicable two- or four-year period for calculating the ratios. No later than 30 days after the date the Secretary provides the list to the institution, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, the institution may—(A) Provide evidence showing that a student should be included on or removed from the list; or(B) Correct or update the identity information provided for a student on the list, such as name, social security number, or date of birth.(ii) After the 30 day correction period, the institution may no longer challenge whether students should be included on the list or update the identity information of those students.(iii) If the information provided by the institution under paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section is accurate, the updated information is used to create a final list of students that the Secretary submits to SSA. The Secretary calculates the draft debt-to-earnings ratios based on the mean and median earnings provided by SSA for the students on the final list.(iv) An institution may not challenge the accuracy of the mean or median annual earnings the Secretary obtained from SSA to calculate the draft debt-to-earnings ratios for the program.(2) Post-draft corrections process for the debt measures. No later than 45 days after the Secretary issues the draft results of the debt-to-earnings ratios for a program and no later than 45 days after the Secretary issues the draft results of the loan repayment rate for a program, respectively, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, an institution—(i) May challenge the accuracy of the loan data for a borrower that was used to calculate the draft loan repayment rate, or the median loan debt for the program that was used for the numerator of the draft debt-to-earnings ratios, by submitting evidence showing that the borrower loan data or the program median loan debt is inaccurate; and(ii) May challenge the accuracy of the list of borrowers included in the applicable two- or four-year period used to calculate the draft loan repayment rate by—(A) Submitting evidence showing that a borrower should be included on or removed from the list; or(B) Correcting or updating the identity information provided for a borrower on the list, such as name, social security number, or date of birth.(3) Recalculated results. (i) Debt measures. In general, if the information provided by an institution under paragraph (e)(2) of this section is accurate, the Secretary uses the corrected information to recalculate the debt measures for the program.(ii) Debt-to-earnings ratios. For a failing program, if SSA is unable to include in its calculation of the mean and median earnings for the program one or more students on the list finalized under paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this section, the Secretary adjusts the median loan debt by removing the highest loan debt associated with the number of students SSA is unable to include in its calculation. For example, if SSA is unable to include three students in its calculation, the Secretary removes the loan debt for the same number of students on the list that had the highest loan debt. The Secretary recalculates the debt-to-earnings ratios for the program based on the adjusted median loan debt.(f) Final debt measures. The Secretary notifies an institution of any draft results that are not challenged, or are recalculated or unsuccessfully challenged under paragraph (e) of this section. These results become the final debt measures for the program.(g) Alternative earnings. (1) General. An institution may demonstrate that a failing program, as defined under paragraph (h) of this section, would meet a debt-to-earnings standard by recalculating the debt-to-earnings ratios using the median loan debt for the program as determined under paragraph (c) of this section, and alternative earnings from: a State-sponsored data system; an institutional survey conducted in accordance with NCES standards; or, for FYs 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).(2) State data. For final debt-to-earnings ratios calculated by the Secretary for FY 2012 and any subsequent FY, an institution may use State data to recalculate those ratios for a failing program only if the institution—(i) Obtains earnings data from State-sponsored data systems for more than 50 percent of the students in the applicable two- or four-year period, or a comparable two- or four-year period, and that number of students is more than 30;(ii) Uses the actual, State-derived mean or median earnings of the students in the applicable two- or four-year period under paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section; and(iii) Demonstrates that it accurately used the actual State-derived data to recalculate the ratios.(3) Survey data. For final debt-to-earnings ratios calculated by the Secretary for FY 2012 and any subsequent FY, an institution may use survey data to recalculate those ratios for a failing program only if the institution—(i) Uses reported earnings obtained from an institutional survey conducted of the students in the applicable two- or four-year period, or a comparable two- or four-year period, and the survey data is for more than 30 students. The institution may use the mean or median annual earnings derived from the survey data;(ii) Submits a copy of the survey and certifies that it was conducted in accordance with the statistical standards and procedures established by NCES and available at http://nces.ed.gov; and(iii) Submits an examination-level attestation by an independent public accountant or independent governmental auditor, as appropriate, that the survey was conducted in accordance with the specified NCES standards and procedures. The attestation must be conducted in accordance with the general, field work, and reporting standards for attestation engagements contained in the GAO's Government Auditing Standards, and with procedures for attestations contained in guides developed by and available from the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General.(4) BLS data. For the final debt-to-earnings ratios calculated by the Secretary for FYs 2012, 2013, and 2014, an institution may use BLS earnings data to recalculate those ratios for a failing program only if the institution—(i) Identifies and provides documentation of the occupation by SOC code, or combination of SOC codes, in which more than 50 percent of the students in the 2YP or 4YP were placed or found employment, and that number of students is more than 30. The institution may use placement records it maintains to satisfy accrediting agency or State requirements if those records indicate the occupation in which the student was placed. Otherwise, the institution must submit employment records or other documentation showing the SOC code or codes in which the students typically found employment;(ii) Uses the most current BLS earnings data for the identified SOC code to calculate the debt-to-earnings ratio. If more than one SOC code is identified under paragraph (g)(4)(i) of this section, the institution must calculate the weighted average earnings of those SOC codes based on BLS employment data or institutional placement data. In either case, the institution must use BLS earnings at no higher than the 25th percentile; and(iii) Submits, upon request, all the placement, employment, and other records maintained by the institution for the program under paragraph (g)(4)(i) of this section that the institution examined to determine whether those records identified the SOC codes for the students who were placed or found employment.(5) Alternative earnings process. (i) In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, the institution must—(A) Notify the Secretary of its intent to use alternative earnings no later than 14 days after the date the institution is notified of its final debt measures under paragraph (f) of this section; and(B) Submit all supporting documentation related to recalculating the debt-to-earnings ratios using alternative earnings no later than 60 days after the date the institution is notified of its final debt measures under paragraph (f) of this section.(ii) Pending the Secretary's review of the institution's submission, the institution is not subject to the requirements arising from the program's failure to satisfy the debt measures, provided the submission was complete, timely, and accurate.(iii)(A) If the Secretary denies the institution's submission, the Secretary notifies the institution of the reasons for the denial and the debt measures under paragraph (f) of this section become the final measures for the FY; or(B) If the Secretary approves the institution's submission, the recalculated debt-to-earnings ratios become final for that FY.(6) Dissemination. After the Secretary calculates the final debt measures, including the recalculated debt-to-earnings ratios under this section, and provides those debt measures to an institution—(i) In accordance with §668.6(b)(1)(v), the institution must disclose for each of its programs, the final loan repayment rate under paragraph (b) of this section, and final debt-to-earnings ratio under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section; and(ii) The Secretary may disseminate the final debt measures and information about, or related to, the debt measures to the public in any time, manner, and form, including publishing information that will allow the public to ascertain how well programs perform under the debt measures and other appropriate objective metrics.(h) Failing program. Except for the small numbers provisions under paragraph (d) of this section, starting with the debt measures calculated for FY 2012, a program fails for a FY if its final debt measures do not meet any of the minimum standards in paragraph (a)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section.(i) Ineligible program. Except as provided under paragraph (k) of this section, starting with the debt measures calculated for FY 2012, a failing program becomes ineligible if it does not meet any of the minimum standards in paragraph (a)(1) of this section for three out of the four most recent FYs. The Secretary notifies the institution that the program is ineligible on this basis, and the institution may no longer disburse title IV, HEA program funds to students enrolled in that program except as permitted using the procedures in §668.26(d).(j) Debt warnings. Whenever the Secretary notifies an institution under paragraph (h) of this section of a failing program, the institution must warn in a timely manner currently enrolled and prospective students of the consequences of that failure.(1) First year failure. (i) For a failing program that does not meet the minimum standards in paragraph (a)(1) of this section for a single FY, the institution must provide to each enrolled and prospective student a warning prepared in plain language and presented in an easy to understand format that—(A) Explains the debt measures and shows the amount by which the program did not meet the minimum standards; and(B) Describes any actions the institution plans to take to improve the program's performance under the debt measures.(ii) The warning must be delivered orally or in writing directly to the student in accordance with the procedures established by the institution. Delivering the debt warning directly to the student includes communicating with the student face-to-face or telephonically, communicating with the student along with other affected students as part of a group presentation, and sending the warning to the student's e-mail address.(iii) If an institution opts to deliver the warning orally to a student, it must maintain documentation of how that information was provided, including any materials the institution used to deliver that warning and any documentation of the student's presence at the time of the warning.(iv) An institution must continue to provide the debt warning until it is notified by the Secretary that the failing program now satisfies one of the minimum standards in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.(2) Second year failure. (i) For a failing program that does not meet the minimum standards in paragraph (a)(1) of this section for two consecutive FYs or for two out of the three most recently completed FYs, the institution must provide the debt warning under paragraph (j)(1) of this section in writing in an easy to understand format and include in that warning—(A) A plain language explanation of the actions the institution plans to take in response to the second failure. If the institution plans to discontinue the program, it must provide the timeline for doing so, and the options available to the student;(B) A plain language explanation of the risks associated with enrolling or continuing in the program, including the potential consequences for, and options available to, the student if the program becomes ineligible for title IV, HEA program funds;(C) A plain language explanation of the resources available, including http://www.collegenavigator.gov, that the student may use to research other educational options and compare program costs; and(D) A clear and conspicuous statement that a student who enrolls or continues in the program should expect to have difficulty repaying his or her student loans.(ii) An institution must continue to provide this warning to enrolled and prospective students until the program has met one of the minimum standards for two of the last three FYs.(3) Timely warnings. An institution must provide the warnings described in this paragraph to—(i) An enrolled student, as soon as administratively feasible but no later than 30 days after the date the Secretary notifies the institution that the program failed; and(ii) A prospective student at the time the student first contacts the institution requesting information about the program. If the prospective student intends to use title IV, HEA program funds to attend the program—(A) The institution may not enroll the student until three days after the debt warnings are first provided to the student under this paragraph; and(B) If more than 30 days pass from the date the debt warnings are first provided to the student under this paragraph and the date the student seeks to enroll in the program, the institution must provide the debt warnings again and may not enroll the student until three days after the debt warnings are most recently provided to the student under this paragraph.(4) Web site and promotional materials. For the second-year debt warning in paragraph (j)(2) of this section, an institution must prominently display the debt warning on the program home page of its Web site and include the debt warning in all promotional materials it makes available to prospective students. These debt warnings may be provided in conjunction with the disclosures required under §668.6(b)(2).(5) Voluntarily discontinued failing program. An institution that voluntarily discontinues a failing program under paragraph (l)(1) of this section, must notify enrolled students at the same time that it provides the written notice to the Secretary that it relinquishes the program's title IV, HEA program eligibility.(6) Alternative language. To the extent practicable, the institution must provide alternatives to English-language warnings for those students for whom English is not their first language.(k) Transition year. For programs that become ineligible under paragraph (i) of this section based on final debt measures for FYs 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Secretary caps the number of those ineligible programs by—(1) Sorting all programs by category of institution (public, private nonprofit, and proprietary) and then by loan repayment rate, from the lowest rate to the highest rate; and(2) For each category of institution, beginning with the ineligible program with the lowest loan repayment rate, identifying the ineligible programs that account for a combined number of students who completed the programs during FY 2014 that do not exceed 5 percent of the total number of students who completed programs in that category. For example, the Secretary does not designate as ineligible a program, or two or more programs that have the same loan repayment rate, if the total number of students who completed that program or programs would exceed the 5 percent cap for an institutional category.(l) Restrictions for ineligible and voluntarily discontinued failing programs. (1) General. An ineligible program, or a failing program that an institution voluntarily discontinues, remains ineligible until the institution reestablishes the eligibility of that program under the provisions in 34 CFR 600.20(d). For this purpose, an institution voluntarily discontinues a failing program on the date the institution provides written notice to the Secretary that it relinquishes the title IV, HEA program eligibility of that program.(2) Periods of ineligibility. (i) Voluntarily discontinued failing programs. An institution may not seek under 34 CFR 600.20(d) to reestablish the eligibility of a failing program that it voluntarily discontinued until—(A) The end of the second FY following the FY the program was voluntarily discontinued if the institution voluntarily discontinued the program at any time after the program is determined to be a failing program, but no later than 90 days after the date the Secretary notified the institution that it must provide the second year debt warnings under paragraph (j)(2) of this section; or(B) The end of the third FY following the FY the program was voluntarily discontinued if the institution voluntarily discontinued the program more than 90 days after the date the Secretary notified the institution that it must provide the second year debt warnings under paragraph (j)(2) of this section.(ii) Ineligible programs. An institution may not seek under 34 CFR 600.20(d) to reestablish the eligibility of an ineligible program, or to establish the eligibility of a program that is substantially similar to the ineligible program, until the end of the third FY following the FY the program became ineligible. A program is substantially similar to the ineligible program if it has the same credential level and the same first four digits of the CIP code as that of the ineligible program.
§668.8 Eligible program.(a) General. An eligible program is an educational program that—(1) Is provided by a participating institution; and(2) Satisfies the other relevant requirements contained in this section.(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section—(1) The Secretary considers the “equivalent of an associate degree” to be—(i) An associate degree; or(ii) The successful completion of at least a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor's degree program;(2) A week is a consecutive seven-day period; and(3)(i) The Secretary considers that an institution provides one week of instructional time in an academic program during any week the institution provides at least one day of regularly scheduled instruction or examinations, or, after the last scheduled day of classes for a term or a payment period, at least one day of study for final examinations. (ii) Instructional time does not include any vacation periods, homework, or periods of orientation or counseling.(c) Institution of higher education. An eligible program provided by an institution of higher education must—(1) Lead to an associate, bachelor's, professional, or graduate degree;(2) Be at least a two-academic-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree; or(3) Be at least a one-academic-year training program that leads to a certificate, or other nondegree recognized credential, and prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.(d) Proprietary institution of higher education and postsecondary vocational institution. An eligible program provided by a proprietary institution of higher education or postsecondary vocational institution—(1)(i) Must require a minimum of 15 weeks of instruction, beginning on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of classes or examinations;(ii) Must be at least 600 clock hours, 16 semester or trimester hours, or 24 quarter hours;(iii) Must provide undergraduate training that prepares a student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation; and(iv) May admit as regular students persons who have not completed the equivalent of an associate degree;(2) Must—(i) Require a minimum of 10 weeks of instruction, beginning on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of classes or examinations;(ii) Be at least 300 clock hours, 8 semester or trimester hours, or 12 quarter hours;(iii) Provide training that prepares a student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation as provided under §668.6; and(iv)(A) Be a graduate or professional program; or(B) Admit as regular students only persons who have completed the equivalent of an associate degree;(3) For purposes of the FFEL and Direct Loan programs only, must—(i) Require a minimum of 10 weeks of instruction, beginning on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of classes or examinations;(ii) Be at least 300 clock hours but less than 600 clock hours;(iii) Provide undergraduate training that prepares a student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation as provided under §668.6;(iv) Admit as regular students some persons who have not completed the equivalent of an associate degree; and(v) Satisfy the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section; or(4) For purposes of a proprietary institution of higher education only, is a program leading to a baccalaureate degree in liberal arts, as defined in 34 CFR 600.5(e), that—(i) Is provided by an institution that is accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency or association, and has continuously held such accreditation since October 1, 2007, or earlier; and(ii) The institution has provided continuously since January 1, 2009.(e) Qualitative factors. (1) An educational program that satisfies the requirements of paragraphs (d)(3)(i) through (iv) of this section qualifies as an eligible program only if—(i) The program has a substantiated completion rate of at least 70 percent, as calculated under paragraph (f) of this section;(ii) The program has a substantiated placement rate of at least 70 percent, as calculated under paragraph (g) of this section;(iii) The number of clock hours provided in the program does not exceed by more than 50 percent the minimum number of clock hours required for training in the recognized occupation for which the program prepares students, as established by the State in which the program is offered, if the State has established such a requirement, or as established by any Federal agency; and(iv) The program has been in existence for at least one year. The Secretary considers an educational program to have been in existence for at least one year only if an institution has been legally authorized to provide, and has continuously provided, the program during the 12 months (except for normal vacation periods and, at the discretion of the Secretary, periods when the institution closes due to a natural disaster that directly affects the institution or the institution's students) preceding the date on which the institution applied for eligibility for that program.(2) An institution shall substantiate the calculation of its completion and placement rates by having the certified public accountant who prepares its audit report required under §668.23 report on the institution's calculation based on performing an attestation engagement in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).(f) Calculation of completion rate. An institution shall calculate its completion rate for an educational program for any award year as follows:(1) Determine the number of regular students who were enrolled in the program during the award year.(2) Subtract from the number of students determined under paragraph (f)(1) of this section, the number of regular students who, during that award year, withdrew from, dropped out of, or were expelled from the program and were entitled to and actually received, in a timely manner a refund of 100 percent of their tuition and fees.(3) Subtract from the total obtained under paragraph (f)(2) of this section the number of students who were enrolled in the program at the end of that award year.(4) Determine the number of regular students who, during that award year, received within 150 percent of the published length of the educational program the degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential awarded for successfully completing the program.(5) Divide the number determined under paragraph (f)(4) of this section by the total obtained under paragraph (f)(3) of this section.(g) Calculation of placement rate. (1) An institution shall calculate its placement rate for an educational program for any award year as follows:(i) Determine the number of students who, during the award year, received the degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential awarded for successfully completing the program.(ii) Of the total obtained under paragraph (g)(1)(i) of this section, determine the number of students who, within 180 days of the day they received their degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential, obtained gainful employment in the recognized occupation for which they were trained or in a related comparable recognized occupation and, on the date of this calculation, are employed, or have been employed, for at least 13 weeks following receipt of the credential from the institution.(iii) Divide the number of students determined under paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section by the total obtained under paragraph (g)(1)(i) of this section.(2) An institution shall document that each student described in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section obtained gainful employment in the recognized occupation for which he or she was trained or in a related comparable recognized occupation. Examples of satisfactory documentation of a student's gainful employment include, but are not limited to—(i) A written statement from the student's employer;(ii) Signed copies of State or Federal income tax forms; and(iii) Written evidence of payments of Social Security taxes.(h) Eligibility for Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, TEACH Grant, and FSEOG Programs. In addition to satisfying other relevant provisions of the section—(1) An educational program qualifies as an eligible program for purposes of the Federal Pell Grant Program only if the educational program is an undergraduate program or a postbaccalaureate teacher certificate or licensing program as described in 34 CFR 690.6(c); (2) An educational program qualifies as an eligible program for purposes of the ACG, National SMART Grant, and FSEOG programs only if the educational program is an undergraduate program; and(3) An educational program qualifies as an eligible program for purposes of the TEACH Grant program if it satisfies the requirements of the definition of TEACH Grant-eligible program in 34 CFR 686.2(d).(i) Flight training. In addition to satisfying other relevant provisions of this section, for a program of flight training to be an eligible program, it must have a current valid certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.(j) English as a second language (ESL). (1) In addition to satisfying the relevant provisions of this section, an educational program that consists solely of instruction in ESL qualifies as an eligible program if—(i) The institution admits to the program only students who the institution determines need the ESL instruction to use already existing knowledge, training, or skills; and(ii) The program leads to a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential.(2) An institution shall document its determination that ESL instruction is necessary to enable each student enrolled in its ESL program to use already existing knowledge, training, or skills with regard to the students that it admits to its ESL program under paragraph (j)(1)(i) of this section.(3) An ESL program that qualifies as an eligible program under this paragraph is eligible for purposes of the Federal Pell Grant Program only.(k) Undergraduate educational program in credit hours. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (k)(2) of this section, if an institution offers an undergraduate educational program in credit hours, the institution must use the formula contained in paragraph (l) of this section to determine whether that program satisfies the requirements contained in paragraph (c)(3) or (d) of this section, and the number of credit hours in that educational program for purposes of the title IV, HEA programs, unless—(i) The program is at least two academic years in length and provides an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, a professional degree, or an equivalent degree as determined by the Secretary; or(ii) Each course within the program is acceptable for full credit toward that institution's associate degree, bachelor's degree, professional degree, or equivalent degree as determined by the Secretary provided that—(A) The institution's degree requires at least two academic years of study; and(B) The institution demonstrates that students enroll in, and graduate from, the degree program.(2) A program is considered to be a clock-hour program for purposes of the title IV, HEA programs if—(i) Except as provided in paragraph (k)(3) of this section, a program is required to measure student progress in clock hours when—(A) Receiving Federal or State approval or licensure to offer the program; or(B) Completing clock hours is a requirement for graduates to apply for licensure or the authorization to practice the occupation that the student is intending to pursue;(ii) The credit hours awarded for the program are not in compliance with the definition of a credit hour in 34 CFR 600.2; or(iii) The institution does not provide the clock hours that are the basis for the credit hours awarded for the program or each course in the program and, except as provided in §668.4(e), requires attendance in the clock hours that are the basis for the credit hours awarded.(3) The requirements of paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section do not apply to a program if there is a State or Federal approval or licensure requirement that a limited component of the program must include a practicum, internship, or clinical experience component of the program that must include a minimum number of clock hours.(l) Formula. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (l)(2) of this section, for purposes of determining whether a program described in paragraph (k) of this section satisfies the requirements contained in paragraph (c)(3) or (d) of this section, and of determining the number of credit hours in that educational program with regard to the title IV, HEA programs—(i) A semester hour must include at least 37.5 clock hours of instruction;(ii) A trimester hour must include at least 37.5 clock hours of instruction; and(iii) A quarter hour must include at least 25 clock hours of instruction.(2) The institution's conversions to establish a minimum number of clock hours of instruction per credit may be less than those specified in paragraph (l)(1) of this section, if the institution's designated accrediting agency, or recognized State agency for the approval of public postsecondary vocational institutions, for participation in the title IV, HEA programs has not identified any deficiencies with the institution's policies and procedures, or their implementation, for determining the credit hours, as defined in 34 CFR 600.2, that the institution awards for programs and courses, in accordance with 34 CFR 602.24(f), or, if applicable, 34 CFR 603.24(c), so long as—(i) The institution's student work outside of class combined with the clock-hours of instruction meet or exceed the numeric requirements in paragraph (l)(1) of this section; and(ii)(A) A semester hour must include at least 30 clock hours of instruction;(B) A trimester hour must include at least 30 clock hours of instruction; and(C) A quarter hour must include at least 20 hours of instruction.(m) An otherwise eligible program that is offered in whole or in part through telecommunications is eligible for title IV, HEA program purposes if the program is offered by an institution, other than a foreign institution, that has been evaluated and is accredited for its effective delivery of distance education programs by an accrediting agency or association that—(1) Is recognized by the Secretary under subpart 2 of part H of the HEA; and(2) Has accreditation of distance education within the scope of its recognition.(n) For Title IV, HEA program purposes, eligible program includes a direct assessment program approved by the Secretary under §668.10 and a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program approved by the Secretary under §668.232.
Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting §668.8, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov. Back to Top
§668.9 Relationship between clock hours and semester, trimester, or quarter hours in calculating Title IV, HEA program assistance.(a) In determining the amount of Title IV, HEA program assistance that a student who is enrolled in a program described in §668.8(k) is eligible to receive, the institution shall apply the formula contained in §668.8(l) to determine the number of semester, trimester, or quarter hours in that program, if the institution measures academic progress in that program in semester, trimester, or quarter hours.(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, a public or private nonprofit hospital-based school of nursing that awards a diploma at the completion of the school's program of education is not required to apply the formula contained in §668.8(l) to determine the number of semester, trimester, or quarter hours in that program for purposes of calculating Title IV, HEA program assistance.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082, 1085, 1088, 1091, 1141)
[59 FR 61179, Nov. 29, 1994]
§668.10 Direct assessment programs.(a)(1) A direct assessment program is an instructional program that, in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning, utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others. The assessment must be consistent with the accreditation of the institution or program utilizing the results of the assessment.(2) Direct assessment of student learning means a measure by the institution of what a student knows and can do in terms of the body of knowledge making up the educational program. These measures provide evidence that a student has command of a specific subject, content area, or skill or that the student demonstrates a specific quality such as creativity, analysis or synthesis associated with the subject matter of the program. Examples of direct measures include projects, papers, examinations, presentations, performances, and portfolios.(3) All regulatory requirements in this chapter that refer to credit or clock hours as a measurement apply to direct assessment programs. Because a direct assessment program does not utilize credit or clock hours as a measure of student learning, an institution must establish a methodology to reasonably equate the direct assessment program (or the direct assessment portion of any program, as applicable) to credit or clock hours for the purpose of complying with applicable regulatory requirements. The institution must provide a factual basis satisfactory to the Secretary for its claim that the program or portion of the program is equivalent to a specific number of credit or clock hours.(i) An academic year in a direct assessment program is a period of instructional time that consists of a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time during which, for an undergraduate educational program, a full-time student is expected to complete the equivalent of at least 24 semester or trimester credit hours, 36 quarter credit hours or 900 clock hours.(ii) A payment period in a direct assessment program for which equivalence in credit hours has been established must be determined under the requirements in §668.4(a), (b), or (c), as applicable, using the academic year determined in accordance with paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section (or the portion of that academic year comprising or remaining in the program). A payment period in a direct assessment program for which equivalence in clock hours has been established must be determined under the requirements in §668.4(c), using the academic year determined in accordance with paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section (or the portion of that academic year comprising or remaining in the program).(iii) A week of instructional time in a direct assessment program is any seven-day period in which at least one day of educational activity occurs. Educational activity in a direct assessment program includes regularly scheduled learning sessions, faculty-guided independent study, consultations with a faculty mentor, development of an academic action plan addressed to the competencies identified by the institution, or, in combination with any of the foregoing, assessments. It does not include credit for life experience. For purposes of direct assessment programs, independent study occurs when a student follows a course of study with predefined objectives but works with a faculty member to decide how the student is going to meet those objectives. The student and faculty member agree on what the student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be evaluated, and on what the relative timeframe for completion of the work will be. The student must interact with the faculty member on a regular and substantive basis to assure progress within the course or program.(iv) A full-time student in a direct assessment program is an enrolled student who is carrying a full-time academic workload as determined by the institution under a standard applicable to all students enrolled in the program. However, for an undergraduate student, the institution's minimum standard must equal or exceed the minimum full-time requirements specified in the definition of full-time student in §668.2 based on the credit or clock hour equivalency established by the institution for the direct assessment program.(b) An institution that offers a direct assessment program must apply to the Secretary to have that program determined to be an eligible program for title IV, HEA program purposes. The institution's application must provide information satisfactory to the Secretary that includes—(1) A description of the educational program, including the educational credential offered (degree level or certificate) and the field of study;(2) A description of how the assessment of student learning is done;(3) A description of how the direct assessment program is structured, including information about how and when the institution determines on an individual basis what each student enrolled in the program needs to learn;(4) A description of how the institution assists students in gaining the knowledge needed to pass the assessments;(5) The number of semester or quarter credit hours, or clock hours, that are equivalent to the amount of student learning being directly assessed for the certificate or degree, as required by paragraph (b)(3) of this section;(6) The methodology the institution uses to determine the number of credit or clock hours to which the program is equivalent;(7) The methodology the institution uses to determine the number of credit or clock hours to which the portion of a program an individual student will need to complete is equivalent;(8) Documentation from the institution's accrediting agency indicating that the agency has evaluated the institution's offering of direct assessment program(s) and has included the program(s) in the institution's grant of accreditation;(9) Documentation from the accrediting agency or relevant state licensing body indicating agreement with the institution's claim of the direct assessment program's equivalence in terms of credit or clock hours; and(10) Any other information the Secretary may require to determine whether to approve the institution's application.(c) To be an eligible program, a direct assessment program must meet the requirements in §668.8 including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors.(d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section, no program offered by a foreign institution that involves direct assessment will be considered to be an eligible program under §668.8.(e) A direct assessment program may use learning resources (e.g., courses or portions of courses) that are provided by entities other than the institution providing the direct assessment program without regard to the limitations on contracting for part of an educational program in §668.5(c)(3).(f) Title IV, HEA program funds may be used only for learning that results from instruction provided, or overseen, by the institution, not for the portion of the program that the student has demonstrated mastery of prior to enrollment in the program or tests of learning that are not associated with educational activities overseen by the institution.(g) Title IV, HEA program eligibility with respect to direct assessment programs is limited to direct assessment programs approved by the Secretary. Title IV, HEA program funds may not be used for—(1) the course of study described in §668.32(a)(1)(ii) and (iii) if offered by direct assessment, or(2) remedial coursework described in §668.20 offered by direct assessment. However, remedial instruction that is offered in credit or clock hours in conjunction with a direct assessment program is eligible for title IV, HEA program funds.(h) The Secretary's approval of a direct assessment program expires on the date that the institution changes one or more aspects of the program described in the institution's application submitted under paragraph (b) of this section. To maintain program eligibility, the institution must obtain prior approval from the Secretary through reapplication under paragraph (b) of this section that sets forth the revisions proposed.