California Code of Regulations › Title 5 - Education › Division 4 - California Student Aid Commission › Chapter 1 - California Student Aid Commission › Article 15.5 - Middle Class Scholarship Program › Section 30801 - Institution Responsibilities

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Each
				  Institution shall designate a coordinator to manage the MCS Program through the
				  Commission's WebGrants database system. Institutions shall provide the name and
				  contact information for the coordinator to the Commission.
(b) Institutions participating in MCS must enroll
				  in EFT to receive funds from the Commission.
(c) Institutions shall maintain written policies
				  and procedures governing the administration and processing of MCS Program funds.
				  Institutions shall develop and retain program and fiscal records that demonstrate
				  Institutional and student eligibility and ensure the accuracy of payments reported.
				  Retention of program and fiscal records shall be consistent with the Institution's
				  record retention policy.
(d)
				  Institutions shall have a written MCS refund policy. This policy shall comply with
				  any federal return of Title IV requirements pursuant to
				  Title 34 CFR
				  668.22.
(e) Each Institution shall submit to the
				  Commission MCS Enrollment Records for all eligible students for award consideration.
				  The Enrollment Record shall contain demographic information from the student's FAFSA
				  or CADAA, the student's COA, and other financial aid awarded to the student pursuant
				  to Education Code Section
				  70022(a)(2).
(f) Institutions shall disburse an MCS award to an
				  eligible student pursuant to Education Code Section
				  70022(d).
				  The institution shall disburse payments based on the recipient's enrollment status
				  using the Institution's financial aid census date, or its equivalent. The
				  Institution shall follow the financial aid census date policies when payment
				  adjustments are made past the census date.
(g) Institutions shall submit appropriate
				  corrections for any MCS awarded students who are enrolled less than full time which
				  result in a change in COA or financial aid awards. Payment transactions shall only
				  occur once a student's award information has been verified as accurate.
(h) The MCS award is a non-need-based award and
				  should not be based on a student's EFC or SAI. The maximum MCS award plus any other
				  estimated gift aid shall not exceed the COA but may exceed financial need for state
				  aid programs (e.g. Cal Grant). Therefore, an MCS award may supplant the EFC or SAI
				  for state aid programs.
(i) Institutions
				  shall comply with federal aid regulations to resolve any overpayments. Institutions
				  shall reduce MCS awards if the amount assigned, coupled with other need-based gift
				  aid programs, exceeds maximum need or COA limits.
(j) Where a student's total MCS award (coupled
				  with other financial assistance pursuant to
				  Title 34 CFR
				  668.164(c)) exceeds the allowable
				  gift aid of regulations of Title
				  34 CFR 668.164(c), the MCS award
				  shall be reduced to maintain compliance with federal financial aid
				  regulations.
(k) Institutions are
				  required to reconcile all MCS funds by the year-end reconciliation deadline noticed
				  by the Commission and provided to Institutions. Unused funds shall be returned to
				  the Commission within 90 days of receiving the year-end notice and invoice.
(1) MCS awards must be disbursed for the fiscal
				  year in which they were appropriated under the budget act of each fiscal year.
				  Excess funds must be returned to the Commission.
(2) Institutions are required to resolve balance
				  discrepancies on a per-record basis where the variance between the actual award and
				  paid amount exceeds six dollars.