Virginia Administrative Code › Title 8 - EDUCATION › Agency 40 - STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR VIRGINIA › Chapter 71 - VIRGINIA TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM REGULATIONS › Section 8VAC40-71-10 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall
				  have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise:
"Academic year" means the enrollment period that normally
				  extends from late August to May or early June and that is normally comprised of
				  two semesters 15 to 16 weeks in length or three quarters 10 to 11 weeks in
				  length.
"Accredited" means approved to confer degrees pursuant to the
				  provisions of Article 3 (§ 23.1-213 et seq.) of Chapter 2 of Title 23.1 of
				  the Code of Virginia and requirements of the annual appropriation act, as the
				  same are now constituted or hereafter amended. Unless otherwise provided by
				  law, an institution must be accredited by a nationally recognized regional
				  accrediting agency prior to participation in the program.
"Award" means a grant of Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant
				  Program funds given during fall and spring terms at semester institutions and
				  fall, winter, and spring terms at quarter institutions.
"Census date" means the time during a term when a count of
				  enrolled students is made for reporting purposes. For all standard terms, the
				  census date shall be the end of the program add/drop period. For nonstandard
				  terms, the census date shall be determined by council on a program by program
				  basis.
"Cost of attendance" means the sum of tuition, fees, room,
				  board, books, supplies, and other education-related expenses, as determined by
				  an eligible institution for purposes of calculating a student's financial need
				  and awarding federal student aid funds.
"Council" or "SCHEV" means the State Council of Higher
				  Education for Virginia or its designated staff.
"Domiciliary resident" means a student who is determined by
				  the enrolling institution to be a domiciliary resident of Virginia under §
				  23.1-502 of the Code of Virginia and augmented by the Domicile Guidelines or
				  provided the equivalent educational benefits of the same under § 23.1-505
				  or 23.1-505.1 of the Code of Virginia. In cases where there are disputes
				  between students and the enrolling institutions, the council shall make the
				  final determinations (see
				  8VAC40-71-40
				  E).
"Eligible institution" means private nonprofit institutions
				  of collegiate education in the Commonwealth whose primary purpose is to provide
				  collegiate, graduate, or professional education and not to provide religious
				  training or theological education. Eligible institutions not admitted to this
				  program before January 1, 2011, shall also:
1. Be formed, chartered, established, or incorporated within
				  the Commonwealth;
2. Have their principal place of business within the
				  Commonwealth;
3. Conduct their primary educational activity within the
				  Commonwealth;
4. Be accredited by a nationally recognized regional
				  accrediting agency; and
5. Comply with applicable reporting requirements as:
a. Found in the Code of Virginia or supporting administrative
				  code for institutions operating in Virginia or participating in state financial
				  aid programs; or
b. Identified by the council as necessary for the
				  administration of the program.
"Eligible program" means a curriculum of courses at the
				  undergraduate, graduate, or first professional level for those institutions
				  eligible under the definition of eligible institution. For those institutions
				  chartered under an act of Congress and admitted to this program prior to
				  January 1, 2011, only a curriculum of courses offered at a campus located in
				  the Commonwealth are eligible programs.
1. Undergraduate programs are those programs that lead to an
				  associate's or baccalaureate degree and that require at least two academic
				  years (minimum 60 semester hours or its equivalent in quarter hours) to
				  complete or an undergraduate teacher certification program.
2. Graduate programs are those programs leading to a degree
				  higher in level than the baccalaureate degree and that require at least one
				  academic year (minimum 30 semester hours or its equivalent in quarter hours) to
				  complete. Only graduate programs in a health-related professional program
				  classified in the National Center for Education Statistics' Classification of
				  Instructional Programs (CIP) Code 51-series programs are eligible graduate
				  programs.
3. First-professional programs are those post-undergraduate
				  programs leading to a degree in dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, or
				  pharmacy. Only professional programs in a health-related professional program
				  classified as CIP Code 51-series programs are eligible first-professional
				  programs.
4. Programs that provide religious training or theological
				  education, classified as CIP Code 39-series programs, are not eligible
				  programs.
5. Students enrolled in a declared double-major that includes
				  an ineligible degree program may receive an award only for those terms in which
				  the student's enrollment includes an equal or greater number of courses
				  required for an eligible major or concentration than the number of courses
				  enrolled for an ineligible major or concentration (excludes general education
				  or elective courses). Exceptions may be made by council based on circumstances
				  beyond the control of the student.
"First-professional student" means a student enrolled and
				  program placed in any of the following post-undergraduate programs: dentistry,
				  medicine, veterinary medicine, or pharmacy.
"Fiscal year" means the period extending from July 1 to June
				  30.
"Formed, chartered, established, or incorporated within the
				  Commonwealth" means the institution is, and continues to be, recognized as a
				  domestic or in-state institution under the council's certification to operate
				  in Virginia and under state law.
"Full-time student" means a student who is enrolled for at
				  least 12 credit hours per semester or its equivalent in quarter hours at the
				  undergraduate level or nine credit hours per semester or its equivalent in
				  quarter hours at the graduate or first-professional level. The total hours
				  counted do not include courses taken for audit, but may include required
				  developmental, remedial, or prerequisite courses and other elective for-credit
				  courses that normally are not counted toward a degree at the institution. For
				  students enrolled in:
1. Nonstandard terms: the full-time enrollment requirement,
				  as approved by council, will be proportionate based on the length of the terms,
				  the number of contact hours, or other measures of comparability with the
				  institution's normal academic year.
2. Concurrent undergraduate, graduate, or first-professional
				  courses: the full-time enrollment requirement may be met by a combination of
				  the total credit hours, providing that the combination totals at least the
				  minimum credit hours for full-time status, as described above, for the
				  student's institutionally recognized student level.
3. Programs leading to a doctoral degree: the full-time
				  enrollment requirement may be met by enrollment in nine credit hours per
				  semester or its equivalent in quarter hours or the minimum full-time enrollment
				  as defined by the institution, whichever is less.
"Graduate student" means a student enrolled and
				  program-placed in a master's or doctoral program.
"Nonprofit institution" means an educational institution
				  operated by one or more nonprofit corporations, and said institution's earnings
				  are applied solely to the support of said institution and its educational
				  programs and activities.
"Nonstandard degree program" means a degree program where the
				  terms of the program do not conform to the standard terms of the institution's
				  academic year. Nonstandard programs must be approved by council before students
				  enrolled in the programs can receive awards.
"Participating eligible institution" means an eligible
				  institution that has been approved to participate in the program by
				  council.
"Principle place of business" means the single state in which
				  the natural persons who establish policy for the direction, control, and
				  coordination of the operations of the institution as a whole primarily exercise
				  that function considering the following factors:
1. The state in which the primary executive and
				  administrative offices of the institution are located. The primary executive
				  and administrative offices are those most often physically used in the
				  performance of the executive and administrative functions of the
				  institution;
2. The state in which the principal office of the chief
				  executive officer of the institution is located. The principal office of the
				  chief executive officer is the location that is most often physically occupied
				  by the chief executive officer when in performance of official institution
				  duties;
3. The state in which the board of trustees or similar
				  governing person or persons of the institution conducts a majority of its
				  meetings; and
4. The state from which the overall operations of the
				  institution are directed in that the institution is not subject to control or
				  directives from an office, agency, or board located within another
				  state.
"Program" means the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant
				  Program.
"Term" means the fall semester or quarter, winter quarter, or
				  the spring semester or quarter.
"Undergraduate student" means a student in a program leading
				  to an associate's or baccalaureate degree or a student enrolled in an
				  undergraduate teacher certification program.
"VTAG" means the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant.
Statutory Authority: § 23.1-629 of the Code of
					 Virginia.