Transcript Title IV Funding: How To's of New Program Approval

Title IV Funding: How To's of New
Program Approval
Carney McCullough, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Postsecondary, ED
Patricia Patterson, Federal Student Aid – Program Compliance, ED
Melissa Gregory, College Director, SFA, Montgomery College
Three Types of Eligible Institutions
•
Institution of Higher Education
•
Proprietary Institution of Higher Education
•
Postsecondary Vocational School
Basic Requirements
• Accredited by a recognized accrediting agency
• Legally authorized to operate in a State
• Admissions standards
Institution of Higher Education
(public or private nonprofit)
• Associate, bachelor’s, graduate or professional
degree
• At least a 2 year program acceptable for full credit
toward a bachelor’s degree
• At least a one year training program
– Leads to a degree or certificate
– Prepares students for gainful employment in a
recognized occupation
Proprietary Institution of Higher Education
(for-profit)
Postsecondary Vocational School
(public or private nonprofit)
• Eligible programs must provide training for gainful
employment in a recognized occupation
• One exception, proprietary institutions may
provide a baccalaureate degree in liberal arts.
Program must have been offered since January 1,
2009 and the institution must have been
accredited by a regional accrediting agency since
October 1, 2007 or earlier.
(Effective July 1, 2010)
Proprietary Institution of Higher Education
(for-profit)
Postsecondary Vocational School
(public or private nonprofit)
1. Undergraduate program
•
•
16 semester or trimester, 24 quarter or
600 clock hours
15 weeks of instructional time
Proprietary Institution of Higher Education
(for-profit)
Postsecondary Vocational School
(public or private nonprofit)
2. Graduate program
•
•
•
8 semester or trimester, 12 quarter or
300 clock hours
10 weeks of instructional time
Admits as regular students only those
with associate degree or equivalent
Proprietary Institution of Higher Education
(for-profit)
Postsecondary Vocational School
(public or private nonprofit)
3.
Undergraduate program
• 300 clock hours
• 10 weeks of instructional time
• 70% completion rate, 70% placement rate,
and not more than 50% longer than minimum
training period required by State or Federal
agency for the occupation
• In existence for at least one year
• Eligible only for FFEL and Direct Loans
Short Term Programs
• Rates must be reported in the annual FSA audit
(financial/compliance).
• If rates are not met, the program is not eligible for
the next award year.
• Institution can apply for re-approval of the
program once it again meets the program
eligibility requirements.
ESL Program
• Admit only students who need English to be able
to use already existing knowledge, skills or
training
• Eligible only for Pell Grants
Direct Assessment
• Use direct assessment rather than credit or clock
hours
• Must apply to ED for approval of the program
Study Abroad Program
• Eligible if—
– Students remain enrolled at eligible
home school while studying abroad,
and—
– Eligible home school awards academic
credits for study abroad program
• Must have written agreement
Flight School
• Must maintain current valid
certification from the Federal Aviation
Administration
Academic Competitiveness Grant
• One year undergraduate certificate program
• Associate or Bachelor’s degree
• Two year transfer program
• Graduate degree that includes at least three years
of undergraduate education
National SMART Grant
• Bachelor’s degree
• Graduate degree that includes at least 3 years of
undergraduate education
• Eligible major (physical, life, or computer science,
engineering, mathematics, technology or a critical
foreign language)
• Categorized by CIP code
TEACH Institutional Eligibility
• Must be financially responsible in
accordance with 34 CFR 668, subpart L,
or meet an alternative standard
• May establish eligibility in any of 4 ways—
1. Must provide a high-quality teacher
preparation program at the baccalaureate or
master’s degree level that;
• Is accredited by an agency specializing in
professional teacher education programs
• Is approved by a State and includes at least 10
weeks of full-time pre-service clinical experience and
must provide/assist in providing pedagogical
coursework
TEACH Institutional Eligibility
1. Continued—
• Must provide or assist in providing
supervision and support services to
teachers such as
– Information on effective teaching strategies
– Information on effective practices in
supervision and coaching of novice teachers
– Mentoring focused on effective teaching skills
TEACH Institutional Eligibility
2. Institution provides a two-year program
that:
– Is acceptable for full credit in an eligible
baccalaureate teacher prep program
– Is acceptable for full credit in a baccalaureate
program in a high-need field offered by a
TEACH Grant-eligible institution
•
The institutions must be able to
“demonstrate” this relationship
TEACH Institutional Eligibility
3. Institution offers a baccalaureate degree
that, in combination with other training or
experience, will prepare students to teach
in a high-need field and—
– Has entered into an agreement with an eligible
institution that offers a high-quality teacher
prep program or one that offers a postbaccalaureate program of study
TEACH Institutional Eligibility
4. Institution provides a post-baccalaureate
program of study that:
– Does not lead to a graduate degree
– Consists of courses required by a State for a
student to receive a professional certification in
teaching
– Is an undergraduate program for Title IV
student financial assistance purposes
TEACH Grant Program Eligibility
• TEACH Grant-eligible institutions have wide
latitude to designate the TEACH Grant-eligible
programs offered by the institution
• Post-bacc program is not a TEACH Grant-eligible
program at institutions that offer both a post-bacc
and a BA in Education
TEACH Grant Program Eligibility
• Different way of thinking about program
eligibility
– Title IV regs do not specifically define
“program”
– For most Title IV purposes, the term is used in
a very general way
– For most Title IV purposes, a baccalaureate
program is four years in length
TEACH Grant Program Eligibility
• For TEACH, the term “program” is used to
mean something more specific
– Programs must be defined in context of majors
– A TEACH Grant-eligible program that leads to
a baccalaureate degree may be shorter than
four years in length
– When the student enters the program is
important – e.g., at time he declares a major, is
admitted to College of Education, etc
New Educational Programs
• If you want to give Title IV funds to students in a
new program, the institution must tell ED about
the program.
• For some programs you must apply and wait for
ED’s approval, others you can report and go.
Apply and Wait
The program is at a different level of offering –
Examples:
– Currently approved for Associate degree, now want to
offer a Bachelor’s degree.
– Currently approved for ¾-year program and now want to
offer a 2-year program.
Apply and Wait (continued)
• The Institution is provisionally certified.
• The educational subject matter of the new
program is different from the currently approved
programs.
• The program is a short-term program (300-599
clock hours).
Report and GO
• Institution may self-determine program eligibility if
adding
– A degree program at a level currently approved
(unless the under growth restrictions)
– If you do not meet any of the criteria under
“apply and wait”, the institution can selfdetermine eligibility for a non degree program
that prepares students for gainful employment
in the same or related educational area as a
currently approved program
• Must report the program at recertification
Clock to Credit Hours
• ED uses the number of clock hours to apply the
clock to credit hour formula.
• ED will only approve credit hours up to the
amount that is approved by the state & accrediting
agencies AND meets the clock to credit hour
formula.
Clock to Credit Hour Formula
• Calculate by dividing 30 into the number of
semester or trimester hours.
• Calculate by dividing 20 into the number of
quarter hours.
• Must round down.
Clock to Credit Hour Formula
Examples in Semester Hours
State
Accreditor
ED
Clock
Credit
Clock
Credit
Credit
930
31
930
31
31
930
33
930
33
31
930
28
930
28
28
Clock to Credit Hours Exemptions
• Each course within the program is acceptable
towards that school’s associate degree,
bachelor’s degree, or professional degree
provided that the institution’s degree requires at
least two academic years of study.
• Public or private nonprofit hospital-based school
of nursing that awards a diploma.
Applying for Approval of New Programs
• Use the electronic Application for
Approval to Participate in the Federal
Student Financial Aid Programs.
www.eligcert.ed.gov
Applying for Approval of New Programs
• Section A –
– Question 1 – Check “Update Information”
• Select the correct application purpose from the
“pick list”
– Increase Level of Offering of Educational Programs
– Non degree/Vocational Program
Applying for Approval of New Programs
• Complete the information for the appropriate
question(s) in Section E
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Name of the Program
CIP Code
Date first provided
Number of weeks
Number of clock hours
Number of credit hours and type of credit hours
If short-term program, the completion and placement
rates for the program
Applying for Approval for the
TEACH Grant Program
• Follow the instructions in the Dear Colleague
Letter on Institutional Eligibility for the TEACH
Grant Program - GEN-08-07 posted to IFAP on
June 3, 2008
Applying for Approval for the
TEACH Grant Program
• Section A – Question 1 – Check “Update
Information”.
• Select “Add TEACH Grant” from the “pick list”.
• Go to Section K, Question 69 and enter
information regarding how the institution meets
the eligibility criteria for the TEACH Grant
Program.
Applying for Approval of New Programs
• Complete and print Section L (signature page).
• Have the President/CEO/Chancellor sign the
signature page.
• Mail the signature page and the supporting
documents to the address provided.
• Submit the Application electronically.
Outcome
• Once ED receives the application and supporting
documentation (state and accreditation approval
and signature page), the School Participation
Team (SPT) reviews the application and makes a
decision.
Outcome
• If approved, the SPT sends an email to the
institution with instructions to go to the website for
the approval letter and updated Eligibility and
Certification Approval Report (ECAR).
• If not approved, the SPT sends the institution a
denial letter explaining why the program was not
approved.
The School Perspective:
Program Approvals, CIP Codes,
and E-Apps
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
We have a program in what??
Montgomery College Starts New Certificate Program in
Polysomnography
Published at Feb 12 2009 12:00AM
Category: College/Campus News
To meet rising demands in the health care industry, Montgomery College will offer a one-year certificate
program in polysomnography at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, starting in fall 2009. The
deadline to apply is March 1.
Polysomnography is a diagnostic test that measures and records a patient's physiologic variables during
sleep. Polysomnographers, or sleep technicians, set up the equipment and monitor and score the test
results, which are then interpreted by a physician.
The demand for registered polysomnographers continues to rise as state and national regulations are put
in place and laboratories seek qualified applicants. Polysomnographers work in freestanding sleep labs,
physician offices and polysomnography labs within hospitals. Salaries in this field are competitive with
other health care professions.
Know Your School – the basics
• What is your highest level of program offering?
– Some new programs need ED approval prior to offering
aid; some do not.
• Who accredits your institution?
– Do some programs have separate or specific
accreditation?
– Is a new program within the scope of your current
accreditation? If it was created after your last accreditation,
probably not.
• When was your last accreditation?
– Do you have a copy of the current letter of accreditation?
– If not, who does?
• What is your state licensing agency?
– Do you have a copy of your valid state license or other
authorization?
– If not, who does?
Know Your School – the process
• How do new programs get approved at your
school? What is the process?
– Curriculum committee
– Academic affairs office
– Can you be involved, ex. a resource person on
curriculum committee?
• Who is your curriculum contact?
– Someone who can help you stay on top of new
programs
– Works with accrediting agencies and state agencies to
get appropriate certifications and licenses
– Calculates clock hours on certificate programs
– Determines CIP codes for certificates
Know Your School – the process
• How do you work with curriculum committees to
make sure they create aid-eligible programs?
– Never tell them they “can’t” create a program
– Provide guidelines for eligible programs
– Become a resource for new program components and
changes to existing programs
– Financial aid office is a partner, because no aid may
mean no students
– Make sure whoever you report to is informed of potential
new cost of any new program
Preparing a Clean E-App
• In Section A, Question 1, select “Update
Information” box
• Select the specific updates from the pick list; if
purpose doesn’t appear in list, select next box,
“Other,” and type the purpose in space provided
• “Nondegree/Vocational Program” or
“Short-term Training Program” or
“Increase Level of Offering of Educational
Programs”
Preparing a Clean E-App
• Section E -- “Please provide the following information for
each educational program that you are requesting to be
eligible to participate in federal student aid programs”
• Section E. e. must provide program name, CIP code,
number of weeks in program, clock hours of instruction,
number of credit hours, type of credit hours
• Section E. g. or h. must provide program name, CIP code,
date program first provided, number or weeks in program,
clock hours of instruction, number of credit hours, type of
credit hours, and is each course within the program
acceptable for full credit toward your associate degree or
higher degree?
Preparing a Clean E-App
• Section E. i. must provide program name, CIP
code, date program first provided, number of
weeks in program, clock hours of instruction,
maximum number of credit hours authorized by
the state licensing agency, type of credit hours,
completion rate, placement rate.
• Documentation to submit will depend on which
type of program.
• Will always need state license and letter of
accreditation indicating new program is approved.
Sample Collection Chart for a New
Certificate Program
Information Systems Security Certificate
(HEGIS: 5101-01; CIP 11.1003)
Number
Name
In
Program
Credits
Lecture Lecture Lab
Lab
Hours Minutes Hours Minutes
Total
Minutes
Clock
Hours
CS 110
Computer Concepts
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 127
Microcomputer Control Programs
x
3
2
100
2
100
200
3.33
NW 151
Introduction to Networking
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 173
Network Security
x
4
3
150
3
150
300
5.00
NW 203
Microsoft Windows Server
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 245
Hardening the Infrastructure
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 246
Countermeasures
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 252
Cisco Routers and Routing Basics
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 253
Cisco Router Configuration and
Management II
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
NW 254
Cisco Router Configuration and
Management I11
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
Managing Network Security I or II
x
4
4
200
0
0
200
3.33
NW 270
Information Security Capstone
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
MG 288
Management
x
3
3
150
0
0
150
2.50
41
39
1950
5
250
2200
NW 261 or
NW 262
Totals
Total Clock Hours Per Semester
36.67
550.00
Questions???
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]