Transcript Federal Update FASFAA Region III April 10, 2015 FAFSA Definition of Parent • Current definition is: biological or adoptive • New definition will be:

Federal Update
FASFAA Region III
April 10, 2015
2
FAFSA Definition of Parent
• Current definition is: biological or adoptive
• New definition will be: biological, adoptive or
person that the state has determined to be the
parent
– For example, a person listed on the birth certificate
• Clarifying who is not a parent
– List of people who are not considered a parent unless
they have legally adopted the student will now include
widowed stepparent
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Legal Parent
4
Who’s My Parent?
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Foster Care Benefits
• Require all FOTW applicants to tell us if they are
or were in foster care to ensure people entitled
to benefits receive them
• Separate from current dependency question
– New question will be earlier in application process
• “Yes” answer will result in SAR comment with
hyperlink to information regarding benefits, and
hyperlink will also appear on FOTW confirmation
page
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Foster Care Benefits
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List of Colleges
•
School selection page
•
•
Adding text to tell students that all schools they
select will receive the list of selected schools
School selection summary page
•
Adding text to tell students that for federal purposes
it does not matter in what order schools are listed
but it may be important for state purposes
•
Direct students to check with state
• May need to list state school first in order to receive state
benefits
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List of Colleges
9
List of Colleges
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Data Retrieval Tool – Amended Returns
•
In the filtering question, unusually large
number of applicants report filing an
amended return
Rewording question to specifically ask if they
have filed a 1040-X amended return
• Help text will also refer to the 1040-X and make
clear what the 1040-X is
•
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Amended Return
If you, the parent(s), filed a Form 1040X Amended U.S. Individual Income
Tax Return for 2014, select Yes; otherwise, select No. The Form 1040X is
used to correct your original filed tax return. You are not eligible to use the
IRS Data Retrieval Tool if you amended your 2014 federal tax return.
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Data Retrieval Tool – Timing Issues
•
Some applicants who are eligible to use
the tool find there is no data to import due
to owing taxes
• New hyperlink statement: “How you filed
your taxes can affect if tax information is
available to import.”
•
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Hyperlink will lead to help text that explains
timing for tax information availability
Data Retrieval Tool – Timing Issues
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Help Text Changes
• Gender question
• Clarifying help text to state we are asking
about sex at birth
• Citizenship status
• Adding help text regarding DACA to help
students in this category identify themselves
• Should answer that they are neither citizens or
eligible noncitizens
• Although they can receive Social Security
numbers, they are not eligible for Title IV
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Introducing the FSA ID
The FSA ID will modernize access for students, parents and
borrowers to FSA systems
•
•
FSA is adopting the best practice of using
a username and password instead of
personal information
The FSA ID
•
•
•
•
•
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Requires users to enter less information (2 fields
instead of 4)
Provides more secure access to user’s
information
Links to PIN information during registration
Offers self – service capability (name change)
The FSA ID (username and password)
will replace PIN for students, parents
and borrowers accessing FSA systems
starting May 10, 2015
New FSA ID login
Will be
updated
Old PIN login
Introducing the FSA ID
Users still click the Sign in button. This directs them to the FSAID login
page. Once they enter their FSA ID, they are directed back to the
application landing page
Will be
updated
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Introducing the FSA ID
•
What happens for new user?
•
•
•
What happens if I have a PIN already?
•
•
•
During account creation, the user will be asked for their PIN.
As long as the PIN information matches their other information, the
account will be linked to the FSA ID account
Will the changes affect a user’s ability to access
previous FAFSA submissions?
•
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Registration requests the same required information as PIN
New users will be directed to the registration page to create an FSA
ID (username and password) similar to today’s PIN creation page
If the user links their PIN, they will have access to previous FAFSA
submissions
Introducing the FSA ID
•
Can users still access FAFSA by providing their Last
name, SSN and DOB?
•
•
•
Will customer support change?
•
•
Customer support will not change. Similar to PIN, all users will be directed to
call the FSAIC helpdesk for login related issues
Will my FSA access to other people’s information
require a new username and password?
•
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FAFSA functionality will not change except that the FSA ID will replace the
PIN information
Users will not be able to sign or correct their application without their FSA ID.
This is only for users who are accessing their own information such as
students, parents, borrowers and applicants
FSA ID Communication to Students
•
•
ED to post high-level information about the FSA ID on each
impacted website in mid-April 2015
As of May 10, 2015, users who arrive at impacted websites
will be directed to a link to register for their new FSA ID
•
•
registration process should take less than seven minutes
Later this winter, ED will post a step-by-step guide about
registering for an FSA ID on IFAP for schools to share with
students, parents, and borrowers
All information will stress there is nothing a user can or
should do prior to implementation on or after May 10, 2015
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Enrollment Reporting Transition
• All schools must have implemented the new
enrollment reporting processes and file layouts by
October 1, 2014
– Schools that report using the new enrollment
reporting file layouts after July 1, 2014 must
report program-level enrollment information
retroactive to July 1, 2014
• New format includes:
– Campus level data
– Program level data (can be multiple programs)
– Email Address
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Enrollment Reporting Frequency
Beginning July 1, 2014, ED will
request enrollment information from
schools every 60 days and schools
will be required to respond to those
requests within 15 days of the date
that ED sent the enrollment reporting
roster to the school
• Schools may choose to receive
reports more frequently
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Upcoming Enhancements
•
Student Contact Information will be mandatory
•
Compliance Measurements/Letters to schools
Focus on roster completion, including program-level
• Report all Title IV students attending your school
• Escalating notices will be sent for non-compliance
• Referral to FSA Program Compliance for action
•
•
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Updated Enrollment Reporting Guide (Summer
2015)
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Gainful Employment - Regulations
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
• Federal Register - March 25, 2014
• OPE Website with discussions and materials
associated with GE negotiated rulemaking:
• http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearule
making/2012/gainfulemployment.html
• Final Federal Register - October 31, 2014
• Effective date - July 1, 2015
• http://ifap.ed.gov/fregisters/attachments/FR103114Final.pdf
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The HEA provides that to be Title IV eligible
an educational program must be offered by:
A public or non-profit
postsecondary
educational institution
and leads to a degree;
or
Any institution and “to
prepare students for
gainful employment in a
recognized occupation”
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
Generally, all nondegree programs
must lead to gainful
employment

Generally, all
programs at for-profit
institutions must lead
to gainful employment
Which Programs are GE Programs
•
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At proprietary institutions, all programs are GE
Programs except for –
• Preparatory coursework necessary for
enrollment in an eligible program
• Bachelor’s degree programs in liberal arts
offered since January 2009 that are offered by a
proprietary institution that has been regionally
accredited since October 2007
Which Programs are GE Programs
•
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At public institutions and not-for-profit institutions,
all programs are GE Programs except for –
• Programs that lead to a degree
• Programs of at least two years in length that are
designed to be fully transferable to a bachelor’s
degree program
• Preparatory coursework necessary for
enrollment in an eligible program (loan only)
Which Programs are GE Programs
GE Programs include –
• Teacher certification programs leading to a
certificate awarded by the institution
• English as a Second Language programs
• GE Programs do not include –
• Teacher certification coursework that does not
lead to a certificate awarded by the institution
• Preparatory coursework necessary for
enrollment in an eligible program (loans only)
•
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Gainful Employment Measure
• Debt-to-earnings (D/E) rates
• Annual Earnings D/E rate
• Discretionary Income D/E rate
• Passing: Annual D/E < = 8% or
Discretionary D/E < = 20%
• Failing: Annual D/E > 12% or Discretionary
> 30%
• Zone: Annual D/E > 8% and < = 12% or
Discretionary D/E > 20% and <= 30%
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Gainful Employment Results
• Program’s loses Title IV eligibility if:
• D/E measures – Fails in two out of three
years
OR
• D/E measures - Fails or in the zone for
four consecutive years
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GE Reporting
•
GE reporting now available in NSLDS (GE EA
#52 - 2/11/15)
• Report all Title IV students by July 31, 2015
Report 2008-09 through 2013-14 award years
• Programs with Medical and Dental Residencies report
2007-08 through 2013-14 award years
•
•
Report future award years by October after end
of the award year
•
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Report 2014 – 2015 Award Year by October 1, 2015
GE Data to Report
Institutional Data
Program Data
Student Enrollment Data
Student Financial Data
•
ONLY submit data on students enrolled in a GE
program
• ONLY submit data on Title IV aid recipients (exclude
FWS or FSEOG only recipients)
• ONLY submit data for programs that exist as of 7/1/15
Data provided in 2011 will not be available to reuse
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GE Data - Students to Include

A student enrolled in more than one GE
Program must be reported separately for each
program.
 A student who ‘stopped out’ and re-entered the
same GE Program during the same award year
must be reported separately for each
enrollment.
 A student who was enrolled in the same GE
Program during multiple award years must be
reported separately for each award year.
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GE Data to Report
•
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Institution Data
• Institution Code (OPEID)
• Institution Name
GE Data to Report
•
GE Program Information
Program Name
• Award Year
• CIP Code
• Credential Level
• Medical or Dental Internship or Residency
• Length of GE Program
• Length of GE Program Measurement
•
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GE Data to Report
•
Student Data
Student Social Security Number
• Student First Name
• Student Middle Name or Initial
• Student Last Name
• Student Date of Birth
•
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GE Data to Report
•
Student Data continued
Student’s Enrollment Status as of the 1st Day of
Enrollment in Program (Full-Time, Three-Quarter
Time, Half-Time, and Less Than Half-Time)
• Program Attendance Begin Date
• Program Attendance Begin Date for this Award
Year
• Program Attendance Status During Award Year
(Graduated, Withdrew, Enrolled)
• Program Attendance Status Date
•
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GE Data to Report
•
Financial Data for
Students
Private Loans Amount
• Institutional Debt
• Tuition and Fees Amount
• Allowance for Books,
Supplies, and Equipment
(COA)
•
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Debt- to-Earnings Rate Calculation Process
Note: FSA Calculates & Validates each step before sending to schools
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Certifications
December 31, 2015 – Transitional Certifications Due
 Signed by CEO/President
 Certify that each currently eligible GE Program(s) is:
 Approved by accrediting agency and State
 Graduates qualify to meet educational prerequisites
of the licensing or certification exam required to
work in the state, if any
 Certifications renewed when institution recertifies
Program Participation Agreement (PPA)

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Gainful Employment – Current Disclosures
Court left regulations (34 C.F.R. 668.6(b)) in place that
require schools to disclose certain GE Program data
• Schools must use the Department’s GE Disclosure
Template to provide all GE disclosures
• Schools must update their GE program disclosures with 1314 information no later than January 31, 2015
• GE Electronic Announcement #50 (9/11/14)
Template updates include: improved printing capabilities,
updated SOC codes, optional context boxes, graduate
certificate option, school name on output screen, bulk upload
tool used if certain criteria met with different length programs
Technical questions: (855) 359-3697 or [email protected]
•
•
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Disclosure Availability
Post the Template on your institution’s Web page
• Prominently display direct links to the Template on:
•
•
•
•
Include the Template in all promotional materials about
the GE program
•
•
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The GE program home page
Other institutional Web pages about the GE program
Promotional materials include invitations, ads, course catalogs,
social media, etc. that mention or otherwise refer to a specific
GE program
If not feasible to include the Template, include a live link or URL
to it and clearly explain what is available at that Web page
Disclosures Under New Final Rules
• Through December 31, 2016, current disclosure
requirements remain in effect
• Occupations; Normal time to complete program; On-time
graduation rate for completers; Tuition & fees, books &
supplies, room & board; Placement rate for completers (as
determined by State or Accreditor methodology); and
Median loan debt
• Institutions must comply with new disclosure
requirements (October 31, 2014 Final Rules)
beginning January 1, 2017
• ED to conduct consumer testing and hold focus groups to
determine new disclosure requirements and prepare new
disclosure template
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GE Resources
•
GE Information Page on IFAP
•
•
Federal Register Notices; DCLs; Electronic Announcements;
FAQs; Webinars; Presentations; Resources
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/indexV2.html
GE presentations at the FSA Training Conference
•
fsaconferences.ed.gov – sessions #GS1, 30, 58
EA 1/9/14 (GE #51) – Updated NSLDS Gainful
Employment Submittal File Record Layouts
• ANN-15-01 - Recorded Webinar – GE Reporting
•
send questions to [email protected]
47
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Ability to Benefit (ATB)
•
The Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2015 reinstated the ATB
alternatives for Title IV student eligibility for students
enrolled in “career pathway programs”
Applies to students who are enrolled or who first enroll in
an eligible program of study on or after July 1, 2014
• Pell limitations for students who first enroll in an eligible
program on or after July 1, 2015
•
OPE and OGC are currently reviewing the law and will
provide detailed guidance to schools in the near future
Stay tuned to IFAP!
49
DL Cohort Default Rates
•
•
CDR sanctions based solely on a school’s 3-year rates
CDR benefits (single disbursement in a single term loan
and 30 day delay for 1st time 1st year borrower exemptions)
are based on school’s three most recent fiscal years for
which official CDRs are available
•
•
•
•
50
Can be made up of 2 or 3 year rates IF both rates exist for a FY
Must pick one rate (either 2 or 3 year rate) to be used for each FY
Currently, the most recent fiscal year CDRs are FY09, FY10 and
FY11 which have official 2 and 3 year rates for each of those FYs
HOWEVER, future FY rates will only have 3 year rates so that by
September 2017, the 3 most recent fiscal years will only have 3
year rates
Prerequisite Courses
•
If a student is already admitted into a program of
study but needs to take a prerequisite course that is
not part of the program but is necessary in order to
take a course in their current program of study, the
prerequisite course in this scenario is considered
“remedial” and falls under all of our remedial
coursework regulations – 34 CFR 668.20
• It
is counted against the remedial course limits (30
semester or 45 quarter hours) and must be at least
qualitatively evaluated within SAP
• If within remedial limits, can be factored into the students
enrollment status and COA
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FSEOG/FWS Matching Fund Waivers
•
To obtain a waiver for matching funds for FSEOG or FWS,
a school must be eligible to apply for a TITLE III/V grant
•
•
•
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To see if a school would be eligible to apply for a TITLE III/V
grant, school must apply electronically with OPE (as outlined in
federal register notice – current notice dated 11/3/14)
If approved, a school will obtain a waiver for matching funds for
FSEOG and FWS for one year
• However, if school actually applies for and receives a Title
III/V grant, the school can receive a waiver for FSEOG/FWS
matching funds for the duration of their Title III/V grant.
Questions about current waiver duration or concerns about
FSEOG/FWS waiver process, please contact the CampusBased Call Center at 877-801-7168
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Institutional Security & Crime
Reporting
• The “Violence Against Women Act” (VAWA)
amended the “Clery Act”
• Negotiations finished in April 2014 – consensus
reached
• NPRM published on June 20
• Final published October 20, 2014
• Effective July 1, 2015
54
Institutional Security & Crime Reporting
Final Federal Register highlights:
• Maintain statistics about the number of incidents of
dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault,
and stalking
• “Clery geography” includes areas within the patrol
jurisdiction of the campus police or the campus
security department
• Definitions of dating violence, domestic violence,
sexual assault and stalking
• Updated crime definitions under the FBI’s Uniform
Crime Reporting program
55
Institutional Security & Crime Reporting
Final Federal Register highlights:
• Revised categories of bias for the purposes of Clery Act
hate crime reporting to add gender identity and to
separate ethnicity and national origin into separate
categories
• Develop primary educational programs and on-going
campaigns to promote the awareness of dating violence,
domestic violence, sexual assaults and stalking
• Develop descriptions of safe bystander intervention
options, risk reduction information and the definition of
consent in reference to sexual activity
56
Institutional Security & Crime Reporting
Final Federal Register highlights:
• Process to remove and maintain documentation for
“unfounded” crimes
• Clear procedures for handling institutional disciplinary
actions in cases of alleged dating violence, domestic
violence, sexual assault or stalking which include:
– proceedings be conducted by officials who receive at least
annual training on issues related to dating violence,
domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking and on how
to conduct investigations and hearings that protect the safety
of the victims and promote accountability
57
Institutional Security & Crime Reporting
• GEN-14-13 & EA dated 8/1/14
• Statute requires institutions to include this new
information in annual security reports beginning with the
October 1, 2014 report
• Institutions must make a good-faith effort to comply with
the statutory provisions as written
• should use the statute as the basis for revising or
developing policies, procedures, and programs in
advance of the report that must be issued by 10/1/14
• make sure appropriate authorities on campus are aware
of these changes
58
Final Rules – Direct PLUS Loans
• NPRM published 08/08/14
• Final Rule published
10/23/14
• Federal Register Notice
published 1/14/15
– New PLUS loan regulations
will be early implemented
early as of March 29, 2015
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“Charged Off” and “In Collection”
• Charged off – a debt that a creditor has written
off as a loss, but that is still subject to collection
action
• In collection – a debt that has been placed with a
collection agency by a creditor or that is subject
to more intensive efforts by a creditor to recover
amounts owed from a borrower who has not
responded satisfactorily to the demands
routinely made as part of the creditor’s billing
procedures
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Adverse Credit History
• One or more debts with total outstanding balance
greater than $2,085 that are – 90 or more days delinquent as of date of credit report; OR
– have been placed in collection or charged off during two
years preceding date of credit report
OR
• Subject of default, bankruptcy discharge, foreclosure,
repossession, tax lien, wage garnishment or write-off
of a debt under title IV during the five years preceding
date of credit report
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Required PLUS Loan Counseling
• PLUS loan counseling required for borrowers who
have adverse credit history and successfully:
– document extenuating circumstances; OR
– obtain an endorser (cannot have an adverse credit history)
• Counseling will include:
–
–
–
–
–
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information on borrowers’ current loan indebtedness
provide estimated loan repayment amounts
describe ways to avoid delinquency and default
provide additional financial aid literacy information
effective March 29, 2015 in StudentLoans.gov
Voluntary PLUS Loan Counseling
• Enhance consumer information for PLUS applicants
• Some items that will be included:
– Calculator to allow borrowers to estimate future requirement
monthly payment amount under various repayment plans
– Tools to assist borrowers in determining how factors such as
taking out additional PLUS loans or deferring repayment
affect required monthly repayment and total amount repaid
– Available repayment plans for student/parent PLUS
borrowers
– Budgeting information for minimum amounts needed
– Strategies for avoiding delinquency and default
• Available prior to start of the 2015-2016 academic year
63
Validity of Credit Check
• Credit check indicating no adverse credit history
will remain valid for 180 days instead of 90 days
• Any action that would normally trigger a credit
check will not do so if prior credit check with no
adverse credit obtained within past 180 days
• Effective March 29, 2015
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Performance of PLUS Loans
• Will collect and publish (where
appropriate) information about
performance of parent and student PLUS
loans, including
– default rate information based on credit
history characteristics of PLUS loan
applicants and
– individual institutional default rates
65
Teacher Preparation - Proposed
• Negotiations held in
2012
• Consensus not reached
• NPRM published in
the Federal Register
on December 3, 2014
• Comments due by
February 2, 2015
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Teacher Preparation - Proposed
• Focus is to improve existing Title II, HEA data
collection on teacher preparation programs
•
•
•
•
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Proposed rule changes focus from input measures to
meaningful outcome-based categories
States have primary responsibility in determining
specific measures and have significant flexibility to meet
local needs
Measures include feedback from new teachers and
employers, employment and retention rates, and student
learning outcomes
States must consult with range of stakeholders in
designing systems
Teacher Preparation - Proposed
• Other changes in proposed rule:
• Performance ratings at program, rather than
institutional level
• Minimum of four performance levels for programs
• Restricts TEACH Grant eligibility to programs
rated “effective” or higher in two of three reporting
years or meets the ‘‘high-quality’’ standards for a
STEM program to ensure TEACH Grants are
provided for quality programs
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Teacher Preparation - Proposed
• Timing under the proposed rule
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•
Oct 2017: Institutions begin reporting under new
framework based on data from 2016-17
•
April 2018: States submit pilot report
•
April 2019: State reports must use new indicators
to determine ratings
•
July 2020: New ratings begin to determine
TEACH Grant eligibility
Pay As You Earn Expansion
•
Federal Register Notice published Sept. 3, 2014
•
•
Held two public hearings
Propose to develop regulations that:
•
•
Allow more students the opportunity to cap their
monthly student loan payments at 10%
Target new PAYE option to borrowers who would
otherwise struggle to repay their student loans
• Planned Negotiated Rulemaking
•
•
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Three negotiating sessions will begin Feb. 2015
Goal of making repayment option available to
borrowers by December 31, 2015
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Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-15-05 – 2015-16 Unusual Enrollment History Flag
2015-2016 UEH Flag has expanded to consider–
•
An applicant’s prior receipt of, in addition to a Federal Pell
Grant, a Federal Direct Loan (not including Direct
Consolidation Loans or parent PLUS Loans)
•
The prior four, instead of three, award years
•
For 2015-2016, UEH Flag evaluation includes the 2011-2012,
2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 award years
A school may self-select a student for UEH (not selected by
ED) if suspect enrollment problems
•
Self-selected students treated as if have UEH 3 flag
GEN-13-09 provides full institutional resolution guidance
72
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-15-03 – Federal Perkins Program
• Barring any Congressional action, the authority to
make Perkins loans to new borrowers will end
September 30, 2015
•
If prior to October 1, 2015, school makes the first disbursement
of a Federal Perkins Loan to a student for the 2015-2016
award year, school may make any remaining disbursements of
that 2015-2016 loan after September 30, 2015
Additional aspects of winding-down the Federal Perkins
Loan Program, including disposition of schools’ Perkins
revolving funds and outstanding loan portfolios will be
addressed in future communications
73
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-15-03 – Federal Perkins Program
•
Narrow “grandfathering” provision allows schools to make
Perkins Loans to certain students through 9/30/2020, if:
• Student received at least one Perkins Loan disbursement on or
before 6/30/15 (2014-2015 award year or earlier)
• Student enrolled at same institution where the last Perkins
Loan disbursement was received
• Student enrolled in same academic program for which
student received his or her last Perkins Loan disbursement
– first four digits of the program’s CIP code are identical
•
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Perkins Loan can be made only after student awarded all
Direct Subsidized Loan aid for which student is eligible
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-15-02 – Pell Payment & Disbursement
Schedule
Maximum Pell for 2015-2016 - $5,775
• 2015-2016 minimum scheduled award is $588
• Maximum Pell Grant eligible EFC for 2015-2016 will
be 5198
• ED to develop a separate Pell Grant Program
Payment and Disbursement for students in eligible
career pathway programs who become TIV eligible
through the reinstated ATB process
•
•
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Will be provided in a subsequent communication
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-15-01 – Third-Party Servicer Institutional
Requirements and Responsibilities
• Contains information about Definition of third-party servicer
• Institutions must report 3rd-party servicers to ED via E-App
• Some servicers not being reported properly to ED
• Third-party servicer contract requirements
• FERPA requirements and third-party servicers
• Information security requirements established by Federal
Trade Commission apply to Title IV 3rd-party servicers as
well as schools
•
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Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-15-01 – Third-Party Servicer Institutional
Requirements and Responsibilities
•
3rd-party servicers submit annual compliance audits to ED
•
•
Third-Party Servicer Oversight Group can be reached at:
•
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If failed to submit audit, third-party servicer must –
• Submit a compliance audit no later than one fiscal year
subsequent to the date of this DCL (1/9/15); and
• Submit a letter to ED within 60 days of the date of this DCL
describing the Title IV-related functions and reason(s) the
servicer did not submit its required compliance audits
[email protected] or (816) 268-0543
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-14-23 – Title IV aid and competency-based
education (CBE) with current statutory/regulatory rules
•
Distinction between competency-based education in eligible
direct assessment programs and regular credit-hour programs
•
ED established e-mail address for competency-based
education questions: [email protected]
• Currently have 3 experiments related to competencybased education and direct assessment programs
•
•
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For more information contact - [email protected]
Schools interested in developing a direct assessment
program should also review DCL GEN-13-10
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-14-23 – Title IV aid and CBE
• 16 Q & As to help address school questions about •
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Distinction between credit hour CBE and direct assessment;
Requirements for establishing credit hour equivalencies in
direct assessment programs;
Requirements for regular and substantive interaction between
students and faculty;
Prohibitions on paying Title IV aid for credit earned through
prior learning assessments;
Satisfactory academic progress;
Return of Title IV Funds provisions; and
Accrediting agencies’ roles in reviewing CBE programs
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-14-22 –Title IV aid and apprenticeship programs
•
Apprenticeship is a training system that combines job-related
instruction with structured on-the-job learning experiences
• If apprenticeship is part of academic program that participates in
Title IV programs, school may provide aid to an eligible student,
including the apprenticeship portion of the program
• An institution may use its Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program
funds to pay the training wages for otherwise eligible FWS
students employed as apprentices, even when apprenticeship is
not part of the student’s eligible academic program
• Under FWS JLD program, an institution, or group of institutions,
may use a portion of FWS Federal allocation to locate and
develop off-campus apprenticeship opportunities for students
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Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-14-22 –Title IV aid and apprenticeship programs
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Unless restricted by accreditation or state, there are no limits
on the percentage of the program that may consist of on-thejob training, as long as the training is provided by the institution
Report to ED locations at which 50% or more of an academic
program is provided, including on-the-job training component
If entity other than institution provides the on-the-job training,
that component must be 25 percent of the program or less, or,
with specific permission of the institution's accrediting agency,
over 25 percent but less than 50 percent of the program
• In such "contracting-out" situations, the institution must enter
into a written arrangement with the entity providing the onthe-job training
Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-14-21 – Pell Grant eligibility for students confined or
incarcerated in locations not Federal or State Penal Institutions
• Clarifies students confined/incarcerated in locations not Federal or
State penal institutions, like juvenile justice facilities, and meet
applicable eligibility criteria, are eligible for Pell
• Juvenile justice facilities are not Federal or State penal institutions
for Pell purposes regardless of what gov’t entity operates or has
jurisdiction over the facility, including Federal or State government
• Students confined in juvenile justice facilities after being
adjudicated delinquent are considered to be “incarcerated”
• Pell eligibility applies to students in juvenile justice facilities
regardless of age, type of sentence, length of sentence, and
whether adjudicated as a juvenile or convicted as an adult
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Dear Colleague Letters
GEN-14-06 – Recognized Equivalent of a HS Diploma
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A State-authorized examination that the State recognizes as
the equivalent of a high school diploma is considered a
recognized equivalent of a high school diploma
State authorized exams include not only the GED test but now
also include the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) and the
Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC)
As of Jan. 2014, some States replaced GED with different
State-authorized exams or offer choices of authorized exams
A student who takes the HiSET, TASC, or other Stateauthorized examination will receive official notification of a
passing or failing score used to determine if a State will issue a
high school equivalency certificate
Electronic Announcements
2/24/15 – 2015-2016 Shopping Sheet
• Only one addition to the 2015-2016 Shopping Sheet, the
addition of an “American Opportunity Tax Credit” bullet under
the “Other options” section
• Attachments include: XML file layout, HTML specifications,
Institutional metric data file, Excel schema and PDF version
of the 15/16 Shopping Sheet
2/20/15 – 2014-2015 FSA Handbook
• Appendix F (Consumer Information) posted under
Appendices
• “Institutional Reporting and Disclosure Requirements for
Federal Student Assistance Programs”
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Electronic Announcements
2/23/15 – FY 2012 3-year draft Cohort Default Rates
• Draft rate information sent to SAIG mailbox for the
destination point administrator designated by the school
• Time period for challenging a school’s FY 2012 3-Year
Draft Cohort Default Rate under 34 C.F.R Part 668,
Subpart N began on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 for all
schools
• Questions or concerns about draft FY12 CDRs can be
directed to:
– [email protected], or
– Operations Performance Division Hotline - 202-377-4259
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Electronic Announcements
2/12/15 – Third Party Servicer Reporting
• Third Party Servicers required to submit Third Party Servicer
Data Form (attached to EA) within 30 days of date of EA or
within 30 days of receiving notification from the Department
• In addition, third party servicers are required to update their
information within 10 days of the date, if:
– Name change
– Address or contact information change for primary or additional
location
– Adds or terminates a contract with an eligible Title IV institution
– Buys, sells, or merges with another third party servicer
• Third-Party Servicer Oversight Group can be reached at:
• [email protected] or (816) 268-0543
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Electronic Announcements
12/29/14 – Transition to Soft Tokens
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– Alternative to the Two Factor Authentication (TFA) physical
token is now a "soft token” - an app on user's mobile device
that automatically generates a One-Time Password (OTP)
when app is opened
– Use of a soft token is optional at this time
– Step-by-step instructions are provided to use soft tokens
– PDPA must collect and store unused physical token (do NOT
send to ED)
– Cannot have both a soft token and physical token
• Once soft token is activated, physical token is disabled
TFA Support Center – 800-330-5947, option 2 or [email protected]
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Electronic Announcements
• 1/5/15 – 2015-2016 EDExpress – 1.0 available
• 11/24/14 – verification suggested text along with IRS
transcript request process and time frames
• 8/4/14 - revised Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan and
Direct PLUS Loan MPNs with an expiration date of
2/29/2016
• 7/2/14 – on 7/1/14 the HEAL Program was transferred
from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
to the U.S. Department of Education
– New HEAL Program Information area on IFAP ifap.ed.gov/HEALInfo/HEALInfo.html
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Training
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2015 FSA Training
Conference
Tuesday, December 1 –
Friday, December 4, 2015
• Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas,
Nevada
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fsaconferences.ed.gov (righthand side of IFAP website)
• Conference and lodging
registration will open this
summer – stay tuned to IFAP!
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Training
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ANN-14-15; ANN-14-18; ANN-14-19; ANN-14-26 Online training modules – Institutional Eligibility;
Completing FISAP; Consumer Information and R2T4
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2014 FSA Training Conference presentations
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Available on FSA E-Training Website - fsatraining.info
fsaconferences.ed.gov
Past FSA presentations in audio and video format
http://ifap.ed.gov/ifap/ifapMedia.jsp
• Topics include – GE and NSLDS Enrollment Reporting
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