34 C.F.R. Subpart F—Determination of Federal Pell Grant Awards
Title 34 - Education
Source: 50 FR 10722, Mar. 15, 1985, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Submission process. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, an institution must disburse a Federal Pell Grant to an eligible student who is otherwise qualified to receive that disbursement and electronically transmit Federal Pell Grant disbursement data to the Secretary for that student if— (i) The student submits a valid SAR to the institution; or (ii) The institution obtains a valid ISIR for the student. (2) In determining a student's eligibility to receive his or her Federal Pell Grant, an institution is entitled to assume that SAR information or ISIR information is accurate and complete except under the conditions set forth in 34 CFR 668.16(f) and 668.60. (b) Student Aid Report or Institutional Student Information Record deadline. Except as provided in the verification provisions of §668.60 and the late disbursement provisions of §668.164(g) of this chapter, for a student to receive a Federal Pell Grant for an award year, the student must submit the relevant parts of the SAR to his or her institution or the institution must obtain a valid ISIR by the earlier of— (1) The last date that the student is still enrolled and eligible for payment at that institution; or (2) By the deadline date established by the Secretary through publication of a notice in the (Authority: 20 U.S.C 1070a) [59 FR 54732, Nov. 1, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 60397, Nov. 27, 1996; 67 FR 67083, Nov. 1, 2002; 69 FR 12277, Mar. 16, 2004] (a) The amount of a student's Pell Grant for an academic year is based upon the payment and disbursement schedules published by the Secretary for each award year. (b) No payment may be made to a student if the student's annual award is less than $200. However, a student who is eligible for an annual award that is equal to or greater than $200, but less than or equal to $400, shall be awarded a Federal Pell Grant of $400. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a(a)(2)) [50 FR 10722, Mar. 15, 1985, as amended at 59 FR 54730, 54732, Nov. 1, 1994] (a)(1) Programs using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time. A student's Federal Pell Grant for a payment period is calculated under paragraphs (b) or (d) of this section if— (i) The student is enrolled in an eligible program that— (A) Measures progress in credit hours; (B) Is offered in semesters, trimesters, or quarters; (C) Requires the student to enroll for at least 12 credit hours in each term in the award year to qualify as a full-time student; and (D) Is not offered with overlapping terms; and (ii) The institution offering the program— (A) Provides the program using an academic calendar that includes two semesters or trimesters in the fall through the following spring, or three quarters in the fall, winter, and spring; and (B) Provides at least 30 weeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section. (2) Programs using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time. A student's Federal Pell Grant for a payment period is calculated under paragraph (c) or (d) of this section if— (i) The student is enrolled in an eligible program that— (A) Measures progress in credit hours; (B) Is offered in semesters, trimesters, or quarters; (C) Requires the student to enroll in at least 12 credit hours in each term in the award year to qualify as a full-time student; and (D) Is not offered with overlapping terms; and (ii) The institution offering the program— (A) Provides the program using an academic calendar that includes two semesters or trimesters in the fall through the following spring, or three quarters in the fall, winter, and spring; and (B) Does not provide at least 30 weeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section. (3) Other programs using terms and credit hours. A student's Federal Pell Grant for a payment period is calculated under paragraph (d) of this section if the student is enrolled in an eligible program that— (i) Measures progress in credit hours; and (ii) Is offered in academic terms other than those described in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section. (4) Programs not using terms or using clock hours. A student's Federal Pell Grant for any payment period is calculated under paragraph (e) of this section if the student is enrolled in an eligible program that— (i) Is offered in credit hours but is not offered in academic terms; or (ii) Is offered in clock hours. (5) Programs of study offered by correspondence. A student's Federal Pell Grant payment for a payment period is calculated under §690.66 if the program is offered by correspondence courses. (6) Programs for which an exception to the academic year definition has been granted under 34 CFR 668.3. If an institution receives a waiver from the Secretary of the 30 weeks of instructional time requirement under 34 CFR 668.3, an institution may calculate a student's Federal Pell Grant payment for a payment period using the following methodologies: (i) If the program is offered in terms and credit hours, the institution uses the methodology in— (A) Paragraph (b) of this section provided that the program meets all the criteria in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, except that in lieu of paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section, the program provides at least the same number of weeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section as are in the program's academic year; or (B) Paragraph (d) of this section. (ii) The institution uses the methodology described in paragraph (e) of this section if the program is offered in credit hours without terms or clock hours. (iii) The institution uses the methodology described in §690.66 if the program is correspondence study. (b) Programs using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time. The Federal Pell Grant for a payment period, i.e., an academic term, for a student in a program using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time in two semesters or trimesters or in three quarters as described in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section, is calculated by— (1) Determining his or her enrollment status for the term; (2) Based upon that enrollment status, determining his or her annual award from the Payment Schedule for full-time students or the Disbursement Schedule for three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time students; and (3) Dividing the amount described under paragraph (b)(2) of this section by— (i) Two at institutions using semesters or trimesters or three at institutions using quarters; or (ii) The number of terms over which the institution chooses to distribute the student's annual award if— (A) An institution chooses to distribute all of the student's annual award determined under paragraph (b)(2) of this section over more than two terms at institutions using semesters or trimesters or more than three quarters at institutions using quarters; and (B) The number of weeks of instructional time in the terms, including the additional term or terms, equals the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year. (c) Programs using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time. The Federal Pell Grant for a payment period, i.e., an academic term, for a student in a program using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time in two semesters or trimesters or in three quarters as described in paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section, is calculated by— (1) Determining his or her enrollment status for the term; (2) Based upon that enrollment status, determining his or her annual award from the Payment Schedule for full-time students or the Disbursement Schedule for three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time students; (3) Multiplying his or her annual award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section by the following fraction as applicable: In a program using semesters or trimesters— ; or In a program using quarters— ; and (4)(i) Dividing the amount determined under paragraph (c)(3) of this section by two for programs using semesters or trimesters or three for programs using quarters; or (ii) Dividing the student's annual award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section by the number of terms over which the institution chooses to distribute the student's annual award if— (A) An institution chooses to distribute all of the student's annual award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section over more than two terms for programs using semesters or trimesters or more than three quarters for programs using quarters; and (B) The number of weeks of instructional time in the terms, including the additional term or terms, equals the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year definition. (d) Other programs using terms and credit hours. The Federal Pell Grant for a payment period, i.e., an academic term, for a student in a program using terms and credit hours, other than those described in paragraphs (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section, is calculated by— (1)(i) For a student enrolled in a semester, trimester, or quarter, determining his or her enrollment status for the term; or (ii) For a student enrolled in a term other than a semester, trimester, or quarter, determining his or her enrollment status for the term by— (A) 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; (B) Multiplying the fraction determined under paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(A) of this section by the number of credit hours in the program's academic year to determine the number of hours required to be enrolled to be considered a full-time student; and (C) Determining a student's enrollment status by comparing the number of hours in which the student enrolls in the term to the number of hours required to be considered full-time under paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) of this section for that term; (2) Based upon that enrollment status, determining his or her annual award from the Payment Schedule for full-time students or the Disbursement Schedule for three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time student; and (3) Multiplying his or her annual award determined under paragraph (d)(2) of this section by the following fraction: (e) Programs using clock hours or credit hours without terms. The Federal Pell Grant for a payment period for a student in a program using credit hours without terms or using clock hours is calculated by— (1) Determining the student's Scheduled Federal Pell Grant using the Payment Schedule; (2) Multiplying the amount determined under paragraph (e)(1) of this section by the lesser of— (i) ; or (ii) One; and (3) Multiplying the amount determined under paragraph (e)(2) of this section by— (f) A single disbursement may not exceed 50 percent of any award determined under paragraph (d) or (e) of this section. If a payment for a payment period calculated under paragraphs (d) or (e) of this section would require the disbursement of more than 50 percent of a student's annual award in that payment period, the institution shall make at least two disbursements to the student in that payment period. The institution may not disburse an amount that exceeds 50 percent of the student's annual award until the student has completed the period of time in the payment period that equals, in terms of weeks of instructional time, 50 percent of the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year. (g)(1) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section and 34 CFR 668.66, the amount of a student's award for an award year may not exceed his or her Scheduled Federal Pell Grant award for that award year except as provided in §690.67. (2) For purposes of this section and §690.66, an institution must define an academic year for each of its eligible programs in terms of the number of credit or clock hours and weeks of instructional time in accordance with the requirements of 34 CFR 668.3. [59 FR 54733, Nov. 1, 1994, as amended at 69 FR 12277, Mar. 16, 2004; 71 FR 38004, July 3, 2006] (a) If a student enrolls in a payment period which is scheduled to occur in two award years— (1) The entire payment period must be considered to occur within one award year. (2) The institution shall determine for each Federal Pell Grant recipient the award year in which the payment period will be placed subject to the restrictions set forth in paragraph (a)(3) of this section. (3) The institution shall place a payment period with more than six months scheduled to occur within one award year in that award year. (4) If an institution places the payment period in the first award year, it shall pay a student with funds from the first award year. (5) If an institution places the payment period in the second award year, it shall pay a student with funds from the second award year. (b) An institution may not make a payment which will result in the student receiving more than his or her Scheduled Federal Pell Grant for an award year. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a) [50 FR 10722, Mar. 15, 1985, as amended at 56 FR 56916, Nov. 6, 1991; 59 FR 54730, 54734, Nov. 1, 1994] (a) If a student who receives a Federal Pell Grant at one institution subsequently enrolls at a second institution in the same award year, the student may receive a Federal Pell Grant at the second institution only if— (1) The student submits a valid SAR to the second institution; or (2) The second institution obtains a valid ISIR. (b) The second institution shall calculate the student's award according to §690.63. (c) The second institution may pay a Federal Pell Grant only for that portion of the academic year in which a student is enrolled at that institution. The grant amount must be adjusted, if necessary, to ensure that the grant does not exceed the student's Scheduled Federal Pell Grant for that award year except as provided under §690.67. (d) If a student's Scheduled Federal Pell Grant at the second institution differs from the Scheduled Federal Pell Grant at the first institution, the grant amount at the second institution is calculated as follows— (1) The amount received at the first institution is compared to the Scheduled Federal Pell Grant at the first institution to determine the percentage of the Scheduled Federal Pell Grant that the student has received. (2) That percentage is subtracted from 100 percent. (3) The remaining percentage is the percentage of the Scheduled Federal Pell Grant at the second institution to which the student is entitled. (e) The student's Federal Pell Grant for each payment period is calculated according to the procedures in §690.63 unless the remaining percentage of the Scheduled Federal Pell Grant at the second institution, referred to in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, is less than the amount the student would normally receive for that payment period. In that case, the student's Federal Pell Grant is equal to that remaining percentage. (f) A transfer student shall repay any amount received in an award year that exceeds— (1) His or her Scheduled Federal Pell Grant; or (2) The amount which he or she was eligible to receive for the award year under §690.67. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a) [50 FR 10722, Mar. 15, 1985, as amended at 51 FR 43162, Nov. 28, 1986; 59 FR 54730, 54734, Nov. 1, 1994] (a) An institution calculates the Federal Pell Grant for a payment period for a student in a program of study offered by correspondence courses without terms, but not including any residential component by— (1) Determining the student's annual award using the half-time Disbursement Schedule; (2) Determining the length of the correspondence program in weeks of instructional time by— (i) Preparing a written schedule for submission of lessons that reflect a workload of at least 12 hours of preparation per week; and (ii) Determining the number of weeks of instructional time in the program of study using the written schedule for submission of lessons; (3) Multiplying the annual award determined from the Disbursement Schedule for a half-time student by the lesser of— ; or (ii) One; and (4) Multiplying the amount determined under (a)(3) of this section by— (b) For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section— (1) An academic year as measured in credit hours must consist of 2 payment periods— (i) The first payment period must be the period of time in which the student completes the lesser of the first half of his or her academic year or program; and (ii) The second payment period must be the period of time in which the student completes the lesser of the second half of the academic year or program; and (2)(i) The institution shall make the first payment to a student for an academic year, as calculated under paragraph (a)(4) of this section, after the student submits 25 percent of the lessons or otherwise completes 25 percent of the work scheduled for the program or the academic year, whichever occurs last; and (ii) The institution shall make the second payment to a student for an academic year, as calculated under (a)(4) of this section, after the student submits 75 percent of the lessons or otherwise completes 75 percent of the work scheduled for the program or the academic year, whichever occurs last. (c) In a program of correspondence study offered by correspondence courses using terms but not including any residential component— (1) The institution must prepare a written schedule for submission of lessons that reflects a workload of at least 30 hours of preparation per semester hour or 20 hours of preparation per quarter hour during the term; (2)(i) If the student is enrolled in at least 6 credit hours that commence and are completed in that term, the Disbursement Schedule for a half-time student is used; or (ii) If the student is enrolled in less than 6 credit hours that commence and are completed in that term the Disbursement Schedule for a less-than-half-time student is used; (3) A payment for a payment period is calculated using the formula in §690.63(d) except that paragraphs (c) (1) and (2) of this section are used in lieu of §690.63(d) (1) and (2) respectively; and (4) The institution shall make the payment to a student for a payment period after that student completes 50 percent of the lessons or otherwise completes 50 percent of the work scheduled for the term, whichever occurs last. (d) Payments for periods of residential training shall be calculated under §690.63(d) if the residential training is offered using terms and credit hours or §690.63(e) if the residential training is offered using credit hours without terms. [59 FR 54734, Nov. 1, 1994] (a) The Secretary announces in the (b) Based on the announcement described in paragraph (a) of this section, an institution may award up to a second Scheduled Federal Pell Grant award to a student in that award year if— (1) The student is enrolled as a full-time student in an eligible program that is at least 2 academic years as measured in credit hours and weeks of instructional time and leads to an associate or baccalaureate degree at an institution; (2) The student is enrolled only in coursework required for completing his or her associate or baccalaureate degree, including courses in his or her major area of study or electives that fulfill the student's graduation requirements, during any payment period in which the student is paid any portion of his or her second Scheduled Federal Pell Grant award; (3) In the previous payment periods in the award year the student has completed the number of credit hours required in an academic year leading to his or her associate or baccalaureate degree program; and (4) The student has completed the weeks of instructional time required for an academic year or will complete them in the first payment period for which he or she will receive a payment from his or her second Scheduled Federal Pell Grant award. (c) If an institution awards a student up to a second Scheduled Federal Pell Grant award, the institution must make such awards to all students who qualify under paragraph (a) of this section. (Authority 20 U.S.C. 1070a) [59 FR 54735, Nov. 1, 1994]
Title 34: Education
PART 690—FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM
Subpart F—Determination of Federal Pell Grant Awards
§ 690.61 Submission process and deadline for a Student Aid Report or Institutional Student Information Record.
§ 690.62 Calculation of a Federal Pell Grant.
§ 690.63 Calculation of a Federal Pell Grant for a payment period.
§ 690.64 Calculation of a Federal Pell Grant for a payment period which occurs in two award years.
§ 690.65 Transfer student: attendance at more than one institution during an award year.
§ 690.66 Correspondence study.
§ 690.67 Receiving up to two Scheduled Federal Pell Grant awards during a single award year.
