34 C.F.R. Subpart A—Scope, Purpose, and General Definitions
Title 34 - Education
(a) The ACG Program awards grants to help eligible financially needy first- and second-year undergraduate students, who complete rigorous secondary school programs of study, meet the cost of their postsecondary education. (b) The National SMART Grant Program awards grants to help eligible financially needy third- and fourth-year undergraduate students who are pursuing eligible majors in the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering or a critical foreign language meet the cost of their postsecondary education. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–1) (a) The following definitions used in this part are in the regulations for Institutional Eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 34 CFR part 600: Award year Clock hour Correspondence course Eligible institution Regular student Secretary State Title IV, HEA program (b) The following definitions used in this part are in subpart A of the Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668: Academic year Enrolled Expected family contribution Federal Pell Grant Program Full-time student HEA Payment period (c) The following definitions used in this part are in 34 CFR part 77: Local educational agency (LEA) State educational agency (SEA) (d) Other terms used in this part are: ACG Scheduled Award: The amount of an ACG that would be paid to a full-time student for a full academic year. Eligible major: A major, as identified by the Secretary under §691.17, in one of the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering, or a critical foreign language. Eligible program: An eligible program as defined in 34 CFR 668.8 that— (1) For purposes of the ACG Program, leads to an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree; is a two-academic-year program acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree; or is a graduate degree program that includes at least 3 academic years of undergraduate education; or (2) For purposes of the National SMART Grant Program, leads to a bachelor's degree in an eligible major or is a graduate degree program in an eligible major that includes at least 3 academic years of undergraduate education. Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR): An electronic record that the Secretary transmits to an institution that includes an applicant's— (1) Personal identification information; (2) Application data used to calculate the applicant's EFC; and (3) EFC. National SMART Grant Scheduled Award: The amount of a National SMART Grant that would be paid to a full-time student for a full academic year. Payment Data: An electronic record that is provided to the Secretary by an institution showing student disbursement information. Student Aid Report (SAR): A report provided to an applicant by the Secretary showing the amount of his or her expected family contribution. Undergraduate student: A student enrolled in an undergraduate course of study at an institution of higher education who— (1) Has not earned a baccalaureate or first professional degree; and (2) Is in an undergraduate course of study which usually does not exceed 4 academic years, or is enrolled in a 4 to 5 academic year program designed to lead to a first degree. A student enrolled in a program of any other length is considered an undergraduate student for only the first 4 academic years of that program. Valid Institutional Student Information Record (valid ISIR): An ISIR on which all the information used in calculating the applicant's expected family contribution is accurate and complete as of the date the application is signed. Valid Student Aid Report (valid SAR): A Student Aid Report on which all of the information used in calculating the applicant's expected family contribution is accurate and complete as of the date the application is signed. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–1)
Title 34: Education
PART 691—ACADEMIC COMPETITIVENESS GRANT (ACG) AND NATIONAL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS ACCESS TO RETAIN TALENT GRANT (NATIONAL SMART GRANT) PROGRAMS
Subpart A—Scope, Purpose, and General Definitions
§ 691.1 Scope and purpose.
§ 691.2 Definitions.
§§ 691.3-691.5 [Reserved]
§ 691.6 Duration of student eligibility—undergraduate course of study.
(a) A student is eligible to receive up to one ACG Scheduled Award during each of the student's first and second academic years of eligible program.
(b) A student is eligible to receive up to one National SMART Grant Scheduled Award during each of the student's third and fourth academic years of eligible program.
(c) A student may not receive more than two ACG Scheduled Awards and two National SMART Grant Scheduled Awards.
(d) For an eligible student enrolled in a summer term of an eligible program for which the institution determines payments under §691.63(b) and (c), the student's summer term is considered to be—
(1) For an eligible program offered in semesters or trimesters with a single summer term that provides at least 12 semester or trimester hours of coursework, one-half of an academic year in weeks of instructional time under §691.63(b)(3)(i) and (c)(4)(i), or one-third of an academic year in weeks of instructional time under §691.63(b)(3)(ii) and (c)(4)(ii); or
(2) For an eligible program offered in quarters with a single summer term that provides at least 12 quarter hours of coursework, one-third of an academic year in weeks of instructional time under §691.63(b)(3)(i) and (c)(4)(i), or one-fourth of an academic year in weeks of instructional time under §691.63(b)(3)(ii) and (c)(4)(ii).
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–1)
§ 691.7 Institutional participation.
(a) An institution that offers one or more eligible programs, as defined in §691.2(d), for purposes of the ACG Program, and that participates in the Federal Pell Grant Program under 34 CFR part 690 must participate in the ACG Program.
(b) An institution that offers one or more eligible programs, as defined in §691.2(d), for purposes of the National SMART Grant Program, and that participates in the Federal Pell Grant Program under 34 CFR part 690 must participate in the National SMART Grant Program.
(c) If an institution begins participation in the ACG or National SMART Grant Program during an award year, a student enrolled and attending that institution is eligible to receive a grant under this part for the payment period during which the institution begins participation and any subsequent payment period.
(d) If an institution becomes ineligible to participate in the ACG or National SMART Grant Program during an award year, a student who was eligible for a grant under §691.15 who was attending the institution and who submitted a valid SAR to the institution, or for whom the institution obtained a valid ISIR, before the date the institution became ineligible is paid a grant for that award year for—
(1) The payment periods that the student completed before the institution became ineligible; and
(2) The payment period in which the institution became ineligible.
(e)(1) If an institution loses its eligibility to participate in the Federal Pell Grant Program under the provisions of subpart M of 34 CFR part 668, it also loses its eligibility to participate in the ACG or National SMART Grant Program for the same period of time.
(2) That loss of eligibility must be in accordance with the provisions of 34 CFR 668.187.
(f) An institution that becomes ineligible shall, within 45 days after the effective date of loss of eligibility, provide to the Secretary—
(1) The name of each eligible student under §691.15 who, during the award year, submitted a valid SAR to the institution or for whom it obtained a valid ISIR before it became ineligible;
(2) The amount of funds paid to each grant recipient for that award year;
(3) The amount due each student eligible to receive a grant through the end of the payment period during which the institution became ineligible; and
(4) An accounting of the ACG or National SMART Grant Program expenditures for that award year to the date of termination.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–1)
§ 691.8 Enrollment status for students taking regular and correspondence courses.
(a) If, in addition to regular coursework, a student takes correspondence courses from either his or her own institution or another institution having an agreement for this purpose with the student's institution, the correspondence work may be included in determining the student's enrollment status to the extent permitted under paragraph (b) of this section.
(b) Except as noted in paragraph (c) of this section, the correspondence work that may be included in determining a student's enrollment status is that amount of work that—
(1) Applies toward a student's degree or is remedial work taken by the student to help in his or her eligible program;
(2) Is completed within the period of time required for regular coursework; and
(3) Does not exceed the amount of a student's regular coursework for the payment period for which the student's enrollment status is being calculated.
(c) A student taking correspondence courses is considered a full-time student if—
(1) The student is taking coursework that is commensurate with the institution's standard for full-time students; and
(2) The student's noncorrespondence coursework constitutes at least one-half of the institution's required minimum coursework for full-time students.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–1)
§§ 691.9-691.10 [Reserved]
§ 691.11 Payments from more than one institution.
A student is not entitled to receive grant payments under this part concurrently from more than one institution. A student may only receive an ACG or a National SMART Grant at the same institution from which the student receives his or her Federal Pell Grant award.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–1)
Browse Next
