Administration of Grant Payments

34 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart D
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

34 C.F.R. § 686.30 Scope.

This subpart deals with TEACH Grant program administration by a TEACH Grant-eligible institution.

34 C.F.R. § 686.31 Determination of eligibility for payment and cancellation of a TEACH Grant.

(a) For each payment period, an institution may pay a grant under this part to an eligible student only after it determines that the student— (1) Is eligible under § 686.11; (2) Has completed the relevant initial or subsequent counseling as required in § 686.32; (3) Has signed an agreement to serve or repay as described in § 686.12; (4) Is enrolled in a TEACH Grant-eligible program; and (5) If enrolled in a credit-hour program without terms or a clock-hour program, has completed the payment period, as defined in 34 CFR 668.4, for which he or she has been paid a grant. (b)(1) If an institution determines at the beginning of a payment period that a student is not maintaining satisfactory progress, but changes that determination before the end of the payment period, the institution may pay a TEACH Grant to the student for the entire payment period. (2) If an institution determines at the beginning of a payment period that a student enrolled in a TEACH Grant-eligible program is not maintaining the required GPA for a TEACH Grant under § 686.11 or is not pursuing a career in teaching, but changes that determination before the end of the payment period, the institution may pay a TEACH Grant to the student for the entire payment period. (c) If an institution determines at the beginning of a payment period that a student is not maintaining satisfactory progress or the necessary GPA for a TEACH Grant under § 686.11 or is not pursuing a career in teaching, but changes that determination after the end of the payment period, the institution may not pay the student a TEACH Grant for that payment period or make adjustments in subsequent payments to compensate for the loss of aid for that period. (d) An institution may make one disbursement for a payment period to an otherwise eligible student if— (1)(i) The student's final high school GPA is not yet available; or (ii) The student's cumulative GPA through the prior payment period under § 686.11 is not yet available; and (2) The institution assumes liability for any overpayment if the student fails to meet the required GPA to qualify for the disbursement. (e)(1) In accordance with 34 CFR 668.165, before disbursing a TEACH Grant for any award year, an institution must— (i) Notify the student of the amount of TEACH Grant funds that the student is eligible to receive, how and when those funds will be disbursed, and the student's right to cancel all or a portion of the TEACH Grant; and (ii) Return the TEACH Grant proceeds, cancel the TEACH Grant, or both, if the institution receives a TEACH Grant cancellation request from the student by the later of the first day of a payment period or 14 days after the date it notifies the student of his or her right to cancel all or a portion of a TEACH Grant. (2)(i) If a student requests cancellation of a TEACH Grant after the period of time in paragraph (e)(1)(ii) of this section, but within 120 days of the TEACH Grant disbursement date, the institution may return the TEACH Grant proceeds, cancel the TEACH Grant, or do both. (ii) If the institution does not return the TEACH Grant proceeds, or cancel the TEACH Grant, the institution must notify the student that he or she may contact the Secretary to request that the TEACH Grant be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

34 C.F.R. § 686.32 Counseling requirements.

(a) Initial counseling. (1) An institution must ensure that initial counseling is conducted with each TEACH Grant recipient prior to making the first disbursement of the grant. (2) The initial counseling must be in person, by audiovisual presentation, or by interactive electronic means. In each case, the institution must ensure that an individual with expertise in title IV, HEA programs is reasonably available shortly after the counseling to answer the student's questions. As an alternative, in the case of a student enrolled in a correspondence program of study or a study-abroad program of study approved for credit at the home institution, the student may be provided with written counseling materials before the grant is disbursed. (3) The initial counseling must— (i) Explain the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant agreement to serve or repay as described in § 686.12; (ii) Provide the grant recipient with information about how to identify low-income schools and documented high-need fields; (iii) Inform the grant recipient that, for the teaching to count towards the recipient's service obligation, the high-need field in which he or she has prepared to teach must be— (A) One of the six high-need fields listed in § 686.2; or (B) A high-need field that is listed in the Nationwide List for the State in which the grant recipient teaches— (1) At the time the grant recipient begins teaching in that field, even if that field subsequently loses its high-need designation for that State; or (2) For teaching service performed on or after July 1, 2010, at the time the grant recipient signed the agreement to serve or repay or received the TEACH Grant, even if that field subsequently loses its high-need designation for that State before the grant recipient begins teaching in that field; (iv) Inform the grant recipient of the opportunity to request a suspension of the eight-year period for completion of the agreement to serve or repay and the conditions under which a suspension may be granted in accordance with § 686.41; (v) Explain to the grant recipient that conditions, such as conviction of a felony, could preclude the grant recipient from completing the service obligation; (vi) Emphasize to the grant recipient that if the grant recipient fails or refuses to complete the service obligation contained in the agreement to serve or repay or any other condition of the agreement to serve or repay— (A) The TEACH Grant must be repaid as a Direct Unsubsidized Loan; and (B) The grant recipient will be obligated to repay the full amount of each grant and the accrued interest from each disbursement date; (vii) Explain the circumstances, as described in § 686.43, under which a TEACH Grant will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan; (viii) Explain that to avoid further accrual of interest as described in § 686.12(b)(4)(ii), a grant recipient who decides not to teach in a qualified school or field, or who for any other reason no longer intends to satisfy the service obligation, may request that the Secretary convert his or her TEACH Grant to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that the grant recipient may begin repaying immediately, instead of waiting for the TEACH Grant to be converted to a loan under the condition described in § 686.43(a)(1)(ii); (ix) Emphasize that, once a TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, it may be reconverted to a grant only if— (A) The Secretary determines, based on documentation provided by the recipient or in the Secretary's records, that the grant recipient was satisfying the service obligation as described in § 686.12 or that the grant was converted to a loan in error; or (B) In the case of a grant recipient whose TEACH Grant was converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan in accordance with § 686.43(a)(1)(i), the grant recipient requests that the Secretary reconvert the loan to a grant and is determined to be eligible for reconversion in accordance with § 686.43(a)(8); (x) Review for the grant recipient information on the availability of the Department's Federal Student Aid Ombudsman's office; (xi) Describe the likely consequences of loan default, including adverse credit reports, garnishment of wages, Federal offset, and litigation; and (xii) Inform the grant recipient of sample monthly repayment amounts based on a range of student loan indebtedness. (b) Subsequent counseling. (1) If a student receives more than one TEACH Grant, the institution must ensure that the student receives additional counseling prior to the first disbursement of each subsequent TEACH Grant award. (2) Subsequent counseling may be in person, by audiovisual presentation, or by interactive electronic means. In each case, the institution must ensure that an individual with expertise in title IV, HEA programs is reasonably available shortly after the counseling to answer the student's questions. As an alternative, in the case of a student enrolled in a correspondence program of study or a study-abroad program of study approved for credit at the home institution, the student may be provided with written counseling materials before the grant is disbursed. (3) Subsequent counseling must— (i) Review the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant agreement to serve or repay as described in § 686.12; (ii) Emphasize to the grant recipient that if the grant recipient fails or refuses to complete the service obligation contained in the agreement to serve or repay or any other condition of the agreement to serve or repay— (A) The TEACH Grant must be repaid as a Direct Unsubsidized Loan; and (B) The grant recipient will be obligated to repay the full amount of the grant and the accrued interest from the disbursement date; (iii) Explain the circumstances, as described in § 686.43, under which a TEACH Grant will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan; (iv) Explain that to avoid further accrual of interest as described in § 686.12(b)(4)(ii), a grant recipient who decides not to teach in a qualified school or field, or who for any other reason no longer intends to satisfy the service obligation, may request that the Secretary convert his or her TEACH Grant to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that the grant recipient may begin repaying immediately, instead of waiting for the TEACH Grant to be converted to a loan under the condition described in § 686.43(a)(1)(ii); (v) Emphasize that, once a TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, it may be reconverted to a grant only if— (A) The Secretary determines, based on documentation provided by the recipient or in the Secretary's records, that the grant recipient was satisfying the service obligation as described in § 686.12 or that the grant was converted to a loan in error; or (B) In the case of a grant recipient whose TEACH Grant was converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan in accordance with § 686.43(a)(1)(i), the grant recipient requests that the Secretary reconvert the loan to a grant and is determined to be eligible for reconversion in accordance with § 686.43(a)(8); and (vi) Review for the grant recipient information on the availability of the Department's Federal Student Aid Ombudsman's office. (c) Exit counseling. (1) An institution must ensure that exit counseling is conducted with each grant recipient before he or she ceases to attend the institution at a time determined by the institution. (2) The exit counseling must be in person, by audiovisual presentation, or by interactive electronic means. In each case, the institution must ensure that an individual with expertise in title IV, HEA programs is reasonably available shortly after the counseling to answer the grant recipient's questions. As an alternative, in the case of a grant recipient enrolled in a correspondence program of study or a study-abroad program of study approved for credit at the home institution, the grant recipient may be provided with written counseling materials within 30 days after he or she completes the TEACH Grant-eligible program. (3) Within 30 days of learning that a grant recipient has withdrawn from the institution without the institution's knowledge, or from a TEACH Grant-eligible program, or failed to complete exit counseling as required, exit counseling must be provided either in-person, through interactive electronic means, or by mailing written counseling materials to the grant recipient's last known address. (4) The exit counseling must— (i) Review the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant agreement to serve or repay as described in § 686.12 and emphasize to the grant recipient that the four-year service obligation must be completed within the eight-year period described in § 686.12; (ii) Explain the treatment of a grant recipient who withdraws from and then reenrolls in a TEACH Grant-eligible program at a TEACH Grant eligible institution as described in § 686.12(c); (iii) Inform the grant recipient of the opportunity to request a suspension of the eight-year period for completion of the service obligation and the conditions under which a suspension may be granted in accordance with § 686.41; (iv) Provide the grant recipient with information about how to identify low-income schools and documented high-need fields; (v) Inform the grant recipient that, for the teaching to count towards the recipient's service obligation, the high-need field in which he or she has prepared to teach must be— (A) One of the six high-need fields listed in § 686.2; or (B) A high-need field that is listed in the Nationwide List for the State in which the grant recipient teaches— (1) At the time the grant recipient begins teaching in that field, even if that field subsequently loses its high-need designation for that State; or (2) For teaching service performed on or after July 1, 2010, at the time the grant recipient signed the agreement to serve or repay or received the TEACH Grant, even if that field subsequently loses its high-need designation for that State before the grant recipient begins teaching in that field; (vi) Emphasize to the grant recipient that if the grant recipient fails or refuses to complete the service obligation contained in the agreement to serve or repay or fails to meet any other condition of the agreement to serve or repay— (A) The TEACH Grant must be repaid as a Direct Unsubsidized Loan; and (B) The grant recipient will be obligated to repay the full amount of each grant and the accrued interest from each disbursement date; (vii) Explain to the grant recipient that the Secretary will, at least annually during the service obligation period, send the recipient the notice described in § 686.43(a)(2); (viii) Explain the circumstances, as described in § 686.43, under which a TEACH Grant will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan; (ix) Explain that to avoid further accrual of interest as described in § 686.12(b)(4)(ii), a grant recipient who decides not to teach in a qualified school or field, or who for any other reason no longer intends to satisfy the service obligation, may request that the Secretary convert his or her TEACH Grant to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that the grant recipient may begin repaying immediately, instead of waiting for the TEACH Grant to be converted to a loan under the condition described in § 686.43(a)(1)(ii); (x) Emphasize that once a TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan it may be reconverted to a grant only if— (A) The Secretary determines, based on documentation provided by the recipient or in the Secretary's records, that the grant recipient was satisfying the service obligation as described in § 686.12 or that the grant was converted to a loan in error; or (B) In the case of a grant recipient whose TEACH Grant was converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan in accordance with § 686.43(a)(1)(i), the grant recipient requests that the Secretary reconvert the loan to a grant and is determined to be eligible for reconversion in accordance with § 686.43(a)(8); and (xi) Explain to the grant recipient how to contact the Secretary. (5) If exit counseling is conducted through interactive electronic means, an institution must take reasonable steps to ensure that each grant recipient receives the counseling materials and participates in and completes the exit counseling. (5) If exit counseling is conducted through interactive electronic means, an institution must take reasonable steps to ensure that each grant recipient receives the counseling materials and participates in and completes the exit counseling. (d) Compliance. The institution must maintain documentation substantiating the institution's compliance with paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section for each TEACH Grant recipient. (e) Conversion counseling. (1) At the time a TEACH Grant recipient's TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the Secretary conducts conversion counseling with the recipient by interactive electronic means and by mailing written counseling materials to the most recent address provided by the recipient. (2) The conversion counseling— (i) Informs the borrower of the average anticipated monthly repayment amount based on the borrower's indebtedness; (ii) Reviews for the borrower available repayment plan options, including standard, graduated, extended, income-contingent, and income-based repayment plans, including a description of the different features of each plan and the difference in interest paid and total payments under each plan; (iii) Explains to the borrower the options to prepay each loan, to pay each loan on a shorter schedule, and to change repayment plans; (iv) Provides information on the effects of loan consolidation including, at a minimum— (A) The effects of consolidation on total interest to be paid, and length of repayment; (B) The effects of consolidation on a borrower's underlying loan benefits, including grace periods, loan forgiveness, cancellation, and deferment opportunities; and (C) The options of the borrower to prepay the loan and to change repayment plans; (v) Includes debt-management strategies that are designed to facilitate repayment; (vi) Explains to the borrower the availability of Public Service Loan Forgiveness and teacher loan forgiveness; (vii) Explains how the borrower may request reconsideration of the conversion of the TEACH Grant to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan if the borrower believes that the grant was converted to a loan in error, or if the borrower can provide documentation showing that he or she was satisfying the service obligation as described in § 686.12; (viii) Describes the likely consequences of default, including adverse credit reports, delinquent debt collection procedures under Federal law, and litigation; (ix) Informs the borrower of the grace period as described in § 686.43(c); (x) Provides— (A) A general description of the terms and conditions under which a borrower may obtain full or partial forgiveness or discharge of the loan (including under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program), defer repayment of the loan, or be granted a forbearance on repayment of the loan; and (B) A copy, either in print or by electronic means, of the information the Secretary makes available pursuant to section 485(d) of the HEA; (xi) Requires the borrower to provide current information concerning name, address, Social Security number, and driver's license number and State of issuance, as well as the borrower's permanent address; (xii) Reviews for the borrower information on the availability of the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman's office; (xiii) Informs the borrower of the availability of title IV loan information in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and how NSLDS can be used to obtain title IV loan status information; (xiv) Provides a general description of the types of tax benefits that may be available to borrowers; (xv) Informs the borrower of the amount of interest that has accrued on the converted TEACH Grants and explains that any unpaid interest will be capitalized at the end of the grace period; and (xvi) In the case of a borrower whose TEACH Grant was converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan in accordance with § 686.43(a)(1)(i), explains that the borrower may request that the Secretary reconvert the loan to a grant as provided in § 686.43(a)(8).

34 C.F.R. § 686.33 Frequency of payment.

(a) In each payment period, an institution may pay a student at such times and in such installments as it determines will best meet the student's needs. (b) The institution may pay funds in one lump sum for all the prior payment periods for which the student was eligible under § 686.11 within the award year as long as the student has signed the agreement to serve prior to disbursement of the TEACH Grant. The student's enrollment status must be determined according to work already completed.

34 C.F.R. § 686.34 Liability for and recovery of TEACH Grant overpayments.

(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(2) and (3) of this section, a student is liable for any TEACH Grant overpayment made to him or her. (2) The institution is liable for a TEACH Grant overpayment if the overpayment occurred because the institution failed to follow the procedures set forth in this part or in 34 CFR part 668. The institution must restore an amount equal to the overpayment to its TEACH Grant account. (3) A student is not liable for, and the institution is not required to attempt recovery of or refer to the Secretary, a TEACH Grant overpayment if the amount of the overpayment is less than $25 and is not a remaining balance. (b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, if an institution makes a TEACH Grant overpayment for which it is not liable, it must promptly send a written notice to the student requesting repayment of the overpayment amount. The notice must state that failure to make the requested repayment, or to make arrangements satisfactory to the holder of the overpayment debt to repay the overpayment, makes the student ineligible for further title IV, HEA program funds until final resolution of the TEACH Grant overpayment. (2) If a student objects to the institution's TEACH Grant overpayment determination, the institution must consider any information provided by the student and determine whether the objection is warranted. (c) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, if the student fails to repay a TEACH Grant overpayment or make arrangements satisfactory to the holder of the overpayment debt to repay the TEACH Grant overpayment, after the institution has taken the action required by paragraph (b) of this section, the institution must refer the overpayment to the Secretary for collection in accordance with procedures required by the Secretary. After referring the TEACH Grant overpayment to the Secretary under this section, the institution need make no further efforts to recover the overpayment.

34 C.F.R. § 686.35 Recalculation of TEACH Grant award amounts.

(a) Change in enrollment status. (1) If the student's enrollment status changes from one academic term to another academic term within the same award year, the institution must recalculate the TEACH Grant award for the new payment period taking into account any changes in the cost of attendance. (2)(i) If the student's projected enrollment status changes during a payment period after the student has begun attendance in all of his or her classes for that payment period, the institution may (but is not required to) establish a policy under which the student's award for the payment period is recalculated. Any such recalculations must take into account any changes in the cost of attendance. In the case of an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate program of study, if such a policy is established, it must be the same policy that the institution established under 34 CFR 690.80(b) for the Federal Pell Grant Program and it must apply to all students in the TEACH Grant-eligible program. (ii) If a student's projected enrollment status changes during a payment period before the student begins attendance in all of his or her classes for that payment period, the institution must recalculate the student's enrollment status to reflect only those classes for which he or she actually began attendance. (b) Change in cost of attendance. If the student's cost of attendance changes at any time during the award year and his or her enrollment status remains the same, the institution may, but is not required to, establish a policy under which the student's TEACH Grant award for the payment period is recalculated. If such a policy is established, it must apply to all students in the TEACH Grant-eligible program.

34 C.F.R. § 686.36 Fiscal control and fund accounting procedures.

(a) An institution must follow the provisions for maintaining general fiscal records in this section and in 34 CFR 668.24(b). (b) An institution must maintain funds received under this section in accordance with the requirements in 34 CFR 668.164.

34 C.F.R. § 686.37 Institutional reporting requirements.

(a) An institution must provide to the Secretary information about each TEACH Grant recipient that includes but is not limited to— (1) The student's eligibility for a TEACH Grant, as determined in accordance with §§ 686.11 and 686.31; (2) The student's TEACH Grant amounts; and (3) The anticipated and actual disbursement date or dates and disbursement amounts of the TEACH Grant funds. (b) The Secretary accepts a student's Payment Data that is submitted in accordance with procedures established through publication in the Federal Register, and that contains information the Secretary considers to be accurate in light of other available information including that previously provided by the student and the institution.

34 C.F.R. § 686.38 Maintenance and retention of records.

(a) An institution must follow the record retention and examination provisions in this part and in 34 CFR 668.24. (b) For any disputed expenditures in any award year for which the institution cannot provide records, the Secretary determines the final authorized level of expenditures.

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