Determination of Awards

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

34 C.F.R. § 686.20 Submission process and deadline for a SAR or ISIR.

(a) Submission process. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, an institution must disburse a TEACH Grant to a student who is eligible under § 686.11 and is otherwise qualified to receive that disbursement and electronically transmit disbursement data to the Secretary for that student if— (i) The student submits a SAR with an official EFC to the institution; or (ii) The institution obtains an ISIR with an official EFC for the student. (2) In determining a student's eligibility to receive a grant under this part, an institution is entitled to assume that the SAR information or ISIR information is accurate and complete except under the conditions set forth in 34 CFR 668.16(f). (b) SAR or ISIR deadline. Except as provided in 34 CFR 668.164(g), for a student to receive a grant under this part in an award year, the student must submit the relevant parts of the SAR with an official EFC to his or her institution or the institution must obtain an ISIR with an official EFC 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 Federal Register.

34 C.F.R. § 686.21 Calculation of a grant.

(a)(1)(i) The Scheduled Award for a TEACH Grant for an eligible student is $4,000. (ii) Each Scheduled Award remains available to an eligible student until the $4,000 is disbursed. (2)(i) The total amount that a student may receive in TEACH Grants for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate study may not exceed $16,000. (ii) The total amount that a student may receive in TEACH Grants for graduate study may not exceed $8,000. (b) The annual award for— (1) A full-time student is $4,000; (2) A three-quarter-time student is $3,000; (3) A half-time student is $2,000; and (4) A less-than-half-time student is $1,000. (c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the amount of a student's grant under this part, in combination with the other student financial assistance available to the student, including the amount of a Federal Pell Grant for which the student is eligible, may not exceed the student's cost of attendance at the TEACH Grant-eligible institution. Other student financial assistance is estimated financial assistance, as defined in 34 CFR 673.5(c). (d) A TEACH Grant may replace a student's EFC, but the amount of the grant that exceeds the student's EFC is considered estimated financial assistance, as defined in 34 CFR 673.5(c). (e) In determining a student's payment for a payment period, an institution must include— (1) In accordance with 34 CFR 668.20, any noncredit or reduced credit courses that an institution determines are necessary— (i) To help a student be prepared for the pursuit of a first undergraduate baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree or certificate; or (ii) In the case of English language instruction, to enable the student to utilize already existing knowledge, training, or skills; and (2) In accordance with 34 CFR 668.5, a student's participation in a program of study abroad if it is approved for credit by the home institution at which the student is enrolled.

34 C.F.R. § 686.22 Calculation of a grant for a payment period.

(a) Eligibility for payment formula—(1) Programs using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time. A student's grant for a payment period is calculated under paragraph (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; and (C)(1) For an undergraduate student, 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; or (2) For a graduate student, each term in the award year meets the minimum full-time enrollment status established by the institution for a semester, trimester, or quarter; and (ii) The program uses an academic calendar that provides at least 30 weeks of instructional time in— (A) Two semesters or trimesters in the fall through the following spring, or three quarters in the fall, winter, and spring, none of which overlaps any other term (including a summer term) in the program; or (B) Any two semesters or trimesters, or any three quarters where— (1) The institution starts its terms for different cohorts of students on a periodic basis (e.g., monthly); (2) The program is offered exclusively in semesters, trimesters, or quarters; and (3) Students are not allowed to be enrolled simultaneously in overlapping terms and must stay with the cohort in which they start unless they withdraw from a term (or skip a term) and reenroll in a subsequent term. (2) Programs using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time. A student's payment 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)(1) For an undergraduate student, 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; or (2) For a graduate student, each term in the award year meets the minimum full-time enrollment status established by the institution for a semester, trimester, or quarter; 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 payment 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 (2) of this section. (4) Programs not using terms or using clock hours. A student's payment 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 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 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 meeting the requirements in 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. (b) Programs using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time. The payment 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) 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; and (3) Dividing the amount described in 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 payment 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; (3) Multiplying his or her annual award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section by the following fraction as applicable: (i) In a program using semesters or trimesters— The number of weeks of instructional time offered in the program in the fall and spring semesters or trimesters The number of weeks in the program's academic year (ii) In a program using quarters— (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 payment 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 paragraph (a)(1) or (2) 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; and (3) Multiplying his or her annual award determined under paragraph (d)(2) of this section by the following fraction: (e) Programs using credit hours without terms or clock hours. The payment for a payment period for a student in a program using credit hours without terms or using clock hours is calculated by multiplying the Scheduled Award by the lesser of— (1) (2) (f) Maximum disbursement. A single disbursement may not exceed 50 percent of an award determined under paragraph (d) of this section. If a payment for a payment period calculated under paragraph (d) of this section would require the disbursement of more than 50 percent of a student's annual award in that payment period, the institution must 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) Minimum payment. No payment for a payment period as determined under this section or § 686.25 may be less than $25. (h) Definition of academic year. For purposes of this section and § 686.25, an institution must define an academic year— (1) For each of its TEACH Grant-eligible undergraduate programs of study, including post-baccalaureate programs of study, 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; and (2) For each of its TEACH Grant-eligible master's degree programs of study in terms of the number of weeks of instructional time in accordance with the requirements of 34 CFR 668.3 and the minimum number of credit or clock hours a full-time student would be expected to complete in the weeks of instructional time of the program's academic year. (i) Payment period completing a Scheduled Award. In a payment period, if a student is completing a Scheduled Award, the student's payment for the payment period— (1) Is calculated based on the total credit or clock hours and weeks of instructional time in the payment period; and (2) Is the remaining amount of the Scheduled Award being completed plus an amount from the next Scheduled Award, if available, up to the payment for the payment period.

34 C.F.R. § 686.23 Calculation of a grant for a payment period that occurs in two award years.

If a student enrolls in a payment period that is scheduled to occur in two award years— (a) The entire payment period must be considered to occur within one award year; (b) The institution must determine for each TEACH Grant recipient the award year in which the payment period will be placed subject to the restriction set forth in paragraph (c) of this section; (c) The institution must place a payment period with more than six months scheduled to occur within one award year in that award year; (d) If the institution places the payment period in the first award year, it must pay a student with funds from the first award year; and (e) If the institution places the payment period in the second award year, it must pay a student with funds from the second award year.

34 C.F.R. § 686.24 Transfer student: attendance at more than one institution during an award year.

(a) If a student who receives a TEACH Grant at one institution subsequently enrolls at a second institution, the student may receive a grant at the second institution only if— (1) The student submits a SAR with an official EFC to the second institution; or (2) The second institution obtains an ISIR with an official EFC. (b) The second institution must calculate the student's award in accordance with § 686.22 or § 686.25. (c) The second institution may pay a TEACH Grant only for that period in which a student is enrolled in a TEACH Grant-eligible program at that institution. (d) The student's TEACH Grant for each payment period is calculated according to the procedures in § 686.22 or § 686.25 unless the remaining balance of the Scheduled Award at the second institution is the balance of the student's last Scheduled Award and is less than the amount the student would normally receive for that payment period. (e) A transfer student must repay any amount received in an award year that exceeds the amount which he or she was eligible to receive.

34 C.F.R. § 686.25 Correspondence study.

(a) An institution calculates a TEACH 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) Using the half-time annual award; and (2) Multiplying the half-time annual award by the lesser of— (i) (ii) (b) For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section— (1) The institution must make the first payment to a student for an academic year, as calculated under paragraph (a) 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 (2) The institution must make the second payment to a student for an academic year, as calculated under paragraph (a) 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 six credit hours that commence and are completed in that term, the half-time annual award is used to calculate the payment for the payment period; or (ii) If the student is enrolled in less than six credit hours that commence and are completed in that term the less-than-half-time annual award is used to calculate the payment for the payment period; (3) A payment for a payment period is calculated using the formula in § 686.22(d) except that paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section are used in lieu of § 686.22(d)(1) and (2), respectively; and (4) The institution must 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 must be calculated under § 686.22(d) if the residential training is offered using terms and credit hours or under § 686.22(e) if the residential training is offered using credit hours without terms or clock hours.

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