[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 146 (Monday, August 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18617]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 1, 1994]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part XI
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Federal Pell Grant Program; Notice
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Federal Pell Grant Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice; deadline dates for receipt of applications, reports,
and other documents for the 1994-95 award year.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary announces the deadline dates for receiving
documents from persons applying for financial assistance under, and
from institutions participating in, the Federal Pell Grant Program
during the 1994-95 award year.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Pell Grant Program provides
grants to students attending eligible institutions of higher education
to help them pay for their educational costs. The program supports
Goals 2000, the President's strategy for moving the Nation toward the
National Education Goals, by enhancing opportunities for postsecondary
education. The National Education Goals call for increasing the rate at
which students graduate from high school and pursue high quality
postsecondary education and for supporting life-long learning.
Authority for the Federal Pell Grant Program is contained in section
401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C.
1070a. Regulations that govern the Federal Pell Grant Program are
codified in 34 CFR part 690 and 34 CFR part 668.
The Pell Grant Program includes a three-step application process.
Under the first step, the student must submit an application to have
his or her expected family contribution (EFC) determined. The student
may submit a paper application, or, if the institution he or she
attends or will attend participates in the Department of Education's
Electronic Data Exchange (EDE), the student may submit an electronic
application. Under EDE, using software provided by the Department of
Education (Department) or a needs analysis servicer, an institution
electronically transmits the student's application data to the
Department's Federal Student Aid Central Processing System (central
processor). The institution may enter the application data, or the
institution may have the student enter that data.
In the second step, the central processor determines a student's
EFC based upon the information provided in a paper or electronic
application and forwards the results to the student, either directly
(if the student applied using a paper application) or through the
institution (if the student applied electronically). The central
processor may also forward the results to the student's institution,
even if the student gets the information directly.
As a result of submitting a paper application, the student receives
a Student Aid Report (SAR), and any institution designated by the
student may draw down a student's data in the form of an electronic SAR
(ESAR) if the institution participates in EDE. An ESAR or SAR contains
the student's EFC and the information on which that EFC was based. If
application data was submitted electronically under EDE, the student
will not receive an SAR, but the institution may draw down an ESAR.
The central processor may also transmit, to the institution that a
student indicates he or she is attending or will attend, an
institutional student information report (ISIR) that includes the
student's EFC and the information on which that EFC was based. An ISIR
is a paper document or an institutional paper printout from a computer-
generated magnetic or electronic record.
Under the third step, a student must submit a valid SAR to the
institution or sign a valid ESAR or ISIR. A valid SAR, ESAR, or ISIR is
one on which all the information used to calculate the student's EFC is
accurate and complete. For an ESAR or ISIR to be valid, the student
must sign it. If corrections are made to an ESAR or ISIR and the
student is married, the student's spouse must sign the corrected
document. If corrections are made to an ESAR or ISIR and the student is
a dependent student, one of his or her parents must sign the corrected
document. However, for a student to receive his or her Federal Pell
Grant using a valid ISIR, the institution he or she attends must report
its Federal Pell Grant payment data to the Department by floppy disk,
magnetic tape, or electronically under EDE. (Part IV of this notice
describes the disbursement reporting requirements.)
I. Applications for Determination of Expected Family Contribution--
Table I
Under the first application step described above, if a student uses
a paper original or renewal application, he or she must submit an
approved application to an agency listed in Table I of this notice, at
the address indicated in Table I. That application must be received at
that address no later than May 1, 1995. A paper application may not be
hand-delivered.
An approved application is an application listed in the first
column of Table I. Moreover, the student must send the application to
the address of the organization whose application is being used. Thus,
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) printed and
distributed by the Department must be sent to the FAFSA processor in
Iowa City, Iowa, forms printed and distributed by the American College
Testing Program (ACT) must be sent to ACT, forms printed and
distributed by the College Scholarship Service (CSS) must be sent to
CSS, and forms printed and distributed by the Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) must be sent to PHEAA.
If a student submits an electronic application under EDE, that
application must be received by the Department's central processor
prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on May 1, 1995. (For
purposes of this notice, this deadline means that a student has all of
May 1, 1995, to apply.)
For the balance of this notice, the first application submitted by
or on behalf of a student shall be called an ``original application.''
Applications of Students Receiving ``Dependency Overrides''
Under section 480(d)(7) of the HEA, a financial aid administrator
(FAA) may determine that a student qualifies as an ``independent
student'' as a result of unusual circumstances even though the student
does not qualify as an independent student under the other criteria in
section 480(d). This determination, using what is known as
``professional judgment,'' results in a ``dependency override.''
If an FAA makes a dependency override with regard to a student, the
student must submit an original application, a Correction Application,
renewal application, or correction to his or her SAR to the Federal
Student Aid Programs after that document has been specially coded for
the dependency override and signed by the FAA. If the student attends
an institution that participates in EDE, the institution may
electronically transmit to the central processor an original
application, renewal application, Correction Application, or corrected
SAR or ESAR information coded for the dependency override.
If a student has not submitted an original application, the
deadline date for the submission of a Correction Application for a
dependency override or any other reason is May 1, 1995. If the student
has submitted an original or renewal application, the deadline date for
the submission of a Correction Application is August 1, 1995. (For
purposes of this notice, this deadline means that a student has all of
August 1, 1995, to apply.) Applications submitted electronically must
be received by the central processor prior to midnight (Central
Daylight Savings Time) on the applicable deadline date.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB Control
Number Application: 1840-0110)
II. Other Documents--Table I
Once a student has filed his or her original or renewal
application, additional transactions may occur as a result of that
application. In some cases, the agency receiving the original or
renewal application may request additional information. In other cases,
the student is responsible for initiating a request to the agency to
consider additional or alternative information.
Table I of this notice lists the addresses to which additional
forms and information, known as transactions, must be sent and the
deadline dates for the receipt of those transactions.
The following explains each type of transaction:
A. Correction Application
In addition to using a Correction Application for a ``dependency
override,'' the Secretary provides a Correction Application to a
student if the student's original application lacks sufficient
information to be processed or contains inaccurate information. The
student must include on the Correction Application all the information
necessary to process that application.
If a student has misreported his or her dependency status or if
that status has changed after the student submitted an original
application for reasons other than a change in marital status, the
student may submit a Correction Application with the correct dependency
status. A student may also report a dependency status change using part
2 of a SAR for the 1994-95 award year.
A Correction Application may be obtained (1) from an FAA or an
Educational Opportunity Center counselor, (2) by writing to the
addresses listed in Table I, (3) by writing to Federal Student Aid
Information Center, P.O. Box 84, Washington, DC, 20044, or (4) by
calling (800) 4 FED AID. The Correction Application must be returned to
one of the addressees listed in Table I and received at that address no
later than August 1, 1995, unless the Correction Application is
submitted as an original application, in which case it must be received
by May 1, 1995. A Correction Application submitted electronically under
EDE through the electronic application process must be received by the
central processor prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on
August 1, 1995, unless the Correction Application is submitted as an
original application, in which case the correction application must be
received prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on May 1,
1995.
B. SAR and ISIR
Correction or Verification of Information Requested by the
Secretary--If the Secretary returns an SAR to a student for correction
or notifies an institution through an ISIR that a student needs to
correct application information, the student must correct that
information on the SAR. The student must return the SAR to the
appropriate address listed in Table I, and that corrected SAR must be
received at the appropriate address no later than August 1, 1995. If
the student attends an institution that participates in EDE, the
corrected SAR may be transmitted electronically to the central
processor. That SAR must be received by the central processor prior to
midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on August 1, 1995.
If the Secretary returns an SAR to a student for verification of
certain data items included on the application or notifies an
institution through an ISIR that a student needs to verify application
information, the student must verify the information. The student
verifies the information on the SAR, and returns the SAR in the same
manner as described for required corrections. This request for
verification is separate and apart from the verification requirements
contained in 34 CFR Part 668, Subpart E.
Correction of Inaccurate Information--If an SAR or an ISIR
reflects information that was inaccurate when the application was
signed, the student must correct that information on the SAR and send
the SAR to the appropriate address listed in Table I or submit the
change electronically. The SAR must be received at that address no
later than August 1, 1995.
If the student attends an institution that participates in
EDE, the corrected information may be transmitted electronically to the
central processor. That SAR must be received by the central processor
prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on August 1, 1995.
Recomputation of EFC--A student may request on his or her
SAR that the Secretary recompute his or her EFC if the student believes
the EFC is inaccurate because of an arithmetic or clerical error. The
student must return the SAR to the appropriate address listed in Table
I, and that SAR must be received at the appropriate address no later
than August 1, 1995. If the student attends an institution that
participates in EDE, the request for a recomputation may be transmitted
electronically to the central processor. That SAR must be received by
the central processor prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time)
on August 1, 1995.
Request for Duplicate SAR--If a student wishes to receive
a duplicate SAR, the student may write to the appropriate agency's
address listed in Table I or call the appropriate agency's telephone
number listed in Table I. All written and telephone requests must be
received no later than August 1, 1995. A written request sent to the
appropriate agency (listed in Table I) must be received through a U.S.
Postal facility by August 1, 1995. Individuals at the agencies listed
in Table I are not authorized to personally accept hand-delivered
documents.
Note--Although corrections and requests for a duplicate SAR will
be processed through August 1, 1995, this deadline date does not
extend the deadline date by which a student must submit to the
institution's financial aid office his or her valid SAR, valid ESAR,
or valid ISIR with an EFC that permits the student to receive a
Federal Pell Grant. If the student does not submit such a valid SAR,
valid ESAR, or valid ISIR to the financial aid office by his or her
last date of enrollment or June 30, 1995, whichever is earlier, he
or she will be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant award for the
1994-95 award year.
III. Verification Procedures and Deadline Dates Under 34 CFR 668
Subpart E
The information provided on an application and included on an SAR,
ESAR, or ISIR may be subject to verification under verification
procedures contained in 34 CFR part 668, Subpart E. In that case, in
order to receive a Federal Pell Grant award for the 1994-95 award year,
the student--and his or her parents, if applicable--must submit the
necessary verification documents in accordance with the following
procedures and by the deadline dates specified below. These dates do
not conflict with or supersede the deadline dates specified in Table I
of this notice.
A. Verification of Information on Application
If a student is selected to have the information on his or her
application verified under the verification procedures set forth in
Subpart E of the Student Assistance General Provisions regulations (34
CFR part 668, Subpart E), he or she must submit the requested documents
as specified below in steps 1-4. The deadline date for the completion
of these steps is the earlier of 60 days after the student's last date
of enrollment for a student who leaves school because of graduation,
completion of an academic term, or withdrawal; or August 30, 1995. A
student who will still be enrolled in a course of study in the 1994-95
award year after August 30, 1995, must submit the requested documents
by August 30, 1995. (Documents that are hand-delivered must be received
by the institution by the close of business on August 30, 1995.
Documents sent by mail must be postmarked or demonstrate other
comparable proof of mailing by August 30, 1995.)
This process is complete when the student has:
(1) Submitted all requested verification documents to his or her
institution;
(2) Made all necessary corrections on (a) Part 2 of the SAR, (b) an
ESAR, (c) a correction application, or (d) an EDE Correction
Application;
(3) Either (a) signed the corrected Part 2 of the SAR or completed
and signed a paper Correction Application and submitted it to the
appropriate address indicated in Table I so that the addressee receives
the form prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on August 1,
1995; or (b) signed and submitted the corrected ESAR or electronic
Correction Application to the institution so that the institution can
transmit the data to the central processor (for those institutions
participating in EDE) prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time)
on August 1, 1995; and
(4) By August 30, 1995, submitted to the institution the corrected
and reprocessed SAR, ESAR, or ISIR that, if required, is appropriately
signed (34 CFR 668.60).
B. Application Forms and Information
Student aid application forms, Correction Applications, and
information brochures may be obtained at an institution's financial aid
office, at an Educational Opportunity Center, or by writing or calling:
Federal Student Aid Information Center, P.O. Box 84, Washington, DC
20044. Telephone: (800) 4 FED AID.
Table I
Deadline Date for Receipt of Original Application Forms for
Determining Expected Family Contributions: May 1, 1995. Deadline Date
for receipt of Correction Application Forms other than an original
Correction Application Form, Applications other than originals, and
Other Documents: August 1, 1995.
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Contact Federal
Type of form For information about Student Aid Programs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Application for English/Spanish/Correct Box 84, Washington, DC
Federal Student Aid ion Application 20044. (800) 4 FED
(FAFSA) printed and request. AID. TTY (800) 730-
distributed by ED. 8913.
English Application C/o Federal Student
submission. Aid Programs: P.O.
Box 4016, Iowa City,
IA 52243.
Renewal Application P.O. Box 4053, Iowa
submission. City, IA 52243.
Spanish Application P.O. Box 4046, Iowa
submission. City, IA 52243.
Correction Application P.O. Box 4045, Iowa
submission. City, IA 52243.
SAR corrections........ P.O. Box 4049, Iowa
City, IA 52243.
Duplicate requests/ P.O. Box 4050, Iowa
address changes. City, IA 52243.
All other P.O. Box 84,
correspondence/inquiri Washington, DC 20044,
es. (800) 4 FED AID.
Federal Electronic Application, correction Contact institution's
Application, application, or financial aid office
Correction renewal application to find out if it
application, or request, electronic participates in the
Renewal Application of corrections, electronic
the Electronic Data electronic duplicate application of EDE.
Exchange. requests, and other
inquiries.
Electronically
submitted by the
institution to the
central processor via
General Electronic
Support computer
network.
Diskette and tape C/o National Computer
submission. Systems--Electronic
Application, Box 30,
Iowa City, IA 52244,
(319) 339-6642.
Free Application for Application Requests American College
Federal Student Aid and other inquiries. Testing, P.O. Box
(printed, distributed, 1002, Iowa City, IA
and processed by ACT). 52243.
Application submission. Federal Student Aid
Programs, P.O. Box
4054, Iowa City, IA
52243.
Renewal Application P.O. Box 4052, Iowa
submission. City, IA 52243.
Correction application P.O. Box 4019, Iowa
submission. City, IA 52243.
SAR corrections........ P.O. Box 4018, Iowa
City, IA 52243.
Duplicate request and P.O. Box 4017, Iowa
address changes. City, IA 52243.
Free Application for Application requests C/o College
Federal Student Aid and other inquiries. Scholarship Service:
(printed, distributed, P.O. Box 6327,
and processed by CSS). Princeton, NJ 08541-
6327, (609) 771-7725,
TDD (609) 883-7051.
Application submission. Federal Student Aid
Programs, P.O. Box
7381, London, KY
40742-7381.
Renewal Application P.O. Box 7383, London,
submission. KY 40742-7383.
Correction Application Federal Student Aid
submission. Programs, P.O. Box
7382, London, KY
40742-7382.
SAR corrections........ Federal Student Aid
Programs: P.O. Box
7384, London, KY
40742-7384.
Duplicate Request and Federal Student Aid
Address Changes. Programs, P.O. Box
7385, London, KY
40742-7385.
Free Application for Application request and C/o Pennsylvania
Federal Student Aid other inquiries. Higher Education
(printed, distributed, Assistance Agency
and processed by (PHEAA): Grant
PHEAA). Division, 1200 North
7th Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17102,
800-692-7435 (PA
only), Out of state--
(717) 257-2800.
Application and P.O. Box 8173,
correction submission Harrisburg, PA 17105-
application. 8173.
Renewal Application P.O. Box 8174,
submission. Harrisburg, PA 17105.
SAR corrections/ P.O. Box 8135,
duplicate requests/ Harrisburg, PA 17105-
address changes. 8135.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Submissions to the Secretary of Institutional Payment Summary and
Student Aid Reports (Part 3 Payment Vouchers)
Each institution that participates in the Federal Pell Grant
Program is required by 34 CFR 690.83(b) to submit to the Secretary
reports and information in connection with the Federal Pell Grant funds
the Department makes available to the institution for payment to
students during an award year. One of the required reports is the
Institutional Payment Summary (IPS). The IPS accompanies an
institution's submission of Federal Pell Grant Payment Vouchers and
summarizes the information contained on the individual Payment
Vouchers.
The Secretary provides a paper IPS form to the institution for
completion and return to the Department.
The institution may also meet this reporting requirement by
submitting the IPS and Payment Voucher information to the Department on
a floppy disk, on a magnetic tape, or by an electronic transmission
through a modem from a personal computer, minicomputer, or mainframe
computer. These submissions are referred to, respectively, as the
Federal Pell Grant Program Floppy Disk Data Exchange, the Federal Pell
Grant Program Recipient Data Exchange (RDE), and Electronic Payments
service under EDE. An institution that wishes to use one of these
automated reporting methods must enter into a written agreement with
the Department and must agree to (1) comply with the Department's
prescribed manner of formatting and presenting the submitted
information, (2) restrict access to the records from which the IPS and
Payment Voucher information is derived, and (3) ensure that only
authorized officials or agents of the institution may enter the data
sent in the IPS submission to the Department.
The Department credits an institution's Federal Pell Grant account
on the basis of acceptable Federal Pell Grant payment data submitted
through the system described in this notice. Such information must be
submitted to the Department in a timely, certified, and acceptable
form. A submission is timely if received by the Department by the
deadlines prescribed in Tables II and III in Part IV.C. of this notice;
certified if its accuracy is attested to by the institution in the
manner described in Part IV.D. of this notice; and acceptable if
submitted in accordance with the directions provided by the Department
for the particular medium of submission used by the institution.
Failure to meet these reporting requirements may result in
administrative action by the Department under Subpart G of 34 CFR part
668 under which the Department may fine the institution or limit or
terminate its participation in the Federal Pell Grant Program. In
addition, failure to report accurately a student's award amount by the
reporting deadline may render the student ineligible for all or part of
his or her Federal Pell Grant payment.
A. Data and Records To Be Submitted
In each IPS submission, the institution must submit:
(1) On the IPS form, or in the IPS record format, information
described in Section II of the IPS, including the number and amount of
each Federal Pell Grant award adjustment that the institution made, and
the institution's total payments to all Federal Pell Grant recipients
for the award year up to the date of the submission; and
(2) An SAR Payment Voucher (Part 3 of the SAR), or its equivalent
as defined by the Secretary, that discloses--
(i) Any new Federal Pell Grant recipients identified by the
institution during the reporting period for which the IPS is submitted;
or
(ii) Any change in enrollment status, cost of attendance, or other
event that occurred during either the reporting period for which the
IPS is submitted or the reporting period immediately preceding that
reporting period, if that event causes a change in the amount of the
Federal Pell Grant that a student has received or qualifies to receive
for the award year.
The institution may submit the IPS without SAR Payment Vouchers (or
the equivalent) if (1) the institution had no Federal Pell Grant
recipients in attendance or identified no new Federal Pell Grant
recipients during the reporting period for which the IPS is submitted
and (2) did not identify any changes to the awards of previously
reported recipients during the reporting period immediately preceding
the period for which the IPS is submitted. If an institution that
submits IPS information under RDE exercises this option, it must use
the paper IPS document. If an institution that submits IPS information
via a floppy disk or electronic transmission exercises this option, it
may use its usual submission medium or the paper IPS document.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB Control
Numbers 1840-0132 (SAR) and 1840-0540 (IPS))
B. Addresses for Delivery
The institution must submit the IPS and any accompanying SAR
Payment Vouchers, or the floppy disk or the RDE magnetic tape
containing this information, as follows: If by regular mail: U.S.
Department of Education, Pell Grant Systems Division, PSS, P.O. Box
10800, Herndon, Virginia 22070-7009. If delivered by a courier other
than the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Pell Grant
Systems Division, PSS, c/o PRC, ATTN: G35 PGRFMS/DMS, 1500 PRC Drive,
McLean, Virginia 22102-5050.
C. Frequency and Schedules for IPS Submissions
An institution must make an IPS submission or its equivalent at
least once during each of the reporting periods established in Tables
II and III. The table that is applicable to a particular institution
depends on the amount of the institution's 1993-94 award year Federal
Pell Grant authorization. An institution may make IPS submissions more
frequently, up to but not exceeding 98 times during the entire
reporting cycle (July 1, 1994 through September 30, 1995). For purposes
of complying with the reporting requirements of Part IV.A. of this
notice, an institution must ensure that the IPS and SAR Payment
Vouchers (or their equivalent) are received by the Department no later
than the applicable closing date for each reporting period as specified
in the appropriate table below. Proof of mailing, such as a date on a
U.S. Postal Service postmark, is not considered confirmation of receipt
by the Department. If an institution submits the IPS and SAR Payment
Voucher information electronically, the transmission must be received
at the Department's central processor prior to midnight (Central Time
or, if applicable, Central Daylight Savings Time) of the applicable
closing date for the reporting periods indicated in Tables II and III.
Table II.--Institutions With a 1993-94 Award Year Pell Grant
Authorization of at Least $750,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closing date for
Reporting periods receipt
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 1, 1994 through Oct. 15, 1994................ Oct. 15, 1994.
Oct. 16, 1994 through Dec. 15, 1994............... Dec. 15, 1994.
Dec. 16, 1994 through Feb. 15, 1995............... Feb. 15, 1995.
Feb. 16, 1995 through Apr. 15, 1995............... Apr. 15, 1995.
Apr. 16, 1995 through June 15, 1995............... June 15, 1995.
June 16, 1995 through Aug. 15, 1995............... Aug. 15, 1995.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table III.--Institutions With a 1993-94 Pell Grant Authorization of Less
Than $750,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closing date for
Reporting periods receipt
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 1, 1994 through Dec. 15, 1994................ Dec. 15, 1994.
Dec. 16, 1994 through Apr. 15, 1995............... Apr. 15, 1995.
Apr. 16, 1995 through Aug. 15, 1995............... Aug. 15, 1995.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If any closing date for receipt falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or
Federal holiday, submissions received on the next Federal business day
will be considered as being submitted on time.
D. Certification of Accuracy
Institutions participating in the Federal Pell Grant Program must
certify the accuracy of the data with each IPS submission. An
institution submitting an IPS form certifies the accuracy of the data
by including on the form an original signature by the official of the
institution accountable for the accuracy of the data submitted. An
institution submitting IPS information by floppy disk or electronic
transmission certifies the accuracy of the data by including in that
transmission a code or signature flag prescribed by the Department for
that certification. By including the prescribed code or signature flag,
an institution certifies that the submitted data has been provided from
a file or record to which only officials with appropriate security
clearance have access and that the data contained in the submission are
accurate. In the case of an institution submitting IPS information by
magnetic tape, the institution signs the tape transmittal form assuring
the accuracy of the data.
V. Annual Deadline for Submission of SAR Payment Vouchers and Requests
for Adjustments of Federal Pell Grant Accounts
An institution obtains an adjustment to its Federal Pell Grant
account, and the amount of Federal Pell Grant funds for which it is
accountable, by submitting supporting SAR Payment Vouchers, or their
equivalent, under the procedures described in this notice and the
reporting system described in the regulations. An institution is
required by 34 CFR 690.83(a) to submit all SAR Payment Vouchers for an
award year by a specified date following that award year; for 1994-95
that date is September 30, 1995. An institution, therefore, must submit
any Payment Vouchers not previously submitted during the required
reporting periods established in this notice by September 30, 1995 to
receive an adjustment to its Federal Pell Grant account on the basis of
these Payment Vouchers.
Except as provided in Part V. B. of this notice, after September
30, 1995, the Secretary closes the institution's Federal Pell Grant
account for the 1994-95 award year. The institution's account is closed
on the basis of the information reported by the institution in its
submissions of IPS and supporting SAR Payment Voucher information (or
the equivalent) through September 30, 1995, and the data reported on
the Federal Cash Transaction Report (PMS 272A). The final IPS
information submitted by the institution must accurately report the
institution's total payments to all Federal Pell Grant recipients for
the 1994-95 award year (IPS Item 15 or its equivalent).
A. Timely Delivery for Final Submissions of SAR Payment Vouchers and
Requests for Adjustments of Federal Pell Grant Accounts: Proof of
Delivery
The Department may require an institution to prove that it mailed
or otherwise submitted its IPS and SAR Payment Vouchers (or the
equivalent) by the September 30, 1995 deadline date. The Department
accepts as proof, if the documents were submitted by mail or by non-
U.S. Postal Service courier, one of the following:
(1) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(2) A legibly-dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
dated postmark. Before relying on this method of proof of mailing,
an institution should check with the post office at which it mails
its submission. An institution is strongly encouraged to use First
Class Mail.)
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
courier.
(4) Other proof of mailing or delivery acceptable to the Secretary.
The Department accepts hand deliveries at the address stated in
Part IV.B. between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on days other than
Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holidays.
An institution that transmits IPS and SAR Payment Voucher
information via the EDE Electronic Payments service must ensure that
its transmission is completed before midnight (local time) on September
30, 1995.
B. Postdeadline Adjustments to Federal Pell Grant Accounts
In accordance with Sec. 690.83(a), Sec. 690.83(c), and Sec. 690.83
(e), the Secretary permits a post-September 30, 1995 adjustment to the
Federal Pell Grant account of an institution for the 1994-95 award year
or any prior award year in the following circumstances:
(1) Underpayment of previously reported awards An institution may
receive a payment or credit for the full amount of an award made to a
student if--
(i) The institution submitted in a timely manner an SAR Payment
Voucher or its equivalent for a student in accordance with the
requirements of this notice and Sec. 690.83(a);
(ii) The institution did not submit in a timely manner or in an
acceptable form an SAR Payment Voucher necessary to document the full
amount of the award for which that student was eligible;
(iii) The underpayment for that award is or would be at least $100;
and
(iv) A program review or an audit report produced in accordance
with the standards prescribed in 34 CFR 668.23(c) demonstrates to the
satisfaction of the Secretary that the student was eligible to receive
an amount greater than that reported on the SAR Payment Voucher
submitted in a timely fashion to, and accepted by, the Department.
(2) Decreasing previously reported awards. An institution must
report a reduction in a student's Federal Pell Grant award (1) if the
institution determines that the student's Federal Pell Grant award
amount, as reported on either the Student Payment Summary that the
Department provides to the institution or any subsequent adjustment to
the student's award amount on file with the Department, is greater than
the amount the student actually received; or (2) if the institution
determines that a student was not qualified for the amount reported on
either the Student Payment Summary or any subsequent adjustment to the
student's award amount on file with the Department. The institution
should not make such a report, however, for an overaward for which it
is not liable under Sec. 690.79(a) unless the student never received
the funds or has repaid all or a portion of the overaward. If a student
is repaying an overaward for which the institution is not liable on an
installment plan, the institution may report periodically the amount
repaid. The institution does NOT submit such postdeadline award
reduction data through SAR Payment Vouchers (or their equivalents). The
institution reports postdeadline reductions through a letter or report
sent to the address stated in Part IV.B.
(3) The Secretary, in addition, makes adjustments where the
institution satisfactorily demonstrates that its failure to submit
Payment Vouchers on a timely basis and have them accepted by the
Department was caused by a processing or administrative error made by
the Department or one of its contractors, or was due to unusual
circumstances beyond the control of the institution.
(4) If an institution demonstrates to the satisfaction of the
Secretary that the institution has provided Federal Pell Grants but has
not received credit or payment for those grants, the institution may
receive payment or a reduction in accountability for those grants. In
accordance with Sec. 690.83(e), the institution shall demonstrate that
it qualifies for a credit or payment by means of a finding contained in
an audit submitted in accordance with 34 CFR part 668.23(c).
The Secretary adjusts an institution's Federal Pell Grant account
on the basis of student award data submissions made after September 30
following the award year only in these specified circumstances. Thus,
if an institution submits SAR Payment Vouchers (or their equivalents)
for the 1994-95 award year to the Department after the September 30,
1995 deadline, the institution will not receive additional Federal Pell
Grant funds from the Department unless the institution can demonstrate
to the satisfaction of the Secretary that one of the prescribed
conditions exists. The institution also will be liable for Federal Pell
Grant funds that were used to pay grants that were not reported in a
timely manner.
If an institution made Federal Pell Grant overpayments for which it
is liable under Sec. 690.79(a) of the Federal Pell Grant program
regulations, the Secretary will subtract from any funds the institution
may be entitled to receive under the first exception described in Part
V-B of this notice the amount of the institution's unpaid liability.
If an institution believes that an adjustment is warranted on the
basis of the above-described conditions, it should contact the Pell
Grant Financial Management Division at (202) 708-9807. If the
institution seeks administrative relief on the basis of an
administrative error by the Department or its contractors, the
institution's request must provide a complete description of all
relevant facts, including each student's identifying data and full
Federal Pell Grant payment history. The request must be received by the
Department no later than January 31, 1996. The request must be
delivered to: U.S. Department of Education, Pell Grant Systems
Division, PSS, P.O. Box 23791, Washington, DC 20026-0791.
C. Request for Duplicate Payment Vouchers or Related Information
To receive a duplicate Payment Voucher, Processed Payment Voucher,
or processed payment data, an institution must contact the Federal Pell
Grant Program by fax at (202) 708-9700 or by mail to: U.S. Department
of Education, Pell Grant Systems Division, PSS, P.O. Box 23791,
Washington, DC 20026-0791.
To receive a duplicate Payment Voucher for a student, an
institution must include with its request a photocopy of either Part 1
or Part 2 of that student's SAR or a photocopy of that student's ESAR
or ISIR. All requests must be received no later than August 1, 1995.
Applicable Regulations
The regulations applicable to this program are the Federal Pell
Grant Program regulations in 34 CFR part 690 and the Student Assistance
General Provisions regulations in 34 CFR part 668.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Oliver, Program Specialist,
Pell and State Grants Section, Grants Branch, Policy Development
Division, Policy, Training, and Analysis Service, Office of
Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue S.W. (ROB-3, Room 4018), Washington, DC 20202-5447. Telephone:
(202) 708-4607. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through
Friday.
Authority: (20 U.S.C. 1070a).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 84.063, Federal Pell
Grant Program)
Dated: July 26, 1994.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 94-18617 Filed 7-29-94; 8:45 am]
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