Student Assistance General Provisions; Notice

[Federal Register: August 20, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 161)]
[Notices]
[Page 43753-43756]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20au01-97]

[[Page 43753]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part V

Department of Education

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 43754]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA Nos. 84.007, 84.032, 84.033, 84.038, 84.063, 84.069, and 84.268]

Student Assistance General Provisions, Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, Federal
Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Leveraging
Educational Assistance Partnership, and William D. Ford Federal Direct
Loan; Notice of Deadline and Submission Dates for Receipt of
Applications, Reports, and Other Documents for the 2001-2002 Award Year

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces the deadline and submission dates for
receiving documents from institutions and applicants for assistance
under the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL), William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct
Loan), Federal Pell Grant, and Leveraging Educational Assistance
Partnership (LEAP) programs for the 2001-2002 award year.
The FSEOG (84.007), FFEL (84.032), FWS (84.033), Federal Perkins
Loan (84.038), Federal Pell Grant (84.063), LEAP (84.069), and Direct
Loan (84.268) programs, administered by the U.S. Department of
Education (Department), provide assistance to students attending
eligible institutions of higher education to help them pay for their
educational costs.
Deadline and Submission Dates: See Tables A and B at the end of
this notice.
Table A provides deadline dates for application processing and
receipt of Student Aid Reports (SARs) or Institutional Student
Information Records (ISIRs).
Table B provides the earliest submission and deadline dates for
submitting Federal Pell Grant Disbursement Records to the Department's
Recipient Financial Management System (RFMS). Any disbursement record
received prior to the earliest submission date is rejected. The
Secretary may initiate an adverse action, such as a fine or other
penalty, for an institution's failure to submit a Federal Pell Grant
disbursement record within the required 30-day timeframe. That failure
may also result in an audit or program review finding for an
institution.
In general, an institution must submit a Federal Pell Grant
disbursement record no later than 30 days after disbursing a Federal
Pell Grant to a student. The Secretary considers a disbursement of
Federal Pell Grant funds to occur on the earlier of the date that the
institution: (a) Credits those funds to a student's account in the
institution's general ledger or any subledger of the general ledger, or
(b) pays those funds to a student directly. The Secretary considers a
disbursement to have occurred even if institutional funds are used in
advance of receiving the program funds from the Department (34 CFR
668.164(a)).
Table B also provides the latest date an institution may request
Year-To-Date records and administrative relief.

Proof of Delivery

The Secretary accepts as proof of delivery 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, check
with the post office at which the submission was mailed. The
Secretary strongly encourages the use of 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.

Other Sources for Detailed Information on the Application and
Automated Processes

A more detailed discussion of the student application process for
the Federal Pell Grant Program is contained in the Department's
following publications:
2001-2002 Student Guide.
Funding Your Education.
2001-2002 High School Counselor's Handbook.
A Guide to 2001-2002 SARs and ISIRs.
2001-2002 Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook.
A more detailed discussion of the institutional reporting
requirements for the Federal Pell Grant Program is also contained in
the Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook. These materials may be
found at the Information for Financial Aid Professionals web site at:
http://www.ifap.ed.gov.
Applicable Regulations: The following regulations apply: (1)
Federal Pell Grant Program, 34 CFR part 690, (2) Student Assistance
General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668, and (3) Institutional Eligibility
under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 34 CFR part 600.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacquelyn C. Butler, Program
Specialist, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Student Financial
Assistance Programs, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., ROB-3, room 3045,
Washington, DC 20202-5447. Telephone: (202) 708-8242.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area, at (202) 512-1530.
You may also view this document in text or PDF at the following
site: http://www.ifap.ed.gov.

Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 421-429, 1070a, 1070b-1070b-3,
1070c-1070c-4, 1071-1087-2, 1087a, and 1087aa-1087ii; 42 U.S.C.
2751-2756b.

Dated: August 14, 2001.
Greg Woods,
Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance.

[[Page 43755]]

Table A.--Deadline Dates for Application Processing and Receipt of Student Aid Reports (SARs) or Institutional
Student Information Records (ISIRs)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the deadline
Who submits? What is submitted? Where is it submitted? date for receipt?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student.............................. Free Application for Electronically to the July 1, 2002.\1\
Federal Student Aid Department's Central
(FAFSA) on the Web, Processing System
Renewal FAFSA on the (CPS).
Web, or FAFSA Express
electronic application.
Signature Page (if The address printed on August 21, 2002.
required). the signature page.
Student through an Institution....... An electronic original Electronically to the July 1, 2002.\1\
or renewal application. Department's CPS.
Student.............................. A paper original Free The address printed on July 1, 2002.
Application for the FAFSA, Renewal
Federal Student Aid FAFSA, or envelope
(FAFSA) or paper provided with the form.
Renewal FAFSA.
Student.............................. Correction on the Web.. Electronically to the August 16, 2002.\1\
Department's CPS.
Signature Page (if The address printed on August 21, 2002.
required). the signature page.
Student through an Institution....... Electronic corrections Electronically to the August 27, 2002.\1\
and duplicate requests. Department's CPS.
Student.............................. Corrections submitted The address printed on August 16, 2002.
using Part 2 of an SAR. Part 2 of the SAR.
Student.............................. Change of address, The address printed on August 16, 2002.
change of Part 2 of the SAR.
institutions, and
duplicate requests.
The Federal Student Aid August 27, 2002.
Information Center by
calling 1-800-433-3243.
Student.............................. Valid SAR.............. Institution............ The earlier of:
Student through the Department's CPS. Valid ISIR \4\......... Institution receives --The student's last
ISIR from the date of enrollment; or
Department's CPS. --September 3, 2002.
Student.............................. Verification documents. Institution............ The earlier of: \2\
--90 days after the
student's last date of
enrollment; or
--September 3, 2002.
Student.............................. Valid SAR after Institution............ The earlier of: \3\
verification.
Student through the Department's CPS. Valid ISIR after Institution receives --90 days after the
verification.\4\. ISIR from the student's last date of
Department's CPS. enrollment; or
--September 3, 2002.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The deadline for electronic transactions is 12 midnight (Central Time) on the deadline date. Transmissions
must be completed and accepted by 12 midnight to meet the deadline. If transmissions are started before 12
midnight but are not completed until after 12 midnight, those transmissions will not meet the deadline. In
addition, an transmission picked up on or just prior to the deadline date that gets rejected may not be able
to be reprocessed because the deadline will have passed by the time the user gets the information notifying
him/her of the reject.
\2\ Although the Secretary has set this deadline date for the submission verification documents to the
institution, if corrections are required, the earlier deadline dates for submission of paper or electronic
corrections must still be met.
\3\ The institution must have already received an SAR or ISIR with an eligible EFC while the student was
enrolled and eligible for payment. Students completing verification while no longer enrolled will be paid
based on the higher of the two EFCs.
\4\ For this purpose, the date the ISIR transaction was processed by CPS is considered to be the date the
institution received the ISIR. The CPS process date is on the 2001-2002 ISIR record layout, field 163. It is
also printed on the first page of the SAR and ISIR.

Table B.--Earliest Submission and Deadline Dates for Submitting Federal Pell Grant Disbursement Records
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the earliest
Who submits? What is submitted? Where is it submitted? submission and deadline
date for receipt?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institution.......................... At least one acceptable To RFMS using EDE or An institution may
disbursement record custom software: submit disbursement
must be submitted for Student Air Internet records as early as
each. Gateway (SAIG) June 21, 2001, but can
Federal Pell Grant (formerly Title IV not submit a
recipient at the Wide Area Network). disbursement record
institution by:. any earlier than:
Electronic Data (a) 30 calendar days
Exchange (EDE) \1\. prior to the
disbursement date
under the Advance
payment method;
(b) 5 calendar days
prior to the
disbursement date
under the Just in-time
payment method; or
(c) The date of
disbursement under the
Reimbursement or Cash
Monitoring payment
methods.

[[Page 43756]]

An institution is
required to submit a
disbursement record
not later than the
earlier of:
(1) 30 calendar days
after the institution
--Makes a disbursement;
or
--Becomes aware of the
need to make an
adjustment to
previously reported
disbursement data; or
(b) September 30, 2002.
After September 30,
2002, an institution
may submit a
disbursement record
only:
(a) For a downward
adjustment of a
previously reported
award; or
(b) Based upon a
program review or
initial audit finding
per 34 CFR 690.83.
Requests for Year-To- 1. Pell Grant User August 16, 2002.\2\
Date Records. Support Hotline: 1-800-
474-7268
2. http://www.
pellgrantsonline.ed.go
v.
3. SAIG................
Request for 1. U.S. Department of January 31, 2003.
administrative relief Education, Office of
based on a natural Student Financial
disaster or other Assistance, Schools
unusual circumstances, Channel/Pell
or an administrative Operations, P.O. Box
error made by the 23781, Washington, DC
Department or 20026-0781.
Departmental 2. http://www.
contractors. pellgrantson
line.ed.gov.
3. by email: sfa.
administrative.
relief@ed.gov.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ An institution must ensure that its transmission of disbursement records is completed before midnight (local
time at the institution's EDE destination point) on September 30, 2002.
\2\ Year-To-Date records may be requested after this date, however, there may not be sufficient time for
institutions to receive the file, create a disbursement record batch and submit to the Secretary by the
September 30, 2002 deadline date for receipt of all 2001-2002 requests for payment.
Note: RFMS must accept a student origination record for a student from an institution before it accepts a
disbursement record from the institution for that student. An institution may submit an origination and a
disbursement record for a student in the same transmission.

[FR Doc. 01-20855 Filed 8-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P