(a) This subpart establishes standards that an institution must meet in order to participate in any Title IV, HEA program.

(b) Noncompliance with these standards by an institution already participating in any Title IV, HEA program or with applicable standards in this subpart by a third-party servicer that contracts with the institution may subject the institution or servicer, or both, to proceedings under subpart G of this part. These proceedings may lead to any of the following actions:

(1) An emergency action.

(2) The imposition of a fine.

(3) The limitation, suspension, or termination of the participation of the institution in a Title IV, HEA program.

(4) The limitation, suspension, or termination of the eligibility of the servicer to contract with any institution to administer any aspect of the institution's participation in a Title IV, HEA program.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [59 FR 22423, Apr. 29, 1994. Redesignated at 87 FR 65490, Oct. 28, 2022]

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 74695, Oct. 31, 2023.

(a) Requirements for certification. (1)(i) The Secretary certifies an institution to participate in the title IV, HEA programs if the institution qualifies as an eligible institution under 34 CFR part 600, meets the standards of this subpart and 34 CFR part 668, subpart L, and satisfies the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(ii) On application from the institution, the Secretary certifies a location of an institution that meets the requirements of § 668.13(a)(1)(i) as a branch if it satisfies the definition of “branch” in 34 CFR 600.2.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, if an institution wishes to participate for the first time in the title IV, HEA programs or has undergone a change in ownership that results in a change in control as described in 34 CFR 600.31, the institution must require the following individuals to complete title IV, HEA program training provided or approved by the Secretary no later than 12 months after the institution executes its program participation agreement under § 668.14:

(i) The individual the institution designates under § 668.16(b)(1) as its title IV, HEA program administrator.

(ii) The institution's chief administrator or a high level institutional official the chief administrator designates.

(3)(i) An institution may request the Secretary to waive the training requirement for any individual described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(ii) When the Secretary receives a waiver request under paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section, the Secretary may grant or deny the waiver, require another institutional official to take the training, or require alternative training.

(b) Period of participation. (1) If the Secretary certifies that an institution meets the standards of this subpart, the Secretary also specifies the period for which the institution may participate in a title IV, HEA program. An institution's period of participation expires no more than six years after the date that the Secretary certifies that the institution meets the standards of this subpart, except that—

(i) The period of participation for a private, for profit foreign institution expires three years after the date of the Secretary's certification; and

(ii) The Secretary may specify a shorter period.

(2) Provided that an institution has submitted an application for a renewal of certification that is materially complete at least 90 days prior to the expiration of its current period of participation, the institution's existing certification will be extended on a month to month basis following the expiration of the institution's period of participation until the end of the month in which the Secretary issues a decision on the application for recertification.

(3) In the event that the Secretary does not make a determination to grant or deny certification within 12 months of the expiration of its current period of participation, the institution will automatically be granted renewal of certification, which may be provisional.

(c) Provisional certification. (1)(i) The Secretary may provisionally certify an institution if—

(A) The institution seeks initial participation in a Title IV, HEA program;

(B) The institution is an eligible institution that has undergone a change in ownership that results in a change in control according to the provisions of 34 CFR part 600;

(C) The institution is a participating institution—

(1) That is applying for a certification that the institution meets the standards of this subpart;

(2) That the Secretary determines has jeopardized its ability to perform its financial responsibilities by not meeting the factors of financial responsibility under § 668.15 and subpart L of this part or the standards of administrative capability under § 668.16; and

(3) Whose participation has been limited or suspended under subpart G of this part, or voluntarily enters into provisional certification;

(D) The institution seeks a renewal of participation in a Title IV, HEA program after the expiration of a prior period of participation in that program;

(E) The institution is a participating institution that was accredited or preaccredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency on the day before the Secretary withdrew the Secretary's recognition of that agency according to the provisions contained in 34 CFR part 602; or

(F) The institution is a participating institution that has been provisionally recertified under the automatic recertification requirement in paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(ii) A proprietary institution's certification automatically becomes provisional at the start of a fiscal year after it did not derive at least 10 percent of its revenue for its preceding fiscal year from sources other than Title IV, HEA program funds, as required under § 668.14(b)(16).

(2) If the Secretary provisionally certifies an institution, the Secretary also specifies the period for which the institution may participate in a Title IV, HEA program. Except as provided in paragraphs (c) (3) and (4) of this section, a provisionally certified institution's period of participation expires—

(i) Not later than the end of the first complete award year following the date on which the Secretary provisionally certified the institution under paragraph (c)(1)(i)(A) of this section;

(ii) Not later than the end of the third complete award year following the date on which the Secretary provisionally certified the institution under paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(B), (C), and (D) or paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section; and

(iii) If the Secretary provisionally certified the institution under paragraph (c)(1)(i)(E) of this section, not later than 18 months after the date that the Secretary withdrew recognition from the institution's nationally recognized accrediting agency.

(3) Notwithstanding the maximum periods of participation provided for in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, if the Secretary provisionally certifies an institution, the Secretary may specify a shorter period of participation for that institution.

(4) For the purposes of this section, “provisional certification” means that the Secretary certifies that an institution has demonstrated to the Secretary's satisfaction that the institution—

(i) Is capable of meeting the standards of this subpart within a specified period; and

(ii) Is able to meet the institution's responsibilities under its program participation agreement, including compliance with any additional conditions specified in the institution's program participation agreement that the Secretary requires the institution to meet in order for the institution to participate under provisional certification.

(d) Revocation of provisional certification. (1) If, before the expiration of a provisionally certified institution's period of participation in a Title IV, HEA program, the Secretary determines that the institution is unable to meet its responsibilities under its program participation agreement, the Secretary may revoke the institution's provisional certification for participation in that program.

(2)(i) If the Secretary revokes the provisional certification of an institution under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the Secretary sends the institution a notice by certified mail, return receipt requested. The Secretary also may transmit the notice by other, more expeditious means, if practical.

(ii) The revocation takes effect on the date that the Secretary mails the notice to the institution.

(iii) The notice states the basis for the revocation, the consequences of the revocation to the institution, and that the institution may request the Secretary to reconsider the revocation. The consequences of a revocation are described in § 668.26.

(3)(i) An institution may request reconsideration of a revocation under this section by submitting to the Secretary, within 20 days of the institution's receipt of the Secretary's notice, written evidence that the revocation is unwarranted. The institution must file the request with the Secretary by hand-delivery, mail, or electronic transmission.

(ii) The filing date of the request is the date on which the request is—

(A) Hand-delivered;

(B) Mailed; or

(C) Sent by electronic transmission.

(iii) Documents filed by electronic transmission must be transmitted to the Secretary in accordance with instructions provided by the Secretary in the notice of revocation.

(4)(i) The designated department official making the decision concerning an institution's request for reconsideration of a revocation is different from, and not subject to supervision by, the official who initiated the revocation of the institution's provisional certification. The deciding official promptly considers an institution's request for reconsideration of a revocation and notifies the institution, by certified mail, return receipt requested, of the final decision. The Secretary also may transmit the notice by other, more expeditious means, if practical.

(ii) If the Secretary determines that the revocation is warranted, the Secretary's notice informs the institution that the institution may apply for reinstatement of participation only after the later of the expiration of—

(A) Eighteen months after the effective date of the revocation; or

(B) A debarment or suspension of the institution under Executive Order (E.O.) 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 comp., p. 189) or the Federal Acquisition Regulations, 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4.

(iii) If the Secretary determines that the revocation of the institution's provisional certification is unwarranted, the Secretary's notice informs the institution that the institution's provisional certification is reinstated, effective on the date that the Secretary's original revocation notice was mailed, for a specified period of time.

(5) The mailing date of a notice of revocation or a request for reconsideration of a revocation is the date evidenced on the original receipt of mailing from the U.S. Postal Service or another service that provides delivery confirmation for that document.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0022) [59 FR 22424, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 34964, July 7, 1994; 60 FR 34431, June 30, 1995; 62 FR 62876, Nov. 25, 1997; 63 FR 40623, July 29, 1998; 64 FR 58617, Oct. 29, 1999; 65 FR 65675, Nov. 1, 2000; 74 FR 55934, Oct. 29, 2009; 75 FR 67198, Nov. 1, 2010; 85 FR 54816, Sept. 2, 2020; 87 FR 63692, Oct. 20, 2022]

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 74696, Oct. 31, 2023.

(a)(1) An institution may participate in any Title IV, HEA program, other than the LEAP and NEISP programs, only if the institution enters into a written program participation agreement with the Secretary, on a form approved by the Secretary. A program participation agreement conditions the initial and continued participation of an eligible institution in any Title IV, HEA program upon compliance with the provisions of this part, the individual program regulations, and any additional conditions specified in the program participation agreement that the Secretary requires the institution to meet.

(2) An institution's program participation agreement applies to each branch campus and other location of the institution that meets the applicable requirements of this part unless otherwise specified by the Secretary.

(b) By entering into a program participation agreement, an institution agrees that—

(1) It will comply with all statutory provisions of or applicable to Title IV of the HEA, all applicable regulatory provisions prescribed under that statutory authority, and all applicable special arrangements, agreements, and limitations entered into under the authority of statutes applicable to Title IV of the HEA, including the requirement that the institution will use funds it receives under any Title IV, HEA program and any interest or other earnings thereon, solely for the purposes specified in and in accordance with that program;

(2) As a fiduciary responsible for administering Federal funds, if the institution is permitted to request funds under a Title IV, HEA program advance payment method, the institution will time its requests for funds under the program to meet the institution's immediate Title IV, HEA program needs;

(3) It will not request from or charge any student a fee for processing or handling any application, form, or data required to determine a student's eligibility for, and amount of, Title IV, HEA program assistance;

(4) It will establish and maintain such administrative and fiscal procedures and records as may be necessary to ensure proper and efficient administration of funds received from the Secretary or from students under the Title IV, HEA programs, together with assurances that the institution will provide, upon request and in a timely manner, information relating to the administrative capability and financial responsibility of the institution to—

(i) The Secretary;

(ii) A guaranty agency, as defined in 34 CFR part 682, that guarantees loans made under the Federal Stafford Loan and Federal PLUS programs for attendance at the institution or any of the institution's branch campuses or other locations;

(iii) The nationally recognized accrediting agency that accredits or preaccredits the institution or any of the institution's branch campuses, other locations, or educational programs;

(iv) The State agency that legally authorizes the institution and any branch campus or other location of the institution to provide postsecondary education; and

(v) In the case of a public postsecondary vocational educational institution that is approved by a State agency recognized for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education, that State agency;

(5) It will comply with the provisions of § 668.15 relating to factors of financial responsibility;

(6) It will comply with the provisions of § 668.16 relating to standards of administrative capability;

(7) It will submit reports to the Secretary and, in the case of an institution participating in the Federal Stafford Loan, Federal PLUS, or the Federal Perkins Loan Program, to holders of loans made to the institution's students under that program at such times and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require to carry out the purpose of the Title IV, HEA programs;

(8) It will not provide any statement to any student or certification to any lender in the case of an FFEL Program loan, or origination record to the Secretary in the case of a Direct Loan Program loan that qualifies the student or parent for a loan or loans in excess of the amount that the student or parent is eligible to borrow in accordance with sections 425(a), 428(a)(2), 428(b)(1)(A) and (B), 428B, 428H, and 455(a) of the HEA;

(9) It will comply with the requirements of subpart D of this part concerning institutional and financial assistance information for students and prospective students;

(10) In the case of an institution that advertises job placement rates as a means of attracting students to enroll in the institution, the institution will make available to prospective students, at or before the time that those students apply for enrollment—

(i) The most recent available data concerning employment statistics, graduation statistics, and any other information necessary to substantiate the truthfulness of the advertisements; and

(ii) Relevant State licensing requirements of the State in which the institution is located for any job for which the course of instruction is designed to prepare such prospective students, as provided in § 668.43(a)(5)(v);

(11) In the case of an institution participating in the FFEL program, the institution will inform all eligible borrowers, as defined in 34 CFR part 682, enrolled in the institution about the availability and eligibility of those borrowers for State grant assistance from the State in which the institution is located, and will inform borrowers from another State of the source of further information concerning State grant assistance from that State;

(12) It will provide the certifications described in paragraph (c) of this section;

(13) In the case of an institution whose students receive financial assistance pursuant to section 484(d) of the HEA, the institution will make available to those students a program proven successful in assisting students in obtaining the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma;

(14) It will not deny any form of Federal financial aid to any eligible student solely on the grounds that the student is participating in a program of study abroad approved for credit by the institution;

(15)(i) Except as provided under paragraph (b)(15)(ii) of this section, the institution will use a default management plan approved by the Secretary with regard to its administration of the FFEL or Direct Loan programs, or both for at least the first two years of its participation in those programs, if the institution—

(A) Is participating in the FFEL or Direct Loan programs for the first time; or

(B) Is an institution that has undergone a change of ownership that results in a change in control and is participating in the FFEL or Direct Loan programs.

(ii) The institution does not have to use an approved default management plan if—

(A) The institution, including its main campus and any branch campus, does not have a cohort default rate in excess of 10 percent; and

(B) The owner of the institution does not own and has not owned any other institution that had a cohort default rate in excess of 10 percent while that owner owned the institution.

(16) For a proprietary institution, the institution will derive at least 10 percent of its revenues for each fiscal year from sources other than Federal funds, as provided in § 668.28(a), or be subject to sanctions described in § 668.28(c);

(17) The Secretary, guaranty agencies and lenders as defined in 34 CFR part 682, nationally recognized accrediting agencies, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, State agencies recognized under 34 CFR part 603 for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education, and State agencies that legally authorize institutions and branch campuses or other locations of institutions to provide postsecondary education, have the authority to share with each other any information pertaining to the institution's eligibility for or participation in the Title IV, HEA programs or any information on fraud and abuse;

(18) It will not knowingly—

(i) Employ in a capacity that involves the administration of the Title IV, HEA programs or the receipt of funds under those programs, an individual who has been convicted of, or has pled nolo contendere or guilty to, a crime involving the acquisition, use, or expenditure of Federal, State, or local government funds, or has been administratively or judicially determined to have committed fraud or any other material violation of law involving Federal, State, or local government funds;

(ii) Contract with an institution or third-party servicer that has been terminated under section 432 of the HEA for a reason involving the acquisition, use, or expenditure of Federal, State, or local government funds, or that has been administratively or judicially determined to have committed fraud or any other material violation of law involving Federal, State, or local government funds; or

(iii) Contract with or employ any individual, agency, or organization that has been, or whose officers or employees have been—

(A) Convicted of, or pled nolo contendere or guilty to, a crime involving the acquisition, use, or expenditure of Federal, State, or local government funds; or

(B) Administratively or judicially determined to have committed fraud or any other material violation of law involving Federal, State, or local government funds;

(19) It will complete, in a timely manner and to the satisfaction of the Secretary, surveys conducted as a part of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) or any other Federal collection effort, as designated by the Secretary, regarding data on postsecondary institutions;

(20) In the case of an institution that is co-educational and has an intercollegiate athletic program, it will comply with the provisions of § 668.48;

(21) It will not impose any penalty, including, but not limited to, the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that the student borrow additional funds for which interest or other charges are assessed, on any student because of the student's inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution as a result of the delayed disbursement of the proceeds of a Title IV, HEA program loan due to compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements of or applicable to the Title IV, HEA programs, or delays attributable to the institution;

(22)(i) It will not provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid, to any person or entity who is engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity, or in making decisions regarding the award of title IV, HEA program funds.

(A) The restrictions in paragraph (b)(22) of this section do not apply to the recruitment of foreign students residing in foreign countries who are not eligible to receive Federal student assistance.

(B) For the purpose of paragraph (b)(22) of this section, an employee who receives multiple adjustments to compensation in a calendar year and is engaged in any student enrollment or admission activity or in making decisions regarding the award of title IV, HEA program funds is considered to have received such adjustments based upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid if those adjustments create compensation that is based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid.

(ii) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(22)(i) of this section, eligible institutions, organizations that are contractors to eligible institutions, and other entities may make—

(A) Merit-based adjustments to employee compensation provided that such adjustments are not based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid; and

(B) Profit-sharing payments so long as such payments are not provided to any person or entity engaged in student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions regarding the award of title IV, HEA program funds.

(iii) As used in paragraph (b)(22) of this section,

(A) Commission, bonus, or other incentive payment means a sum of money or something of value, other than a fixed salary or wages, paid to or given to a person or an entity for services rendered.

(B) Securing enrollments or the award of financial aid means activities that a person or entity engages in at any point in time through completion of an educational program for the purpose of the admission or matriculation of students for any period of time or the award of financial aid to students.

(1) These activities include contact in any form with a prospective student, such as, but not limited to—contact through preadmission or advising activities, scheduling an appointment to visit the enrollment office or any other office of the institution, attendance at such an appointment, or involvement in a prospective student's signing of an enrollment agreement or financial aid application.

(2) These activities do not include making a payment to a third party for the provision of student contact information for prospective students provided that such payment is not based on—

(i) Any additional conduct or action by the third party or the prospective students, such as participation in preadmission or advising activities, scheduling an appointment to visit the enrollment office or any other office of the institution or attendance at such an appointment, or the signing, or being involved in the signing, of a prospective student's enrollment agreement or financial aid application; or

(ii) The number of students (calculated at any point in time of an educational program) who apply for enrollment, are awarded financial aid, or are enrolled for any period of time, including through completion of an educational program.

(C) Entity or person engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions about the award of financial aid means—

(1) With respect to an entity engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions about the award of financial aid, any institution or organization that undertakes the recruiting or the admitting of students or that makes decisions about and awards title IV, HEA program funds; and

(2) With respect to a person engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions about the award of financial aid, any employee who undertakes recruiting or admitting of students or who makes decisions about and awards title IV, HEA program funds, and any higher level employee with responsibility for recruitment or admission of students, or making decisions about awarding title IV, HEA program funds.

(D) Enrollment means the admission or matriculation of a student into an eligible institution.

(23) It will meet the requirements established pursuant to part H of Title IV of the HEA by the Secretary and nationally recognized accrediting agencies;

(24) It will comply with the requirements of § 668.22;

(25) It is liable for all—

(i) Improperly spent or unspent funds received under the Title IV, HEA programs, including any funds administered by a third-party servicer; and

(ii) Returns of title IV, HEA program funds that the institution or its servicer may be required to make;

(26) If an educational program offered by the institution is required to prepare a student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, the institution must—

(i) Demonstrate a reasonable relationship between the length of the program and entry level requirements for the recognized occupation for which the program prepares the student. The Secretary considers the relationship to be reasonable if the number of clock hours provided in the program does not exceed the greater of—

(A) One hundred and fifty percent of the minimum number of clock hours required for training in the recognized occupation for which the program prepares the student, as established by the State in which the institution is located, if the State has established such a requirement, or as established by any Federal agency; or

(B) The minimum number of clock hours required for training in the recognized occupation for which the program prepares the student as established in a State adjacent to the State in which the institution is located; and

(ii) Establish the need for the training for the student to obtain employment in the recognized occupation for which the program prepares the student;

(27) In the case of an institution participating in a Title IV, HEA loan program, the institution—

(i) Will develop, publish, administer, and enforce a code of conduct with respect to loans made, insured or guaranteed under the Title IV, HEA loan programs in accordance with 34 CFR 601.21; and

(ii) Must inform its officers, employees, and agents with responsibilities with respect to loans made, insured or guaranteed under the Title IV, HEA loan programs annually of the provisions of the code required under paragraph (b)(27) of this section;

(28) For any year in which the institution has a preferred lender arrangement (as defined in 34 CFR 601.2(b)), it will at least annually compile, maintain, and make available for students attending the institution, and the families of such students, a list in print or other medium, of the specific lenders for loans made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV of the HEA or private education loans that the institution recommends, promotes, or endorses in accordance with such preferred lender arrangement. In making such a list, the institution must comply with the requirements in 34 CFR 682.212(h) and 34 CFR 601.10;

(29)(i) It will, upon the request of an enrolled or admitted student who is an applicant for a private education loan (as defined in 34 CFR 601.2(b)), provide to the applicant the self-certification form required under 34 CFR 601.11(d) and the information required to complete the form, to the extent the institution possesses such information, including—

(A) The applicant's cost of attendance at the institution, as determined by the institution under part F of title IV of the HEA;

(B) The applicant's estimated financial assistance, including amounts of financial assistance used to replace the expected family contribution as determined by the institution in accordance with title IV, for students who have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; and

(C) The difference between the amounts under paragraphs (b)(29)(i)(A) and (29)(i)(B) of this section, as applicable.

(ii) It will, upon the request of the applicant, discuss with the applicant the availability of Federal, State, and institutional student financial aid;

(30) The institution—

(i) Has developed and implemented written plans to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution's network, without unduly interfering with educational and research use of the network, that include—

(A) The use of one or more technology-based deterrents;

(B) Mechanisms for educating and informing its community about appropriate versus inappropriate use of copyrighted material, including that described in § 668.43(a)(10);

(C) Procedures for handling unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including disciplinary procedures; and

(D) Procedures for periodically reviewing the effectiveness of the plans to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials by users of the institution's network using relevant assessment criteria. No particular technology measures are favored or required for inclusion in an institution's plans, and each institution retains the authority to determine what its particular plans for compliance with paragraph (b)(30) of this section will be, including those that prohibit content monitoring; and

(ii) Will, in consultation with the chief technology officer or other designated officer of the institution—

(A) Periodically review the legal alternatives for downloading or otherwise acquiring copyrighted material;

(B) Make available the results of the review in paragraph (b)(30)(ii)(A) of this section to its students through a Web site or other means; and

(C) To the extent practicable, offer legal alternatives for downloading or otherwise acquiring copyrighted material, as determined by the institution; and

(31) The institution will submit a teach-out plan to its accrediting agency in compliance with 34 CFR 602.24(c) and the standards of the institution's accrediting agency. The institution will update its teach-out plan upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

(i) The Secretary initiates the limitation, suspension, or termination of the participation of an institution in any Title IV, HEA program under 34 CFR 600.41 or subpart G of this part or initiates an emergency action under § 668.83.

(ii) The institution's accrediting agency acts to withdraw, terminate, or suspend the accreditation or preaccreditation of the institution.

(iii) The institution's State licensing or authorizing agency revokes the institution's license or legal authorization to provide an educational program.

(iv) The institution intends to close a location that provides 100 percent of at least one program.

(v) The institution otherwise intends to cease operations.

(c) In order to participate in any Title IV, HEA program (other than the LEAP and NEISP programs), the institution must certify that it—

(1) Has in operation a drug abuse prevention program that the institution has determined to be accessible to any officer, employee, or student at the institution; and

(2)(i) Has established a campus security policy in accordance with section 485(f) of the HEA; and

(ii) Has complied with the disclosure requirements of § 668.47 as required by section 485(f) of the HEA.

(d)(1) The institution, if located in a State to which section 4(b) of the National Voter Registration Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-2(b)) does not apply, will make a good faith effort to distribute a mail voter registration form, requested and received from the State, to each student enrolled in a degree or certificate program and physically in attendance at the institution, and to make those forms widely available to students at the institution.

(2) The institution must request the forms from the State 120 days prior to the deadline for registering to vote within the State. If an institution has not received a sufficient quantity of forms to fulfill this section from the State within 60 days prior to the deadline for registering to vote in the State, the institution is not liable for not meeting the requirements of this section during that election year.

(3) This paragraph applies to elections as defined in section 301(1) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(1)), and includes the election for Governor or other chief executive within such State.

(e)(1) A program participation agreement becomes effective on the date that the Secretary signs the agreement.

(2) A new program participation agreement supersedes any prior program participation agreement between the Secretary and the institution.

(f)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (g) and (h) of this section, the Secretary terminates a program participation agreement through the proceedings in subpart G of this part.

(2) An institution may terminate a program participation agreement.

(3) If the Secretary or the institution terminates a program participation agreement under paragraph (f) of this section, the Secretary establishes the termination date.

(g) An institution's program participation agreement automatically expires on the date that—

(1) The institution changes ownership that results in a change in control as determined by the Secretary under 34 CFR part 600; or

(2) The institution's participation ends under the provisions of § 668.26(a) (1), (2), (4), or (7).

(h) An institution's program participation agreement no longer applies to or covers a location of the institution as of the date on which that location ceases to be a part of the participating institution.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0022) [59 FR 22425, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 34964, July 7, 1994; 63 FR 40623, July 29, 1998; 64 FR 58617, Oct. 29, 1999; 64 FR 59038, Nov. 1, 1999; 65 FR 38729, June 22, 2000; 65 FR 65637, Nov. 1, 2000; 67 FR 67072, Nov. 1, 2002; 73 FR 35492, June 23, 2008; 74 FR 55648, Oct. 28, 2009; 74 FR 55934, Oct. 29, 2009; 76 FR 66950, Oct. 29, 2010; 76 FR 20536, Apr. 13, 2011; 79 FR 65007, Oct. 31, 2014; 81 FR 76070, Nov. 1, 2016; 84 FR 49910, Sept. 23, 2019; 85 FR 54816, Sept. 2, 2020; 87 FR 65490, Oct. 28, 2022]

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 74698, Oct. 31, 2023.

(a) General. To begin and to continue to participate in any Title IV, HEA program, an institution must demonstrate to the Secretary that the institution is financially responsible under the requirements established in this section.

(b) General standards of financial responsibility. In general, the Secretary considers an institution to be financially responsible only if it—

(1) Is providing the services described in its official publications and statements;

(2) Is providing the administrative resources necessary to comply with the requirements of this subpart;

(3) Is meeting all of its financial obligations, including but not limited to—

(i) Refunds that it is required to make; and

(ii) Repayments to the Secretary for liabilities and debts incurred in programs administered by the Secretary;

(4) Is current in its debt payments. The institution is not considered current in its debt payments if—

(i) The institution is in violation of any existing loan agreement at its fiscal year end, as disclosed in a note to its audited financial statement; or

(ii) the institution fails to make a payment in accordance with existing debt obligations for more than 120 days, and at least one creditor has filed suit to recover those funds;

(5) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, submits to the Secretary an irrevocable letter of credit, acceptable and payable to the Secretary equal to 25 percent of the total dollar amount of Title IV, HEA program refunds paid by the institution in the previous fiscal year;

(6) Has not had, as part of the audit report for the institution's most recently completed fiscal year—

(i) A statement by the accountant expressing substantial doubt about the institution's ability to continue as a going concern; or

(ii) A disclaimed or adverse opinion by the accountant;

(7) For a for-profit institution—

(i)(A) Demonstrates at the end of its latest fiscal year, an acid test ratio of at least 1:1. For purposes of this section, the acid test ratio shall be calculated by adding cash and cash equivalents to current accounts receivable and dividing the sum by total current liabilities. The calculation of the acid test ratio shall exclude all unsecured or uncollateralized related party receivables;

(B) Has not had operating losses in either or both of its two latest fiscal years that in sum result in a decrease in tangible net worth in excess of 10 percent of the institution's tangible net worth at the beginning of the first year of the two-year period. The Secretary may calculate an operating loss for an institution by excluding from net income: extraordinary gains or losses; income or losses from discontinued operations; prior period adjustment; and, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principle. For purposes of this section, the calculation of tangible net worth shall exclude all assets defined as intangible in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and

(C) Had, for its latest fiscal year, a positive tangible net worth. In applying this standard, a positive tangible net worth occurs when the institution's tangible assets exceed its liabilities. The calculation of tangible net worth shall exclude all assets classified as intangible in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles; or

(ii) Demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that it has currently issued and outstanding debt obligations that are (without insurance, guarantee, or credit enhancement) listed at or above the second highest rating level of credit quality given by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization;

(8) For a nonprofit institution—

(i)(A) Prepares a classified statement of financial position in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or provides the required information in notes to the audited financial statements;

(B) Demonstrates at the end of its latest fiscal year, an acid test ratio of at least 1:1. For purposes of this section, the acid test ratio shall be calculated by adding cash and cash equivalents to current accounts receivable and dividing the sum by total current liabilities. The calculation of the acid test ratio shall exclude all unsecured or uncollateralized related party receivables.

(C)(1) Has, at the end of its latest fiscal year, a positive unrestricted current fund balance or positive unrestricted net assets. In calculating the unrestricted current fund balance or the unrestricted net assets for an institution, the Secretary may include funds that are temporarily restricted in use by the institution's governing body that can be transferred to the current unrestricted fund or added to net unrestricted assets at the discretion of the governing body; or

(2) Has not had, an excess of current fund expenditures over current fund revenues over both of its 2 latest fiscal years that results in a decrease exceeding 10 percent in either the unrestricted current fund balance or the unrestricted net assets at the beginning of the first year of the 2-year period. The Secretary may exclude from net changes in fund balances for the operating loss calculation: Extraordinary gains or losses; income or losses from discontinued operations; prior period adjustment; and the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principle. In calculating the institution's unrestricted current fund balance or the unrestricted net assets, the Secretary may include funds that are temporarily restricted in use by the institution's governing body that can be transferred to the current unrestricted fund or added to net unrestricted assets at the discretion of the governing body; or

(ii) Demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that it has currently issued and outstanding debt obligations which are (without insurance, guarantee, or credit enhancement) listed at or above the second highest rating level of credit quality given by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

(9) For a public institution—

(i) Has its liabilities backed by the full faith and credit of a State, or by an equivalent governmental entity;

(ii) Has a positive current unrestricted fund balance if reporting under the Single Audit Act;

(iii) Has a positive unrestricted current fund in the State's Higher Education Fund, as presented in the general purpose financial statements;

(iv) Submits to the Secretary, a statement from the State Auditor General that the institution has, during the past year, met all of its financial obligations, and that the institution continues to have sufficient resources to meet all of its financial obligations; or

(v) Demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that it has currently issued and outstanding debt obligations which are (without insurance, guarantee, or credit enhancement) listed at or above the second highest rating level of credit quality given by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

(c) Past performance of an institution or persons affiliated with an institution. An institution is not financially responsible if—

(1) A person who exercises substantial control over the institution or any member or members of the person's family alone or together—

(i)(A) Exercises or exercised substantial control over another institution or a third-party servicer that owes a liability for a violation of a Title IV, HEA program requirement; or

(B) Owes a liability for a violation of a Title IV, HEA program requirement; and

(ii) That person, family member, institution, or servicer does not demonstrate that the liability is being repaid in accordance with an agreement with the Secretary; or

(2) The institution has—

(i) Been limited, suspended, terminated, or entered into a settlement agreement to resolve a limitation, suspension, or termination action initiated by the Secretary or a guaranty agency (as defined in 34 CFR part 682) within the preceding five years;

(ii) Had—

(A) An audit finding, during its two most recent audits of its conduct of the Title IV, HEA programs, that resulted in the institution's being required to repay an amount greater than five percent of the funds that the institution received under the Title IV, HEA programs for any award year covered by the audit; or

(B) A program review finding, during its two most recent program reviews, of its conduct of the Title IV, HEA programs that resulted in the institution's being required to repay an amount greater than five percent of the funds that the institution received under the Title IV, HEA programs for any award year covered by the program review;

(iii) Been cited during the preceding five years for failure to submit acceptable audit reports required under this part or individual Title IV, HEA program regulations in a timely fashion; or

(iv) Failed to resolve satisfactorily any compliance problems identified in program review or audit reports based upon a final decision of the Secretary issued pursuant to subpart G or subpart H of this part.

(d) Exceptions to the general standards of financial responsibility. (1)(i) An institution is not required to meet the standard in paragraph (b)(5) of this section if the Secretary determines that the institution—

(A)(1) Is located in, and is legally authorized to operate within, a State that has a tuition recovery fund that is acceptable to the Secretary and ensures that the institution is able to pay all required refunds; and

(2) Contributes to that tuition recovery fund.

(B) Has its liabilities backed by the full faith and credit of the State, or by an equivalent governmental entity; or

(C) As determined under paragraph (g) of this section, demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that for each of the institution's two most recently completed fiscal years, it has made timely refunds to students in accordance with § 668.22(j), and that it has met or exceeded all of the financial responsibility standards in this section that were in effect for the corresponding periods during the two-year period.

(ii) In evaluating an application to approve a State tuition recovery fund to exempt its participating schools from the Federal cash reserve requirements, the Secretary will consider the extent to which the State tuition recovery fund:

(A) Provides refunds to both in-state and out-of-state students;

(B) Allocates all refunds in accordance with the order delineated in § 668.22(i); and

(C) Provides a reliable mechanism for the State to replenish the fund should any claims arise that deplete the funds assets.

(2) The Secretary considers an institution to be financially responsible, even if the institution is not otherwise financially responsible under paragraphs (b)(1) through (4) and (b)(6) through (9) of this section, if the institution—

(i) Submits to the Secretary an irrevocable letter of credit that is acceptable and payable to the Secretary equal to not less than one-half of the Title IV, HEA program funds received by the institution during the last complete award year for which figures are available; or

(ii) Establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary, with the support of a financial statement submitted in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section, that the institution has sufficient resources to ensure against its precipitous closure, including the ability to meet all of its financial obligations (including refunds of institutional charges and repayments to the Secretary for liabilities and debts incurred in programs administered by the Secretary). The Secretary considers the institution to have sufficient resources to ensure against precipitous closure only if—

(A) The institution formerly demonstrated financial responsibility under the standards of financial responsibility in its preceding audited financial statement (or, if no prior audited financial statement was requested by the Secretary, demonstrates in conjunction with its current audit that it would have satisfied this requirement), and that its most recent audited financial statement indicates that—

(1) All taxes owed by the institution are current;

(2) The institution's net income, or a change in total net assets, before extraordinary items and discontinued operations, has not decreased by more than 10 percent from the prior fiscal year, unless the institution demonstrates that the decreased net income shown on the current financial statement is a result of downsizing pursuant to a management-approved business plan;

(3) Loans and other advances to related parties have not increased from the prior fiscal year unless such increases were secured and collateralized, and do not exceed 10 percent of the prior fiscal year's working capital of the institution;

(4) The equity of a for-profit institution, or the total net assets of a non-profit institution, have not decreased by more than 10 percent of the prior year's total equity;

(5) Compensation for owners or other related parties (including bonuses, fringe benefits, employee stock option allowances, 401k contributions, deferred compensation allowances) has not increased from the prior year at a rate higher than for all other employees;

(6) The institution has not materially leveraged its assets or income by becoming a guarantor on any new loan or obligation on behalf of any related party;

(7) All obligations owed to the institution by related parties are current, and that the institution has demanded and is receiving payment of all funds owed from related parties that are payable upon demand. For purposes of this section, a person does not become a related party by attending an institution as a student;

(B) There have been no material findings in the institution's latest compliance audit of its administration of the Title IV HEA programs; and

(C) There are no pending administrative or legal actions being taken against the institution by the Secretary, any other Federal agency, the institution's nationally recognized accrediting agency, or any State entity.

(3) An institution is not required to meet the acid test ratio in paragraph (b)(7)(i)(A) or (b)(8)(i)(B) of this section if the institution is an institution that provides a 2-year or 4-year educational program for which the institution awards an associate or baccalaureate degree that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that—

(i) There is no reasonable doubt as to its continued solvency and ability to deliver quality educational services;

(ii) It is current in its payment of all current liabilities, including student refunds, repayments to the Secretary, payroll, and payment of trade creditors and withholding taxes; and

(iii) It has substantial equity in institution-occupied facilities, the acquisition of which was the direct cause of its failure to meet the acid test ratio requirement.

(4) The Secretary may determine an institution to be financially responsible even if the institution is not otherwise financially responsible under paragraph (c)(1) of this section if—

(i) The institution notifies the Secretary, in accordance with 34 CFR 600.30, that the person referenced in paragraph (c)(1) of this section exercises substantial control over the institution; and

(ii)(A) The person repaid to the Secretary a portion of the applicable liability, and the portion repaid equals or exceeds the greater of—

(1) The total percentage of the ownership interest held in the institution or third-party servicer that owes the liability by that person or any member or members of that person's family, either alone or in combination with one another;

(2) The total percentage of the ownership interest held in the institution or servicer that owes the liability that the person or any member or members of the person's family, either alone or in combination with one another, represents or represented under a voting trust, power of attorney, proxy, or similar agreement; or

(3) Twenty-five percent, if the person or any member of the person's family is or was a member of the board of directors, chief executive officer, or other executive officer of the institution or servicer that owes the liability, or of an entity holding at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution that owes the liability;

(B) The applicable liability described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section is currently being repaid in accordance with a written agreement with the Secretary; or

(C) The institution demonstrates why—

(1) The person who exercises substantial control over the institution should nevertheless be considered to lack that control; or

(2) The person who exercises substantial control over the institution and each member of that person's family nevertheless does not or did not exercise substantial control over the institution or servicer that owes the liability.

(e) [Reserved]

(f) Definitions and terms. For the purposes of this section—

(1)(i) An “ownership interest” is a share of the legal or beneficial ownership or control of, or a right to share in the proceeds of the operation of, an institution, institution's parent corporation, a third-party servicer, or a third-party servicer's parent corporation.

(ii) The term “ownership interest” includes, but is not limited to—

(A) An interest as tenant in common, joint tenant, or tenant by the entireties;

(B) A partnership; and

(C) An interest in a trust.

(iii) The term “ownership interest” does not include any share of the ownership or control of, or any right to share in the proceeds of the operation of—

(A) A mutual fund that is regularly and publicly traded;

(B) An institutional investor; or

(C) A profit-sharing plan, provided that all employees are covered by the plan;

(2) The Secretary generally considers a person to exercise substantial control over an institution or third-party servicer, if the person—

(i) Directly or indirectly holds at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution or servicer;

(ii) Holds, together with other members of his or her family, at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution or servicer;

(iii) Represents, either alone or together with other persons, under a voting trust, power of attorney, proxy, or similar agreement one or more persons who hold, either individually or in combination with the other persons represented or the person representing them, at least a 25 percent ownership in the institution or servicer; or

(iv) Is a member of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, or other executive officer of—

(A) The institution or servicer; or

(B) An entity that holds at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution or servicer; and

(3) The Secretary considers a member of a person's family to be a parent, sibling, spouse, child, spouse's parent or sibling, or sibling's or child's spouse.

(g) Two-year performance requirement. (1) The Secretary considers an institution to have satisfied the requirements in paragraph (d)(1)(C) of this section if the independent certified public accountant, or government auditor who conducted the institution's compliance audits for the institution's two most recently completed fiscal years, or the Secretary or a State or guaranty agency that conducted a review of the institution covering those fiscal years—

(i)(A) For either of those fiscal years, did not find in the sample of student records audited or reviewed that the institution made late refunds to 5 percent or more of the students in that sample. For purposes of determining the percentage of late refunds under this paragraph, the auditor or reviewer must include in the sample only those title IV, HEA program recipients who received or should have received a refund under § 668.22; or

(B) The Secretary considers the institution to have satisfied the conditions in paragraph (g)(1)(i)(A) of this section if the auditor or reviewer finds in the sample of student records audited or reviewed that the institution made only one late refund to a student in that sample; and

(ii) For either of those fiscal years, did not note a material weakness or a reportable condition in the institution's report on internal controls that is related to refunds.

(2) If the Secretary or a State or guaranty agency finds during a review conducted of the institution that the institution no longer qualifies for an exemption under paragraph (d)(1)(C) of this section, the institution must—

(i) Submit to the Secretary the irrevocable letter of credit required in paragraph (b)(5) of this section no later than 30 days after the Secretary or State or guaranty agency notifies the institution of that finding; and

(ii) Notify the Secretary of the guaranty agency or State that conducted the review.

(3) If the auditor who conducted the institution's compliance audit finds that the institution no longer qualifies for an exemption under paragraph (d)(1)(C) of this section, the institution must submit to the Secretary the irrevocable letter of credit required in paragraph (b)(5) of this section no later than 30 days after the date the institution's compliance audit must be submitted to the Secretary.

(h) Foreign institutions. The Secretary makes a determination of the financial responsibility for a foreign institution on the basis of financial statements submitted under § 668.23(h).

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840-0537) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094 and 1099c and Section 4 of Pub. L. 95-452, 92 Stat. 1101-1109) [59 FR 22428, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 34964, July 7, 1994; 59 FR 61179, Nov. 29, 1994; 60 FR 34431, June 30, 1995; 60 FR 42408, Aug. 15, 1995; 61 FR 29901, June 12, 1996; 61 FR 60569, Nov. 29, 1996; 62 FR 27128, May 16, 1997; 71 FR 45694, Aug. 9, 2006; 75 FR 67198, Nov. 1, 2010]

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 74698, Oct. 31, 2023.

To begin and to continue to participate in any Title IV, HEA program, an institution shall demonstrate to the Secretary that the institution is capable of adequately administering that program under each of the standards established in this section. The Secretary considers an institution to have that administrative capability if the institution—

(a) Administers the Title IV, HEA programs in accordance with all statutory provisions of or applicable to Title IV of the HEA, all applicable regulatory provisions prescribed under that statutory authority, and all applicable special arrangements, agreements, and limitations entered into under the authority of statutes applicable to Title IV of the HEA;

(b)(1) Designates a capable individual to be responsible for administering all the Title IV, HEA programs in which it participates and for coordinating those programs with the institution's other Federal and non-Federal programs of student financial assistance. The Secretary considers an individual to be “capable” under this paragraph if the individual is certified by the State in which the institution is located, if the State requires certification of financial aid administrators. The Secretary may consider other factors in determining whether an individual is capable, including, but not limited to, the individual's successful completion of Title IV, HEA program training provided or approved by the Secretary, and previous experience and documented success in administering the Title IV, HEA programs properly;

(2) Uses an adequate number of qualified persons to administer the Title IV, HEA programs in which the institution participates. The Secretary considers the following factors to determine whether an institution uses an adequate number of qualified persons—

(i) The number and types of programs in which the institution participates;

(ii) The number of applications evaluated;

(iii) The number of students who receive any student financial assistance at the institution and the amount of funds administered;

(iv) The financial aid delivery system used by the institution;

(v) The degree of office automation used by the institution in the administration of the Title IV, HEA programs;

(vi) The number and distribution of financial aid staff; and

(vii) The use of third-party servicers to aid in the administration of the Title IV, HEA programs;

(3) Communicates to the individual designated to be responsible for administering Title IV, HEA programs, all the information received by any institutional office that bears on a student's eligibility for Title IV, HEA program assistance; and

(4) Has written procedures for or written information indicating the responsibilities of the various offices with respect to the approval, disbursement, and delivery of Title IV, HEA program assistance and the preparation and submission of reports to the Secretary;

(c)(1) Administers Title IV, HEA programs with adequate checks and balances in its system of internal controls; and

(2) Divides the functions of authorizing payments and disbursing or delivering funds so that no office has responsibility for both functions with respect to any particular student aided under the programs. For example, the functions of authorizing payments and disbursing or delivering funds must be divided so that for any particular student aided under the programs, the two functions are carried out by at least two organizationally independent individuals who are not members of the same family, as defined in § 668.15, or who do not together exercise substantial control, as defined in § 668.15, over the institution;

(d)(1) Establishes and maintains records required under this part and the individual Title IV, HEA program regulations; and

(2)(i) Reports annually to the Secretary on any reasonable reimbursements paid or provided by a private education lender or group of lenders as described under section 140(d) of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1631(d)) to any employee who is employed in the financial aid office of the institution or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, including responsibilities involving the selection of lenders, or other financial aid of the institution, including—

(A) The amount for each specific instance of reasonable expenses paid or provided;

(B) The name of the financial aid official, other employee, or agent to whom the expenses were paid or provided;

(C) The dates of the activity for which the expenses were paid or provided; and

(D) A brief description of the activity for which the expenses were paid or provided.

(ii) Expenses are considered to be reasonable if the expenses—

(A) Meet the standards of and are paid in accordance with a State government reimbursement policy applicable to the entity; or

(B) Meet the standards of and are paid in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles for reimbursement, if no State policy that is applicable to the entity exists.

(iii) The policy must be consistently applied to an institution's employees reimbursed under this paragraph;

(e) For purposes of determining student eligibility for assistance under a title IV, HEA program, establishes, publishes, and applies reasonable standards for measuring whether an otherwise eligible student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress in his or her educational program. The Secretary considers an institution's standards to be reasonable if the standards are in accordance with the provisions specified in § 668.34.

(f) Develops and applies an adequate system to identify and resolve discrepancies in the information that the institution receives from different sources with respect to a student's application for financial aid under Title IV, HEA programs. In determining whether the institution's system is adequate, the Secretary considers whether the institution obtains and reviews—

(1) All student aid applications, need analysis documents, Statements of Educational Purpose, Statements of Registration Status, and eligibility notification documents presented by or on behalf of each applicant;

(2) Any documents, including any copies of State and Federal income tax returns, that are normally collected by the institution to verify information received from the student or other sources; and

(3) Any other information normally available to the institution regarding a student's citizenship, previous educational experience, documentation of the student's social security number, or other factors relating to the student's eligibility for funds under the Title IV, HEA programs;

(g) Refers to the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Education for investigation—

(1) After conducting the review of an application provided for under paragraph (f) of this section, any credible information indicating that an applicant for Title IV, HEA program assistance may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with his or her application. The type of information that an institution must refer is that which is relevant to the eligibility of the applicant for Title IV, HEA program assistance, or the amount of the assistance. Examples of this type of information are—

(i) False claims of independent student status;

(ii) False claims of citizenship;

(iii) Use of false identities;

(iv) Forgery of signatures or certifications; and

(v) False statements of income; and

(2) Any credible information indicating that any employee, third-party servicer, or other agent of the institution that acts in a capacity that involves the administration of the Title IV, HEA programs, or the receipt of funds under those programs, may have engaged in fraud, misrepresentation, conversion or breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other illegal conduct involving the Title IV, HEA programs. The type of information that an institution must refer is that which is relevant to the eligibility and funding of the institution and its students through the Title IV, HEA programs;

(h) Provides adequate financial aid counseling to eligible students who apply for Title IV, HEA program assistance. In determining whether an institution provides adequate counseling, the Secretary considers whether its counseling includes information regarding—

(1) The source and amount of each type of aid offered;

(2) The method by which aid is determined and disbursed, delivered, or applied to a student's account; and

(3) The rights and responsibilities of the student with respect to enrollment at the institution and receipt of financial aid. This information includes the institution's refund policy, the requirements for the treatment of title IV, HEA program funds when a student withdraws under § 668.22, its standards of satisfactory progress, and other conditions that may alter the student's aid package;

(i) Has provided all program and fiscal reports and financial statements required for compliance with the provisions of this part and the individual program regulations in a timely manner;

(j) Shows no evidence of significant problems that affect, as determined by the Secretary, the institution's ability to administer a Title IV, HEA program and that are identified in—

(1) Reviews of the institution conducted by the Secretary, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, nationally recognized accrediting agencies, guaranty agencies as defined in 34 CFR part 682, the State agency or official by whose authority the institution is legally authorized to provide postsecondary education, or any other law enforcement agency; or

(2) Any findings made in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding;

(k) Is not, and does not have any principal or affiliate of the institution (as those terms are defined in 2 CFR parts 180 and 3485) that is—

(1) Debarred or suspended under Executive Order 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) or the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4; or

(2) Engaging in any activity that is a cause under 2 CFR 180.700 or 180.800, as adopted at 2 CFR 3485.12, for debarment or suspension under E.O. 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) or the FAR, 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4;

(l) For an institution that seeks initial participation in a Title IV, HEA program, does not have more than 33 percent of its undergraduate regular students withdraw from the institution during the institution's latest completed award year. The institution must count all regular students who are enrolled during the latest completed award year, except those students who, during that period—

(1) Withdrew from, dropped out of, or were expelled from the institution;

(2) Were entitled to and actually received in a timely manner, a refund of 100 percent of their tuition and fees;

(m)(1) Has a cohort default rate—

(i) That is less than 25 percent for each of the three most recent fiscal years during which rates have been issued, to the extent those rates are calculated under subpart M of this part;

(ii) On or after 2014, that is less than 30 percent for at least two of the three most recent fiscal years during which the Secretary has issued rates for the institution under subpart N of this part; and

(iii) As defined in 34 CFR 674.5, on loans made under the Federal Perkins Loan Program to students for attendance at that institution that does not exceed 15 percent.

(2)(i) However, if the Secretary determines that an institution's administrative capability is impaired solely because the institution fails to comply with paragraph (m)(1) of this section, and the institution is not subject to a loss of eligibility under §§ 668.187(a) or 668.206(a), the Secretary allows the institution to continue to participate in the Title IV, HEA programs. In such a case, the Secretary may provisionally certify the institution in accordance with § 668.13(c) except as provided in paragraphs (m)(2)(ii), (m)(2)(iii), (m)(2)(iv), and (m)(2)(v) of this section.

(ii) An institution that fails to meet the standard of administrative capability under paragraph (m)(1)(ii) based on two cohort default rates that are greater than or equal to 30 percent but less than or equal to 40 percent is not placed on provisional certification under paragraph (m)(2)(i) of this section—

(A) If it has timely filed a request for adjustment or appeal under §§ 668.209, 668.210, or 668.212 with respect to the second such rate, and the request for adjustment or appeal is either pending or succeeds in reducing the rate below 30 percent; or

(B) If it has timely filed an appeal under § 668.213 after receiving the second such rate, and the appeal is either pending or successful; or

(C)(1) If it has timely filed a participation rate index challenge or appeal under § 668.204(c) or § 668.214 from either or both of the two rates, and the challenge or appeal is either pending or successful; or

(2) If the second rate is the most recent draft rate, and the institution has timely filed a participation rate challenge to that draft rate that is either pending or successful.

(iii) The institution may appeal the loss of full participation in a Title IV, HEA program under paragraph (m)(2)(i) of this section by submitting an erroneous data appeal in writing to the Secretary in accordance with and on the grounds specified in §§ 668.192 or 668.211 as applicable;

(iv) If the institution has 30 or fewer borrowers in the three most recent cohorts of borrowers used to calculate its cohort default rate under subpart N of this part, we will not provisionally certify it solely based on cohort default rates;

(v) If a rate that would otherwise potentially subject the institution to provisional certification under paragraphs (m)(1)(ii) and (m)(2)(i) of this section is calculated as an average rate, we will not provisionally certify it solely based on cohort default rates;

(n) Does not otherwise appear to lack the ability to administer the Title IV, HEA programs competently;

(o) Participates in the electronic processes that the Secretary—

(1) Provides at no substantial charge to the institution; and

(2) Identifies through a notice published in the Federal Register; and

(p) Develops and follows procedures to evaluate the validity of a student's high school completion if the institution or the Secretary has reason to believe that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0022) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1082, 1085, 1092, 1094, and 1099c) [59 FR 22431, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 34964, July 7, 1994; 59 FR 61180, Nov. 29, 1994; 60 FR 34431, June 30, 1995; 60 FR 42408, Aug. 15, 1995; 61 FR 60603, Nov. 29, 1996; 62 FR 27128, May 16, 1997; 63 FR 40624, July 29, 1998; 64 FR 59038, Nov. 1, 1999; 65 FR 65637, Nov. 1, 2000; 74 FR 55648, Oct. 28, 2009; 75 FR 66951, Oct. 29, 2010; 76 FR 52272, Aug. 22, 2011; 77 FR 18679, Mar. 28, 2012; 80 FR 67235, Oct. 30, 2015]

(a) General. (1) An institution may not deny readmission to a person who is a member of, applies to be a member of, performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform, service in the uniformed services on the basis of that membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation to perform service.

(2)(i) An institution must promptly readmit to the institution a person described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section with the same academic status as the student had when the student last attended the institution or was last admitted to the institution, but did not begin attendance because of that membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation to perform service.

(ii) “Promptly readmit” means that the institution must readmit the student into the next class or classes in the student's program beginning after the student provides notice of his or her intent to reenroll, unless the student requests a later date of readmission or unusual circumstances require the institution to admit the student at a later date.

(iii) To readmit a person with the “same academic status” means that the institution admits the student—

(A) To the same program to which he or she was last admitted by the institution or, if that exact program is no longer offered, the program that is most similar to that program, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program;

(B) At the same enrollment status that the student last held at the institution, unless the student requests or agrees to admission at a different enrollment status;

(C) With the same number of credit hours or clock hours completed previously by the student, unless the student is readmitted to a different program to which the completed credit hours or clock hours are not transferable;

(D) With the same academic standing (e.g., with the same satisfactory academic progress status) the student previously had; and

(E)(1) If the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which the student returns, assessing—

(i) The tuition and fee charges that the student was or would have been assessed for the academic year during which the student left the institution; or

(ii) Up to the amount of tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are assessed for that academic year, if veterans' education benefits, as defined in section 480(c) of the HEA, or other servicemember education benefits, will pay the amount in excess of the tuition and fee charges assessed for the academic year in which the student left the institution; or

(2) If the student is admitted to a different program, and for subsequent academic years for a student admitted to the same program, assessing no more than the tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are assessed for that academic year.

(iv)(A) If the institution determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program with the same academic status at the point where the student left off, or will not be able to complete the program, the institution must make reasonable efforts at no extra cost to the student to help the student become prepared or to enable the student to complete the program including, but not limited to, providing refresher courses at no extra cost to the student and allowing the student to retake a pretest at no extra cost to the student.

(B) The institution is not required to readmit the student on his or her return if—

(1) After reasonable efforts by the institution, the institution determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program at the point where he or she left off;

(2) After reasonable efforts by the institution, the institution determines that the student is unable to complete the program; or

(3) The institution determines that there are no reasonable efforts the institution can take to prepare the student to resume the program at the point where he or she left off or to enable the student to complete the program.

(C)(1) “Reasonable efforts” means actions that do not place an undue hardship on the institution.

(2) “Undue hardship” means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of the overall financial resources of the institution and the impact otherwise of such action on the operation of the institution.

(D) The institution carries the burden to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the student is not prepared to resume the program with the same academic status at the point where the student left off, or that the student will not be able to complete the program.

(3) This section applies to an institution that has continued in operation since the student ceased attending or was last admitted to the institution but did not begin attendance, notwithstanding any changes of ownership of the institution since the student ceased attendance.

(4) The requirements of this section supersede any State law (including any local law or ordinance), contract, agreement, policy, plan, practice, or other matter that reduces, limits, or eliminates in any manner any right or benefit provided by this section for the period of enrollment during which the student resumes attendance, and continuing so long as the institution is unable to comply with such requirements through other means.

(b) Service in the uniformed services. For purposes of this section, service in the uniformed services means service, whether voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve, on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under Federal authority, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days.

(c) Readmission procedures. (1) Any student whose absence from an institution is necessitated by reason of service in the uniformed services shall be entitled to readmission to the institution if—

(i) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the student (or an appropriate officer of the Armed Forces or official of the Department of Defense) gives advance oral or written notice of such service to an office designated by the institution, and provides such notice as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances;

(ii) The cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from that institution by reason of service in the uniformed services, including only the time the student spends actually performing service in the uniformed services, does not exceed five years; and

(iii) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, the student gives oral or written notice of his or her intent to return to an office designated by the institution—

(A) For a student who completes a period of service in the uniformed services, not later than three years after the completion of the period of service; or

(B) For a student who is hospitalized for or convalescing from an illness or injury incurred in or aggravated during the performance of service in the uniformed services, not later than two years after the end of the period that is necessary for recovery from such illness or injury.

(2)(i) An institution must designate one or more offices at the institution that a student may contact to provide notification of service required by paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section and notification of intent to return required by paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section.

(ii) An institution may not require that the notice provided by the student under paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (c)(1)(iii) of this section follow any particular format.

(iii) The notice provided by the student under paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section—

(A) May not be subject to any rule for timeliness; timeliness must be determined by the facts in any particular case; and

(B) Does not need to indicate whether the student intends to return to the institution.

(iv) For purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section, an “appropriate officer” is a commissioned, warrant, or noncommissioned officer authorized to give such notice by the military service concerned.

(d) Exceptions to advance notice. (1) No notice is required under paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section if the giving of such notice is precluded by military necessity, such as—

(i) A mission, operation, exercise, or requirement that is classified; or

(ii) A pending or ongoing mission, operation, exercise, or requirement that may be compromised or otherwise adversely affected by public knowledge.

(2) Any student (or an appropriate officer of the Armed Forces or official of the Department of Defense) who did not give advance written or oral notice of service to the appropriate official at the institution in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section may meet the notice requirement by submitting, at the time the student seeks readmission, an attestation to the institution that the student performed service in the uniformed services that necessitated the student's absence from the institution.

(e) Cumulative length of absence. For purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section, a student's cumulative length of absence from an institution does not include any service—

(1) That is required, beyond five years, to complete an initial period of obligated service;

(2) During which the student was unable to obtain orders releasing the student from a period of service in the uniformed services before the expiration of the five-year period and such inability was through no fault of the student; or

(3) Performed by a member of the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) who is—

(i) Ordered to or retained on active duty under—

(A) 10 U.S.C. 688 (involuntary active duty by a military retiree);

(B) 10 U.S.C. 12301(a) (involuntary active duty in wartime);

(C) 10 U.S.C. 12301(g) (retention on active duty while in captive status);

(D) 10 U.S.C. 12302 (involuntary active duty during a national emergency for up to 24 months);

(E) 10 U.S.C. 12304 (involuntary active duty for an operational mission for up to 270 days);

(F) 10 U.S.C. 12305 (involuntary retention on active duty of a critical person during time of crisis or other specific conditions);

(G) 14 U.S.C. 331 (involuntary active duty by retired Coast Guard officer);

(H) 14 U.S.C. 332 (voluntary active duty by retired Coast Guard officer);

(I) 14 U.S.C. 359 (involuntary active duty by retired Coast Guard enlisted member);

(J) 14 U.S.C. 360 (voluntary active duty by retired Coast Guard enlisted member);

(K) 14 U.S.C. 367 (involuntary retention of Coast Guard enlisted member on active duty); or

(L) 14 U.S.C. 712 (involuntary active duty by Coast Guard Reserve member for natural or man-made disasters);

(ii) Ordered to or retained on active duty (other than for training) under any provision of law because of a war or national emergency declared by the President or the Congress, as determined by the Secretary concerned;

(iii) Ordered to active duty (other than for training) in support, as determined by the Secretary concerned, of an operational mission for which personnel have been ordered to active duty under section 12304 of title 10, United States Code;

(iv) Ordered to active duty in support, as determined by the Secretary concerned, of a critical mission or requirement of the Armed Forces (including the National Guard or Reserve); or

(v) Called into Federal service as a member of the National Guard under chapter 15 of title 10, United States Code, or section 12406 of title 10, United States Code (i.e., called to respond to an invasion, danger of invasion, rebellion, danger of rebellion, insurrection, or the inability of the President with regular forces to execute the laws of the United States).

(f) Notification of intent to reenroll. A student who fails to apply for readmission within the periods described in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section does not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission to the institution, but is subject to the institution's established leave of absence policy and general practices.

(g) Documentation. (1) A student who submits an application for readmission to an institution under paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section shall provide to the institution documentation to establish that—

(i) The student has not exceeded the service limitation in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section; and

(ii) The student's eligibility for readmission has not been terminated due to an exception in paragraph (h) of this section.

(2)(i) Documents that satisfy the requirements of paragraph (g)(1) of this section include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) DD (Department of Defense) 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

(B) Copy of duty orders prepared by the facility where the orders were fulfilled carrying an endorsement indicating completion of the described service.

(C) Letter from the commanding officer of a Personnel Support Activity or someone of comparable authority.

(D) Certificate of completion from military training school.

(E) Discharge certificate showing character of service.

(F) Copy of extracts from payroll documents showing periods of service.

(G) Letter from National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Team Leader or Administrative Officer verifying dates and times of NDMS training or Federal activation.

(ii) The types of documents that are necessary to establish eligibility for readmission will vary from case to case. Not all of these documents are available or necessary in every instance to establish readmission eligibility.

(3) An institution may not delay or attempt to avoid a readmission of a student under this section by demanding documentation that does not exist, or is not readily available, at the time of readmission.

(h) Termination of readmission eligibility. A student's eligibility for readmission to an institution under this section by reason of such student's service in the uniformed services terminates upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

(1) A separation of such person from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) with a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge.

(2) A dismissal of a commissioned officer permitted under section 1161(a) of title 10, United States Code by sentence of a general court-martial; in commutation of a sentence of a general court-martial; or, in time of war, by order of the President.

(3) A dropping of a commissioned officer from the rolls pursuant to section 1161(b) of title 10, United States Code due to absence without authority for at least three months; separation by reason of a sentence to confinement adjudged by a court-martial; or, a sentence to confinement in a Federal or State penitentiary or correctional institution.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-NEW1) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088, et seq.) [74 FR 55934, Oct. 29, 2009]

(a) Before an institution may disburse title IV, HEA program funds to a student who previously attended another eligible institution, the institution must use information it obtains from the Secretary, through the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) or its successor system, to determine—

(1) Whether the student is in default on any title IV, HEA program loan;

(2) Whether the student owes an overpayment on any title IV, HEA program grant or Federal Perkins Loan;

(3) For the award year for which a Federal Pell Grant, an ACG, a National SMART Grant, or a TEACH Grant is requested, the student's Scheduled Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, or a TEACH Grant Award and the amount of Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, or a TEACH Grant funds disbursed to the student;

(4) The outstanding principal balance of loans made to the student under each of the title IV, HEA loan programs; and

(5) For the academic year for which title IV, HEA aid is requested, the amount of, and period of enrollment for, loans made to the student under each of the title IV, HEA loan programs.

(b)(1) If a student transfers from one institution to another institution during the same award year, the institution to which the student transfers must request from the Secretary, through NSLDS, updated information about that student so it can make the determinations required under paragraph (a) of this section; and

(2) The institution may not make a disbursement to that student for seven days following its request, unless it receives the information from NSLDS in response to its request or obtains that information directly by accessing NSLDS, and the information it receives allows it to make that disbursement.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0537) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g, 1091, 1094) [65 FR 65675, Nov. 1, 2000, as amended at 71 FR 38002, July 3, 2006; 73 FR 35492, June 23, 2008]

(a) A noncredit or reduced credit remedial course is a course of study designed to increase the ability of a student to pursue a course of study leading to a certificate or degree.

(1) A noncredit remedial course is one for which no credit is given toward a certificate or degree; and

(2) A reduced credit remedial course is one for which reduced credit is given toward a certificate or degree.

(b) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, in determining a student's enrollment status and cost of attendance, an institution shall include any noncredit or reduced credit remedial course in which the student is enrolled. The institution shall attribute the number of credit or clock hours to a noncredit or reduced credit remedial course by—

(1) Calculating the number of classroom and homework hours required for that course;

(2) Comparing those hours with the hours required for nonremedial courses in a similar subject; and

(3) Giving the remedial course the same number of credit or clock hours it gives the nonremedial course with the most comparable classroom and homework requirements.

(c) In determining a student's enrollment status under the Title IV, HEA programs or a student's cost of attendance under the campus-based, FFEL, and Direct Loan programs, an institution may not take into account any noncredit or reduced credit remedial course if—

(1) That course is part of a program of instruction leading to a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma, even if the course is necessary to enable the student to complete a degree or certificate program;

(2) The educational level of instruction provided in the noncredit or reduced credit remedial course is below the level needed to pursue successfully the degree or certificate program offered by that institution after one year in that remedial course; or

(3) Except for a course in English as a second language, the educational level of instruction provided in that course is below the secondary level. For purposes of this section, the Secretary considers a course to be below the secondary level if any of the following entities determine that course to be below the secondary level:

(i) The State agency that legally authorized the institution to provide postsecondary education.

(ii) In the case of an accredited or preaccredited institution, the nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that accredits or preaccredits the institution.

(iii) In the case of a public postsecondary vocational institution that is approved by a State agency recognized for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education, the State agency recognized for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education that approves the institution.

(iv) The institution.

(d) Except as set forth in paragraph (f) of this section, an institution may not take into account more than one academic year's worth of noncredit or reduced credit remedial coursework in determining—

(1) A student's enrollment status under the title IV, HEA programs; and

(2) A student's cost of attendance under the campus-based, FFEL, and Direct Loan programs.

(e) One academic year's worth of noncredit or reduced credit remedial coursework is equivalent to—

(1) Thirty semester or 45 quarter hours; or

(2) Nine hundred clock hours.

(f) Courses in English as a second language do not count against the one-year academic limitation contained in paragraph (d) of this section.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [52 FR 45724, Dec. 1, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 36698, July 31, 1991; 58 FR 32202, June 8, 1993; 63 FR 40624, July 29, 1998]

(a) If a student does not begin attendance in a payment period or period of enrollment—

(1) The institution must return all title IV, HEA program funds that were credited to the student's account at the institution or disbursed directly to the student for that payment period or period of enrollment, for Federal Perkins Loan, FSEOG TEACH Grant, Federal Pell Grant, ACG, and National SMART Grant program funds; and

(2) For FFEL and Direct Loan funds—

(i)(A) The institution must return all FFEL and Direct Loan funds that were credited to the student's account at the institution for that payment period or period of enrollment; and

(B) The institution must return the amount of payments made directly by or on behalf of the student to the institution for that payment period or period of enrollment, up to the total amount of the loan funds disbursed;

(ii) For remaining amounts of FFEL or Direct Loan funds disbursed directly to the student for that payment period or period of enrollment, including funds that are disbursed directly to the student by the lender for a study-abroad program in accordance with § 682.207(b)(1)(v)(C)(1) or for a student enrolled in a foreign school in accordance with § 682.207(b)(1)(v)(D), the institution is not responsible for returning the funds, but must immediately notify the lender or the Secretary, as appropriate, when it becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance so that the lender or Secretary will issue a final demand letter to the borrower in accordance with 34 CFR 682.412 or 34 CFR 685.211, as appropriate; and

(iii) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section, if an institution knew that a student would not begin attendance prior to disbursing FFEL or Direct Loan funds directly to the student for that payment period or period of enrollment (e.g., the student notified the institution that he or she would not attend, or the institution expelled the student), the institution must return those funds.

(b) The institution must return those funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (a) of this section to the respective title IV, HEA program as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance.

(c) For purposes of this section, the Secretary considers that a student has not begun attendance in a payment period or period of enrollment if the institution is unable to document the student's attendance at any class during the payment period or period of enrollment.

(d) In accordance with procedures established by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender, an institution returns title IV, HEA funds timely if—

(1) The institution deposits or transfers the funds into the bank account it maintains under § 668.163 as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance;

(2) The institution initiates an electronic funds transfer (EFT) as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance;

(3) The institution initiates an electronic transaction, as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance, that informs an FFEL lender to adjust the borrower's loan account for the amount returned; or

(4) The institution issues a check as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance. An institution does not satisfy this requirement if—

(i) The institution's records show that the check was issued more than 30 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance; or

(ii) The date on the cancelled check shows that the bank used by the Secretary or FFEL Program lender endorsed that check more than 45 days after the date that the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g, 1094) [72 FR 62027, Nov. 1, 2007, as amended at 73 FR 35493, June 23, 2008]

(a) General. (1) When a recipient of title IV grant or loan assistance withdraws from an institution during a payment period or period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must determine the amount of title IV grant or loan assistance that the student earned as of the student's withdrawal date in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section.

(2)(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(2)(ii) and (a)(2)(iii) of this section, a student is considered to have withdrawn from a payment period or period of enrollment if—

(A) In the case of a program that is measured in credit hours, the student does not complete all the days in the payment period or period of enrollment that the student was scheduled to complete;

(B) In the case of a program that is measured in clock hours, the student does not complete all of the clock hours and weeks of instructional time in the payment period or period of enrollment that the student was scheduled to complete;

(C) For a student in a standard or nonstandard-term program, excluding a subscription-based program, the student is not scheduled to begin another course within a payment period or period of enrollment for more than 45 calendar days after the end of the module the student ceased attending, unless the student is on approved leave of absence, as defined in paragraph (d) of this section; or

(D) For a student in a non-term program or a subscription-based program, the student is unable to resume attendance within a payment period or period of enrollment for more than 60 calendar days after ceasing attendance, unless the student is on an approved leave of absence, as defined in paragraph (d) of this section.

(ii)(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section—

(1) A student who completes all the requirements for graduation from his or her program before completing the days or hours in the period that he or she was scheduled to complete is not considered to have withdrawn;

(2) In a program offered in modules, a student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes—

(i) One module that includes 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules;

(ii) A combination of modules that when combined contain 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules; or

(iii) Coursework equal to or greater than the coursework required for the institution's definition of a half-time student under § 668.2 for the payment period;

(3) For a payment period or period of enrollment in which courses in the program are offered in modules—

(i) A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the institution obtains written confirmation from the student at the time that would have been a withdrawal of the date that he or she will attend a module that begins later in the same payment period or period of enrollment; and

(ii) For standard and nonstandard-term programs, excluding subscription-based programs, that module begins no later than 45 calendar days after the end of the module the student ceased attending;

(4) For a subscription-based program, a student is not considered to have withdrawn if the institution obtains written confirmation from the student at the time that would have been a withdrawal of the date that he or she will resume attendance, and that date occurs within the same payment period or period of enrollment and is no later than 60 calendar days after the student ceased attendance; and

(5) For a non-term program, a student is not considered to have withdrawn if the institution obtains written confirmation from the student at the time that would have been a withdrawal of the date that he or she will resume attendance, and that date is no later than 60 calendar days after the student ceased attendance.

(B) If an institution has obtained the written confirmation of future attendance in accordance with paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section—

(1) A student may change the date of return that begins later in the same payment period or period of enrollment, provided that the student does so in writing prior to the return date that he or she had previously confirmed;

(2) For standard and nonstandard-term programs, excluding subscription-based programs the later module that he or she will attend begins no later than 45 calendar days after the end of the module the student ceased attending; and

(3) For non-term and subscription-based programs, the student's program permits the student to resume attendance no later than 60 calendar days after the student ceased attendance.

(C) If an institution obtains written confirmation of future attendance in accordance with paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section and, if applicable, paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(B) of this section, but the student does not return as scheduled—

(1) The student is considered to have withdrawn from the payment period or period of enrollment; and

(2) The student's withdrawal date and the total number of calendar days in the payment period or period of enrollment would be the withdrawal date and total number of calendar days that would have applied if the student had not provided written confirmation of a future date of attendance in accordance with paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section.

(iii)(A) If a student withdraws from a term-based credit-hour program offered in modules during a payment period or period of enrollment and reenters the same program prior to the end of the period, subject to conditions established by the Secretary, the student is eligible to receive any title IV, HEA program funds for which he or she was eligible prior to withdrawal, including funds that were returned by the institution or student under the provisions of this section, provided the student's enrollment status continues to support the full amount of those funds.

(B) In accordance with § 668.4(f), if a student withdraws from a clock-hour or non-term credit hour program during a payment period or period of enrollment and then reenters the same program within 180 calendar days, the student remains in that same period when he or she returns and, subject to conditions established by the Secretary, is eligible to receive any title IV, HEA program funds for which he or she was eligible prior to withdrawal, including funds that were returned by the institution or student under the provisions of this section.

(3) For purposes of this section, “title IV grant or loan assistance” includes only assistance from the Direct Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, TEACH Grant, and FSEOG programs, not including the non-Federal share of FSEOG awards if an institution meets its FSEOG matching share by the individual recipient method or the aggregate method.

(4) If the total amount of title IV grant or loan assistance, or both, that the student earned as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section is less than the amount of title IV grant or loan assistance that was disbursed to the student or on behalf of the student in the case of a PLUS loan, as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew—

(i) The difference between these amounts must be returned to the title IV programs in accordance with paragraphs (g) and (h) of this section in the order specified in paragraph (i) of this section; and

(ii) No additional disbursements may be made to the student for the payment period or period of enrollment.

(5) If the total amount of title IV grant or loan assistance, or both, that the student earned as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section is greater than the total amount of title IV grant or loan assistance, or both, that was disbursed to the student or on behalf of the student in the case of a PLUS loan, as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, the difference between these amounts must be treated as a post-withdrawal disbursement in accordance with paragraph (a)(6) of this section and § 668.164(i).

(6)(i) A post-withdrawal disbursement must be made from available grant funds before available loan funds.

(ii)(A) If outstanding charges exist on the student's account, the institution may credit the student's account up to the amount of outstanding charges in accordance with § 668.164(c) with all or a portion of any—

(1) Grant funds that make up the post-withdrawal disbursement; and

(2) Loan funds that make up the post-withdrawal disbursement only after obtaining confirmation from the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, that they still wish to have the loan funds disbursed in accordance with paragraph (a)(6)(iii) of this section.

(B)(1) The institution must disburse directly to a student any amount of a post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds that is not credited to the student's account. The institution must make the disbursement as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section.

(2) The institution must offer to disburse directly to a student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, any amount of a post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds that is not credited to the student's account, in accordance with paragraph (a)(6)(iii) of this section.

(3) The institution must make a direct disbursement of any loan funds that make up the post-withdrawal disbursement only after obtaining the student's, or parent's in the case of a parent PLUS loan, confirmation that the student or parent still wishes to have the loan funds disbursed in accordance with paragraph (a)(6)(iii) of this section.

(iii)(A) The institution must provide within 30 days of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section, a written notification to the student, or parent in the case of parent PLUS loan, that—

(1) Requests confirmation of any post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds that the institution wishes to credit to the student's account in accordance with paragraph (a)(6)(ii)(A)(2) of this section, identifying the type and amount of those loan funds and explaining that a student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, may accept or decline some or all of those funds;

(2) Requests confirmation of any post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds that the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, can receive as a direct disbursement, identifying the type and amount of these title IV funds and explaining that the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, may accept or decline some or all of those funds;

(3) Explains that a student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, who does not confirm that a post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds may be credited to the student's account may not receive any of those loan funds as a direct disbursement unless the institution concurs;

(4) Explains the obligation of the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, to repay any loan funds he or she chooses to have disbursed; and

(5) Advises the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, that no post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds will be made, unless the institution chooses to make a post-withdrawal disbursement based on a late response in accordance with paragraph (a)(6)(iii)(C) of this section, if the student or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, does not respond within 14 days of the date that the institution sent the notification, or a later deadline set by the institution.

(B) The deadline for a student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, to accept a post-withdrawal disbursement under paragraph (a)(6)(iii)(A) of this section must be the same for both a confirmation of a direct disbursement of the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds and a confirmation of a post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds to be credited to the student's account.

(C) If the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, submits a timely response that confirms that they wish to receive all or a portion of a direct disbursement of the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds, or confirms that a post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds may be credited to the student's account, the institution must disburse the funds in the manner specified by the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, as soon as possible, but no later than 180 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section.

(D) If a student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, submits a late response to the institution's notice requesting confirmation, the institution may make the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds as instructed by the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan (provided the institution disburses all the funds accepted by the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan), or decline to do so.

(E) If a student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, submits a late response to the institution and the institution does not choose to make the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds, the institution must inform the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, in writing of the outcome of the post-withdrawal disbursement request.

(F) If the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, does not respond to the institution's notice, no portion of the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds that the institution wishes to credit to the student's account, nor any portion of loan funds that would be disbursed directly to the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, may be disbursed.

(iv) An institution must document in the student's file the result of any notification made in accordance with paragraph (a)(6)(iii) of this section of the student's right to cancel all or a portion of loan funds or of the student's right to accept or decline loan funds, and the final determination made concerning the disbursement.

(b) Withdrawal date for a student who withdraws from an institution that is required to take attendance. (1) For purposes of this section, for a student who ceases attendance at an institution that is required to take attendance, including a student who does not return from an approved leave of absence, as defined in paragraph (d) of this section, or a student who takes a leave of absence that does not meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section, the student's withdrawal date is the last date of academic attendance as determined by the institution from its attendance records.

(2) An institution must document a student's withdrawal date determined in accordance with paragraph (b)(1) of this section and maintain the documentation as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section.

(3)(i) An institution is required to take attendance if—

(A) An outside entity (such as the institution's accrediting agency or a State agency) has a requirement that the institution take attendance;

(B) The institution itself has a requirement that its instructors take attendance; or

(C) The institution or an outside entity has a requirement that can only be met by taking attendance or a comparable process, including, but not limited to, requiring that students in a program demonstrate attendance in the classes of that program, or a portion of that program.

(ii) If, in accordance with paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, an institution is required to take attendance or requires that attendance be taken for only some students, the institution must use its attendance records to determine a withdrawal date in accordance with paragraph (b)(1) of this section for those students.

(iii)(A) If, in accordance with paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, an institution is required to take attendance, or requires that attendance be taken, for a limited period, the institution must use its attendance records to determine a withdrawal date in accordance with paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section for that limited period.

(B) A student in attendance the last time attendance is required to be taken during the limited period identified in paragraph (b)(3)(iii)(A) of this section who subsequently stops attending during the payment period will be treated as a student for whom the institution was not required to take attendance.

(iv) If an institution is required to take attendance or requires that attendance be taken, on only one specified day to meet a census reporting requirement, the institution is not considered to take attendance.

(c) Withdrawal date for a student who withdraws from an institution that is not required to take attendance. (1) For purposes of this section, for a student who ceases attendance at an institution that is not required to take attendance, the student's withdrawal date is—

(i) The date, as determined by the institution, that the student began the withdrawal process prescribed by the institution;

(ii) The date, as determined by the institution, that the student otherwise provided official notification to the institution, in writing or orally, of his or her intent to withdraw;

(iii) If the student ceases attendance without providing official notification to the institution of his or her withdrawal in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (c)(1)(ii) of this section, the mid-point of the payment period (or period of enrollment, if applicable);

(iv) If the institution determines that a student did not begin the institution's withdrawal process or otherwise provide official notification (including notice from an individual acting on the student's behalf) to the institution of his or her intent to withdraw because of illness, accident, grievous personal loss, or other such circumstances beyond the student's control, the date that the institution determines is related to that circumstance;

(v) If a student does not return from an approved leave of absence as defined in paragraph (d) of this section, the date that the institution determines the student began the leave of absence; or

(vi) If a student takes a leave of absence that does not meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section, the date that the student began the leave of absence.

(2)(i)(A) An institution may allow a student to rescind his or her official notification to withdraw under paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section by filing a written statement that he or she is continuing to participate in academically-related activities and intends to complete the payment period or period of enrollment.

(B) If the student subsequently ceases to attend the institution prior to the end of the payment period or period of enrollment, the student's rescission is negated and the withdrawal date is the student's original date under paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section, unless a later date is determined under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(ii) If a student both begins the withdrawal process prescribed by the institution and otherwise provides official notification of his or her intent to withdraw in accordance with paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(ii) of this section respectively, the student's withdrawal date is the earlier date unless a later date is determined under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section, an institution that is not required to take attendance may use as the student's withdrawal date a student's last date of attendance at an academically-related activity provided that the institution documents that the activity is academically related and documents the student's attendance at the activity.

(4) An institution must document a student's withdrawal date determined in accordance with paragraphs (c)(1), (2), and (3) of this section and maintain the documentation as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section.

(5)(i) “Official notification to the institution” is a notice of intent to withdraw that a student provides to an office designated by the institution.

(ii) An institution must designate one or more offices at the institution that a student may readily contact to provide official notification of withdrawal.

(d) Approved leave of absence. (1) For purposes of this section (and, for a title IV, HEA program loan borrower, for purposes of terminating the student's in-school status), an institution does not have to treat a leave of absence as a withdrawal if it is an approved leave of absence. A leave of absence is an approved leave of absence if—

(i) The institution has a formal policy regarding leaves of absence;

(ii) The student followed the institution's policy in requesting the leave of absence;

(iii) The institution determines that there is a reasonable expectation that the student will return to the school;

(iv) The institution approved the student's request in accordance with the institution's policy;

(v) The leave of absence does not involve additional charges by the institution;

(vi) The number of days in the approved leave of absence, when added to the number of days in all other approved leaves of absence, does not exceed 180 days in any 12-month period;

(vii) Except for a clock hour or non-term credit hour program, or a subscription-based program, upon the student's return from the leave of absence, the student is permitted to complete the coursework he or she began prior to the leave of absence; and

(viii) If the student is a title IV, HEA program loan recipient, the institution explains to the student, prior to granting the leave of absence, the effects that the student's failure to return from a leave of absence may have on the student's loan repayment terms, including the exhaustion of some or all of the student's grace period.

(2) If a student does not resume attendance at the institution at or before the end of a leave of absence that meets the requirements of this section, the institution must treat the student as a withdrawal in accordance with the requirements of this section.

(3) For purposes of this paragraph—

(i) The number of days in a leave of absence is counted beginning with the first day of the student's initial leave of absence in a 12-month period.

(ii) A “12-month period” begins on the first day of the student's initial leave of absence.

(iii) An institution's leave of absence policy is a “formal policy” if the policy—

(A) Is in writing and publicized to students; and

(B) Requires students to provide a written, signed, and dated request, that includes the reason for the request, for a leave of absence prior to the leave of absence. However, if unforeseen circumstances prevent a student from providing a prior written request, the institution may grant the student's request for a leave of absence, if the institution documents its decision and collects the written request at a later date.

(e) Calculation of the amount of title IV assistance earned by the student—(1) General. The amount of title IV grant or loan assistance that is earned by the student is calculated by—

(i) Determining the percentage of title IV grant or loan assistance that has been earned by the student, as described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section; and

(ii) Applying this percentage to the total amount of title IV grant or loan assistance that was disbursed (and that could have been disbursed, as defined in paragraph (l)(1) of this section) to the student, or on the student's behalf, for the payment period or period of enrollment as of the student's withdrawal date.

(2) Percentage earned. The percentage of title IV grant or loan assistance that has been earned by the student is—

(i) Equal to the percentage of the payment period or period of enrollment that the student completed (as determined in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section) as of the student's withdrawal date, if this date occurs on or before—

(A) Completion of 60 percent of the payment period or period of enrollment for a program that is measured in credit hours; or

(B) Sixty percent of the clock hours scheduled to be completed for the payment period or period of enrollment for a program that is measured in clock hours; or

(ii) 100 percent, if the student's withdrawal date occurs after—

(A) Completion of 60 percent of the payment period or period of enrollment for a program that is measured in credit hours; or

(B) Sixty percent of the clock hours scheduled to be completed for the payment period or period of enrollment for a program measured in clock hours.

(3) Percentage unearned. The percentage of title IV grant or loan assistance that has not been earned by the student is calculated by determining the complement of the percentage of title IV grant or loan assistance earned by the student as described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(4) Total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned. The unearned amount of title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of title IV assistance earned by the student as calculated under paragraph (e)(1) of this section from the amount of title IV aid that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew.

(5) Use of payment period or period of enrollment. (i) The treatment of title IV grant or loan funds if a student withdraws must be determined on a payment period basis for a student who attended a standard term-based (semester, trimester, or quarter) educational program.

(ii)(A) The treatment of title IV grant or loan funds if a student withdraws may be determined on either a payment period basis or a period of enrollment basis for a student who attended a non-term based educational program or a nonstandard term-based educational program.

(B) An institution must consistently use either a payment period or period of enrollment for all purposes of this section for each of the following categories of students who withdraw from the same non-term based or nonstandard term-based educational program:

(1) Students who have attended an educational program at the institution from the beginning of the payment period or period of enrollment.

(2) Students who re-enter the institution during a payment period or period of enrollment.

(3) Students who transfer into the institution during a payment period or period of enrollment.

(iii) For a program that measures progress in credit hours and uses nonstandard terms that are not substantially equal in length, if the institution uses the payment period to determine the treatment of title IV grant or loan funds for a category of students found in paragraph (e)(5)(ii)(B) of this section, the institution must—

(A)(1) For students in the category who are disbursed or could have been disbursed aid using both the payment period definition in § 668.4(b)(1) and the payment period definition in § 668.4(b)(2), use the payment period during which the student withdrew that ends later; and

(2) If in the payment period that ends later there are funds that have been or could have been disbursed from overlapping payment periods, the institution must include in the return calculation any funds that can be attributed to the payment period that ends later; and

(B) For students in the category who are disbursed or could have been disbursed aid using only the payment period definition in § 668.4(b)(1) or the payment period definition in § 668.4(b)(2), use the payment period definition for which title IV, HEA program funds were disbursed for a student's calculation under this section.

(f) Percentage of payment period or period of enrollment completed. (1) For purposes of paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section, the percentage of the payment period or period of enrollment completed is determined—

(i) In the case of a program that is measured in credit hours, by dividing the total number of calendar days in the payment period or period of enrollment into the number of calendar days completed in that period as of the student's withdrawal date; and

(ii)(A) In the case of a program that is measured in clock hours, by dividing the total number of clock hours in the payment period or period of enrollment into the number of clock hours scheduled to be completed as of the student's withdrawal date.

(B) The scheduled clock hours used must be those established by the institution prior to the student's beginning class date for the payment period or period of enrollment and must be consistent with the published materials describing the institution's programs, unless the schedule was modified prior to the student's withdrawal.

(C) The schedule must have been established in accordance with requirements of the accrediting agency and the State licensing agency, if such standards exist.

(2)(i) The total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment includes all days within the period that the student was scheduled to complete, except that scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days are excluded from the total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment and the number of calendar days completed in that period.

(ii) The total number of calendar days in a payment period or period of enrollment does not include—

(A) Days in which the student was on an approved leave of absence; or

(B) For a payment period or period of enrollment in which any courses in the program are offered in modules, any scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days when the student is not scheduled to attend a module or other course offered during that period of time.

(g) Return of unearned aid, responsibility of the institution. (1) The institution must return, in the order specified in paragraph (i) of this section, the lesser of—

(i) The total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned as calculated under paragraph (e)(4) of this section; or

(ii) An amount equal to the total institutional charges incurred by the student for the payment period or period of enrollment multiplied by the percentage of title IV grant or loan assistance that has not been earned by the student, as described in paragraph (e)(3) of this section.

(2) For purposes of this section, “institutional charges” are tuition, fees, room and board (if the student contracts with the institution for the room and board) and other educationally-related expenses assessed by the institution.

(3) If, for a non-term program an institution chooses to calculate the treatment of title IV assistance on a payment period basis, but the institution charges for a period that is longer than the payment period, “total institutional charges incurred by the student for the payment period” is the greater of—

(i) The prorated amount of institutional charges for the longer period; or

(ii) The amount of title IV assistance retained for institutional charges as of the student's withdrawal date.

(h) Return of unearned aid, responsibility of the student. (1) After the institution has allocated the unearned funds for which it is responsible in accordance with paragraph (g) of this section, the student must return assistance for which the student is responsible in the order specified in paragraph (i) of this section.

(2) The amount of assistance that the student is responsible for returning is calculated by subtracting the amount of unearned aid that the institution is required to return under paragraph (g) of this section from the total amount of unearned title IV assistance to be returned under paragraph (e)(4) of this section.

(3) The student (or parent in the case of funds due to a parent PLUS Loan) must return or repay, as appropriate, the amount determined under paragraph (h)(1) of this section to—

(i) Any title IV loan program in accordance with the terms of the loan; and

(ii) Any title IV grant program as an overpayment of the grant; however, a student is not required to return the following—

(A) The portion of a grant overpayment amount that is equal to or less than 50 percent of the total grant assistance that was disbursed (and that could have been disbursed, as defined in paragraph (l)(1) of this section) to the student for the payment period or period of enrollment.

(B) With respect to any grant program, a grant overpayment amount, as determined after application of paragraph (h)(3)(ii)(A) of this section, of 50 dollars or less that is not a remaining balance.

(4)(i) A student who owes an overpayment under this section remains eligible for title IV, HEA program funds through and beyond the earlier of 45 days from the date the institution sends a notification to the student of the overpayment, or 45 days from the date the institution was required to notify the student of the overpayment if, during those 45 days the student—

(A) Repays the overpayment in full to the institution;

(B) Enters into a repayment agreement with the institution in accordance with repayment arrangements satisfactory to the institution; or

(C) Signs a repayment agreement with the Secretary, which will include terms that permit a student to repay the overpayment while maintaining his or her eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds.

(ii) Within 30 days of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, an institution must send a notice to any student who owes a title IV, HEA grant overpayment as a result of the student's withdrawal from the institution in order to recover the overpayment in accordance with paragraph (h)(4)(i) of this section.

(iii) If an institution chooses to enter into a repayment agreement in accordance with paragraph (h)(4)(i)(B) of this section with a student who owes an overpayment of title IV, HEA grant funds, it must—

(A) Provide the student with terms that permit the student to repay the overpayment while maintaining his or her eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds; and

(B) Require repayment of the full amount of the overpayment within two years of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew.

(iv) An institution must refer to the Secretary, in accordance with procedures required by the Secretary, an overpayment of title IV, HEA grant funds owed by a student as a result of the student's withdrawal from the institution if—

(A) The student does not repay the overpayment in full to the institution, or enter a repayment agreement with the institution or the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (h)(4)(i) of this section within the earlier of 45 days from the date the institution sends a notification to the student of the overpayment, or 45 days from the date the institution was required to notify the student of the overpayment;

(B) At any time the student fails to meet the terms of the repayment agreement with the institution entered into in accordance with paragraph (h)(4)(i)(B) of this section; or

(C) The student chooses to enter into a repayment agreement with the Secretary.

(v) A student who owes an overpayment is ineligible for title IV, HEA program funds—

(A) If the student does not meet the requirements in paragraph (h)(4)(i) of this section, on the day following the 45-day period in that paragraph; or

(B) As of the date the student fails to meet the terms of the repayment agreement with the institution or the Secretary entered into in accordance with paragraph (h)(4)(i) of this section.

(vi) A student who is ineligible under paragaraph (h)(4)(v) of this section regains eligibility if the student and the Secretary enter into a repayment agreement.

(5) The Secretary may waive grant overpayment amounts that students are required to return under this section if the withdrawals on which the returns are based are withdrawals by students—

(i) Who were residing in, employed in, or attending an institution of higher education that is located in an area in which the President has declared that a major disaster exists, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170);

(ii) Whose attendance was interrupted because of the impact of the disaster on the student or institution; and

(iii) Whose withdrawal occurred within the award year during which the designation occurred or during the next succeeding award year.

(i) Order of return of title IV funds—(1) Loans. Unearned funds returned by the institution or the student, as appropriate, in accordance with paragraph (g) or (h) of this section respectively, must be credited to outstanding balances on title IV loans made to the student or on behalf of the student for the payment period or period of enrollment for which a return of funds is required. Those funds must be credited to outstanding balances for the payment period or period of enrollment for which a return of funds is required in the following order:

(i) Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans.

(ii) Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans.

(iii) Federal Direct PLUS received on behalf of the student.

(2) Remaining funds. If unearned funds remain to be returned after repayment of all outstanding loan amounts, the remaining excess must be credited to any amount awarded for the payment period or period of enrollment for which a return of funds is required in the following order:

(i) Federal Pell Grants.

(ii) Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.

(iii) FSEOG Program aid.

(iv) TEACH Grants.

(j) Timeframe for the return of title IV funds. (1) An institution must return the amount of title IV funds for which it is responsible under paragraph (g) of this section as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew as defined in paragraph (l)(3) of this section. The timeframe for returning funds is further described in § 668.173(b).

(2) For an institution that is not required to take attendance, an institution must determine the withdrawal date for a student who withdraws without providing notification to the institution no later than 30 days after the end of the earlier of the—

(i) Payment period or period of enrollment, as appropriate, in accordance with paragraph (e)(5) of this section;

(ii) Academic year in which the student withdrew; or

(iii) Educational program from which the student withdrew.

(k) Consumer information. An institution must provide students with information about the requirements of this section in accordance with § 668.43.

(l) Definitions. For purposes of this section—

(1) Title IV grant or loan funds that “could have been disbursed” are determined in accordance with the late disbursement provisions in § 668.164(j).

(2) A “period of enrollment” is the academic period established by the institution for which institutional charges are generally assessed (i.e. length of the student's program or academic year).

(3) The “date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew”for an institution that is not required to take attendance is—

(i) For a student who provides notification to the institution of his or her withdrawal, the student's withdrawal date as determined under paragraph (c) of this section or the date of notification of withdrawal, whichever is later;

(ii) For a student who did not provide notification of his of her withdrawal to the institution, the date that the institution becomes aware that the student ceased attendance;

(iii) For a student who does not return from an approved leave of absence, the earlier of the date of the end of the leave of absence or the date the student notifies the institution that he or she will not be returning to the institution; or

(iv) For a student whose rescission is negated under paragraph (c)(2)(i)(B) of this section, the date the institution becomes aware that the student did not, or will not, complete the payment period or period of enrollment.

(v) For a student who takes a leave of absence that is not approved in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, the date that the student begins the leave of absence.

(4) A “recipient of title IV grant or loan assistance” is a student for whom the requirements of § 668.164(j)(2) have been met.

(5) Terms are “substantially equal in length” if no term in the program is more than two weeks of instructional time longer than any other term in that program.

(6) A program is “offered in modules” if the program uses a standard term or nonstandard-term academic calendar, is not a subscription-based program, and a course or courses in the program do not span the entire length of the payment period or period of enrollment.

(7)(i) “Academic attendance” and “attendance at an academically-related activity” must include academic engagement as defined under 34 CFR 600.2.

(ii) A determination of “academic attendance” or “attendance at an academically-related activity” must be made by the institution; a student's certification of attendance that is not supported by institutional documentation is not acceptable.

(8) A program is a nonstandard-term program if the program is a term-based program that does not qualify under 34 CFR 690.63(a)(1) or (a)(2) to calculate Federal Pell Grant payments under 34 CFR 690.63(b) or (c).

(9) A student in a program offered in modules is scheduled to complete the days in a module if the student's coursework in that module was used to determine the amount of the student's eligibility for title IV, HEA funds for the payment period or period of enrollment.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0022) [64 FR 59038, Nov. 1, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 67073, Nov. 1, 2002; 71 FR 45694, Aug. 9, 2006; 71 FR 64397, Nov. 1, 2006; 72 FR 62027, Nov. 1, 2007; 73 FR 35493, June 23, 2008; 75 FR 66951, Oct. 29, 2010; 85 FR 54816, Sept. 2, 2020]

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 74699, Oct. 31, 2023.

(a) General—(1) Independent auditor. For purposes of this section, the term “independent auditor” refers to an independent certified public accountant or a government auditor. To conduct an audit under this section, a government auditor must meet the Government Auditing Standards qualification and independence standards, including standards related to organizational independence.

(2) Institutions. An institution that participates in any title IV, HEA program must at least annually have an independent auditor conduct a compliance audit of its administration of that program and an audit of the institution's general purpose financial statements.

(3) Third-party servicers. Except as provided under this part or 34 CFR part 682, with regard to complying with the provisions under this section a third-party servicer must follow the procedures contained in the audit guides developed by and available from the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General. A third-party servicer is defined under § 668.2 and 34 CFR 682.200.

(4) Submission deadline. Except as provided by the Single Audit Act, Chapter 75 of title 31, United States Code, an institution must submit annually to the Secretary its compliance audit and its audited financial statements no later than six months after the last day of the institution's fiscal year.

(5) Audit submission requirements. In general, the Secretary considers the compliance audit and audited financial statement submission requirements of this section to be satisfied by an audit conducted in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, or the audit guides developed by and available from the Department of Education's Inspector General, whichever is applicable to the entity, and provided that the Federal student aid functions performed by that entity are covered in the submission. (Both OMB circulars are available by calling OMB's Publication Office at (202) 395-7332, or they can be obtained in electronic form on the OMB Home Page (http://www.whitehouse.gov).

(b) Compliance audits for institutions. (1) An institution's compliance audit must cover, on a fiscal year basis, all title IV, HEA program transactions, and must cover all of those transactions that have occurred since the period covered by the institution's last compliance audit.

(2) The compliance audit required under this section must be conducted in accordance with—

(i) The general standards and the standards for compliance audits contained in the U.S. General Accounting Office's (GAO's) Government Auditing Standards. (This publication is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402); and

(ii) Procedures for audits contained in audit guides developed by, and available from, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General.

(3) The Secretary may require an institution to provide a copy of its compliance audit report to guaranty agencies or eligible lenders under the FFEL programs, State agencies, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or nationally recognized accrediting agencies.

(c) Compliance audits for third-party servicers. (1) A third-party servicer that administers title IV, HEA programs for institutions does not have to have a compliance audit performed if—

(i) The servicer contracts with only one institution; and

(ii) The audit of that institution's administration of the title IV, HEA programs involves every aspect of the servicer's administration of that program for that institution.

(2) A third-party servicer that contracts with more than one participating institution may submit a compliance audit report that covers the servicer's administration of the title IV, HEA programs for all institutions with which the servicer contracts.

(3) A third-party servicer must submit annually to the Secretary its compliance audit no later than six months after the last day of the servicer's fiscal year.

(4) The Secretary may require a third-party servicer to provide a copy of its compliance audit report to guaranty agencies or eligible lenders under the FFEL programs, State agencies, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or nationally recognized accrediting agencies.

(d) Audited financial statements— (1) General. To enable the Secretary to make a determination of financial responsibility, an institution must, to the extent requested by the Secretary, submit to the Secretary a set of financial statements for its latest complete fiscal year, as well as any other documentation the Secretary deems necessary to make that determination. Financial statements submitted to the Secretary must include the Supplemental Schedule required under § 668.172(a) and Section 2 of Appendix A and B to subpart L of this part, and must be prepared on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and audited by an independent auditor in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and other guidance contained in 2 CFR Part 200—Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, And Audit Requirements For Federal Awards; or in audit guides developed by, and available from, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, whichever is applicable. As part of these financial statements, the institution must include a detailed description of related entities based on the definition of a related entity as set forth in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 850. The disclosure requirements under this provision extend beyond those of ASC 850 to include all related parties and a level of detail that would enable to Secretary to readily identify the related party. Such information may include, but is not limited to, the name, location and a description of the related entity including the nature and amount of any transactions between the related party and the institution, financial or otherwise, regardless of when they occurred.

(2) Submission of additional financial statements. To the extent requested by the Secretary in determining whether an institution is financially responsible, the Secretary may also require the submission of audited consolidated financial statements, audited full consolidating financial statements, audited combined financial statements or the audited financial statements of one or more related parties that have the ability, either individually or collectively, to significantly influence or control the institution, as determined by the Secretary.

(3) Disclosure of Federal revenue. A proprietary institution must disclose in a footnote to its audited financial statement the percentage of its revenues derived from Federal funds that the institution received during the fiscal year covered by that audit. The revenue percentage must be calculated in accordance with § 668.28. The institution must also report in the footnote the dollar amount of the numerator and denominator of its 90/10 ratio as well as the individual revenue amounts identified in section 2 of appendix C to this subpart.

(4) Audited financial statements for third-party servicers. A third-party servicer that enters into a contract with a lender or guaranty agency to administer any aspect of the lender's or guaranty agency's programs, as provided under 34 CFR part 682, must submit annually an audited financial statement. This financial statement must be prepared on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and audited by an independent auditor in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and other guidance contained in audit guides issued by the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General.

(e) Access to records. (1) An institution or a third-party servicer that has a compliance or financial statement audit conducted under this section must—

(i) Give the Secretary and the Inspector General access to records or other documents necessary to review that audit, including the right to obtain copies of those records or documents; and

(ii) Require an individual or firm conducting the audit to give the Secretary and the Inspector General access to records, audit work papers, or other documents necessary to review that audit, including the right to obtain copies of those records, work papers, or documents.

(2) An institution must give the Secretary and the Inspector General access to records or other documents necessary to review a third-party servicer's compliance or financial statement audit, including the right to obtain copies of those records or documents.

(f) Determination of liabilities. (1) Based on the audit finding and the institution's or third-party servicer's response, the Secretary determines the amount of liability, if any, owed by the institution or servicer and instructs the institution or servicer as to the manner of repayment.

(2) If the Secretary determines that a third-party servicer owes a liability for its administration of an institution's title IV, HEA programs, the servicer must notify each institution under whose contract the servicer owes a liability of that determination. The servicer must also notify every institution that contracts with the servicer for the same service that the Secretary determined that a liability was owed.

(g) Repayments. (1) An institution or third-party servicer that must repay funds under the procedures in this section shall repay those funds at the direction of the Secretary within 45 days of the date of the Secretary's notification, unless—

(i) The institution or servicer files an appeal under the procedures established in subpart H of this part; or

(ii) The Secretary permits a longer repayment period.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraphs (f) and (g)(1) of this section—

(i) If an institution or third-party servicer has posted surety or has provided a third-party guarantee and the Secretary questions expenditures or compliance with applicable requirements and identifies liabilities, then the Secretary may determine that deferring recourse to the surety or guarantee is not appropriate because—

(A) The need to provide relief to students or borrowers affected by the act or omission giving rise to the liability outweighs the importance of deferring collection action until completion of available appeal proceedings; or

(B) The terms of the surety or guarantee do not provide complete assurance that recourse to that protection will be fully available through the completion of available appeal proceedings; or

(ii) The Secretary may use administrative offset pursuant to 34 CFR part 30 to collect the funds owed under the procedures of this section.

(3) If, under the proceedings in subpart H, liabilities asserted in the Secretary's notification, under paragraph (e)(1) of this section, to the institution or third-party servicer are upheld, the institution or third-party servicer must repay those funds at the direction of the Secretary within 30 days of the final decision under subpart H of this part unless—

(i) The Secretary permits a longer repayment period; or

(ii) The Secretary determines that earlier collection action is appropriate pursuant to paragraph (g)(2) of this section.

(4) An institution is held responsible for any liability owed by the institution's third-party servicer for a violation incurred in servicing any aspect of that institution's participation in the title IV, HEA programs and remains responsible for that amount until that amount is repaid in full.

(h) Audit submission requirements for foreign institutions. (1) Audited financial statements. (i) The Secretary waives for that fiscal year the submission of audited financial statements if the institution is a foreign public or nonprofit institution that received less than $500,000 in U.S. title IV program funds during its most recently completed fiscal year, unless that foreign public or nonprofit institution is in its initial provisional period of participation, and received title IV program funds during that fiscal year, in which case the institution must submit, in English, audited financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the institution's home country.

(ii) Except as provided in paragraph (h)(1)(iii) of this section, a foreign institution that received $500,000 or more in U.S. title IV program funds during its most recently completed fiscal year must submit, in English, for each most recently completed fiscal year in which it received title IV program funds, audited financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the institution's home country along with corresponding audited financial statements that meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section.

(iii) In lieu of making the submission required by paragraph (h)(1)(ii) of this section, a public or private nonprofit institution that received—

(A) $500,000 or more in U.S. title IV program funds, but less than $3,000,000 in U.S. title IV program funds during its most recently completed fiscal year, may submit for that year, in English, audited financial statements prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles of the institution's home country, and is not required to submit the corresponding audited financial statements that meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section;

(B) At least $3,000,000, but less than $10,000,000 in U.S. title IV, program funds during its most recently completed fiscal year, must submit in English, for each most recently completed fiscal year, audited financial statements prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles of the institution's home country along with corresponding audited financial statements that meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section, except that an institution that continues to receive at least $3,000,000 but less than $10,000,000, in U.S. title IV funds during its most recently completed fiscal year may omit the audited financial statements that meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section for up to two consecutive years following the submission of audited financial statements that meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section.

(2) Compliance audits. A foreign institution's compliance audit must cover, on a fiscal year basis, all title IV, HEA program transactions, and must cover all of those transactions that have occurred since the period covered by the institution's last compliance audit. A compliance audit that is due under this paragraph must be submitted no later than six months after the last day of the institution's fiscal year, and must meet the following requirements:

(i) If the foreign institution received $500,000 or more in U.S. dollars in title IV, HEA program funds during its most recently completed fiscal year, it must submit a standard compliance audit for that prior fiscal year that is performed in accordance with audit guides developed by, and available from, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, together with an alternative compliance audit or audits prepared in accordance with paragraph (h)(2)(ii) of this section for any preceding fiscal year or years in which the foreign institution received less than $500,000 in U.S. dollars in title IV, HEA program funds and for which a compliance audit has not already been submitted;

(ii) If the foreign institution received less than $500,000 U.S. in title IV, HEA program funds for its most recently completed fiscal year, it must submit an alternative compliance audit for that prior fiscal year that is performed in accordance with audit guides developed by, and available from, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, except as noted in paragraph (h)(2)(iii) of this section.

(iii) If so notified by the Secretary, a foreign institution may submit an alternative compliance audit performed in accordance with audit guides developed by, and available from, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, that covers a period not to exceed three of the institution's consecutive fiscal years if such audit is submitted either no later than six months after the last day of the most recent fiscal year, or contemporaneously with a standard compliance audit timely submitted under paragraph (h)(2)(i) or (h)(3)(ii) of this section for the most recently completed fiscal year, and if the following conditions are met:

(A) The institution received less than $500,000 in title IV, HEA program funds for its most recently completed fiscal year.

(B) The institution has timely submitted acceptable compliance audits for two consecutive fiscal years, and following such submission, has no history of late submission since then.

(C) The institution is fully certified.

(3)(i) Exceptions. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (h)(1)(i) and (h)(1)(iii) of this section, the Secretary may issue a letter to a foreign institution that identifies problems with its financial condition or financial reporting and requires the submission of audited financial statements in the manner specified by the Secretary.

(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (h)(2)(ii) and (h)(2)(iii) of this section, the Secretary may issue to a foreign institution a letter that identifies problems with its administrative capability or compliance reporting that may require the compliance audit to be performed at a higher level of engagement, and may require the compliance audit to be submitted annually.

(i) Incorporation by reference. The material listed in this paragraph (i) is incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. This incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at U.S. Department of Education and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact U.S. Department of Education at: Office of the General Counsel, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, room 2C-136, Washington DC 20202; phone: (202) 401-6000; https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ogc/index.html?src=oc. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, contact the Office of the Federal Register—email: [email protected]; website: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The material may be obtained from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), 401 Merritt 7, P.O. Box 5116, Norwalk, CT 06856-5116; (203) 847-0700; www.fasb.org.

(1) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 850, Related Party Disclosures, Updated through September 10, 2018.

(2) [Reserved]

[61 FR 60569, Nov. 29, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 27128, May 16, 1997; 62 FR 62876, Nov. 25, 1997; 74 FR 55936, Oct. 29, 2009; 75 FR 67198, Nov. 1, 2010; 87 FR 63692, Oct. 20, 2022; 87 FR 65490, Oct. 28, 2022]

(a) Program records. An institution shall establish and maintain, on a current basis, any application for title IV, HEA program funds and program records that document—

(1) Its eligibility to participate in the title IV, HEA programs;

(2) The eligibility of its educational programs for title IV, HEA program funds;

(3) Its administration of the title IV, HEA programs in accordance with all applicable requirements;

(4) Its financial responsibility, as specified in this part;

(5) Information included in any application for title IV, HEA program funds; and

(6) Its disbursement and delivery of title IV, HEA program funds.

(b) Fiscal records. (1) An institution shall account for the receipt and expenditure of title IV, HEA program funds in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

(2) An institution shall establish and maintain on a current basis—

(i) Financial records that reflect each HEA, title IV program transaction; and

(ii) General ledger control accounts and related subsidiary accounts that identify each title IV, HEA program transaction and separate those transactions from all other institutional financial activity.

(c) Required records. (1) The records that an institution must maintain in order to comply with the provisions of this section include but are not limited to—

(i) The Student Aid Report (SAR) or Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) used to determine eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds;

(ii) Application data submitted to the Secretary, lender, or guaranty agency by the institution on behalf of the student or parent;

(iii) Documentation of each student's or parent borrower's eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds;

(iv) Documentation relating to each student's or parent borrower's receipt of title IV, HEA program funds, including but not limited to documentation of—

(A) The amount of the grant, loan, or FWS award; its payment period; its loan period, if appropriate; and the calculations used to determine the amount of the grant, loan, or FWS award;

(B) The date and amount of each disbursement or delivery of grant or loan funds, and the date and amount of each payment of FWS wages;

(C) The amount, date, and basis of the institution's calculation of any refunds or overpayments due to or on behalf of the student, or the treatment of title IV, HEA program funds when a student withdraws; and

(D) The payment of any overpayment or the return of any title IV, HEA program funds to the title IV, HEA program fund, a lender, or the Secretary, as appropriate;

(v) Documentation of and information collected at any initial or exit loan counseling required by applicable program regulations;

(vi) Reports and forms used by the institution in its participation in a title IV, HEA program, and any records needed to verify data that appear in those reports and forms; and

(vii) Documentation supporting the institution's calculations of its completion or graduation rates under §§ 668.46 and 668.49.

(2) In addition to the records required under this part—

(i) Participants in the Federal Perkins Loan Program shall follow procedures established in 34 CFR 674.19 for documentation of repayment history for that program;

(ii) Participants in the FWS Program shall follow procedures established in 34 CFR 675.19 for documentation of work, earnings, and payroll transactions for that program; and

(iii) Participants in the FFEL Program shall follow procedures established in 34 CFR 682.610 for documentation of additional loan record requirements for that program.

(d) General. (1) An institution shall maintain required records in a systematically organized manner.

(2) An institution shall make its records readily available for review by the Secretary or the Secretary's authorized representative at an institutional location designated by the Secretary or the Secretary's authorized representative.

(3) An institution may keep required records in hard copy or in microform, computer file, optical disk, CD-ROM, or other media formats, provided that—

(i) Except for the records described in paragraph (d)(3)(ii) of this section, all record information must be retrievable in a coherent hard copy format or in other media formats acceptable to the Secretary;

(ii) An institution shall maintain the Student Aid Report (SAR) or Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) used to determine eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds in the format in which it was received by the institution, except that the SAR may be maintained in an imaged media format;

(iii) Any imaged media format used to maintain required records must be capable of reproducing an accurate, legible, and complete copy of the original document, and, when printed, this copy must be approximately the same size as the original document;

(iv) Any document that contains a signature, seal, certification, or any other image or mark required to validate the authenticity of its information must be maintained in its original hard copy or in an imaged media format; and

(v) Participants in the Federal Perkins Loan Program shall follow procedures established in 34 CFR 674.19 for maintaining the original promissory notes and repayment schedules for that program.

(4) If an institution closes, stops providing educational programs, is terminated or suspended from the title IV, HEA programs, or undergoes a change of ownership that results in a change of control as described in 34 CFR 600.31, it shall provide for—

(i) The retention of required records; and

(ii) Access to those records, for inspection and copying, by the Secretary or the Secretary's authorized representative, and, for a school participating in the FFEL Program, the appropriate guaranty agency.

(e) Record retention. Unless otherwise directed by the Secretary—

(1) An institution shall keep records relating to its administration of the Federal Perkins Loan, FWS, FSEOG, Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, or TEACH Grant Program for three years after the end of the award year for which the aid was awarded and disbursed under those programs, provided that an institution shall keep—

(i) The Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate in the Federal Perkins Loan, FSEOG, and FWS Programs (FISAP), and any records necessary to support the data contained in the FISAP, including “income grid information,” for three years after the end of the award year in which the FISAP is submitted; and

(ii) Repayment records for a Federal Perkins loan, including records relating to cancellation and deferment requests, in accordance with the provisions of 34 CFR 674.19;

(2)(i) An institution shall keep records relating to a student or parent borrower's eligibility and participation in the FFEL or Direct Loan Program for three years after the end of the award year in which the student last attended the institution; and

(ii) An institution shall keep all other records relating to its participation in the FFEL or Direct Loan Program, including records of any other reports or forms, for three years after the end of the award year in which the records are submitted; and

(3) An institution shall keep all records involved in any loan, claim, or expenditure questioned by a title IV, HEA program audit, program review, investigation, or other review until the later of—

(i) The resolution of that questioned loan, claim, or expenditure; or

(ii) The end of the retention period applicable to the record.

(f) Examination of records. (1) An institution that participates in any title IV, HEA program and the institution's third-party servicer, if any, shall cooperate with an independent auditor, the Secretary, the Department of Education's Inspector General, the Comptroller General of the United States, or their authorized representatives, a guaranty agency in whose program the institution participates, and the institution's accrediting agency, in the conduct of audits, investigations, program reviews, or other reviews authorized by law.

(2) The institution and servicer must cooperate by—

(i) Providing timely access, for examination and copying, to requested records, including but not limited to computerized records and records reflecting transactions with any financial institution with which the institution or servicer deposits or has deposited any title IV, HEA program funds, and to any pertinent books, documents, papers, or computer programs; and

(ii) Providing reasonable access to personnel associated with the institution's or servicer's administration of the title IV, HEA programs for the purpose of obtaining relevant information.

(3) The Secretary considers that an institution or servicer has failed to provide reasonable access to personnel under paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section if the institution or servicer—

(i) Refuses to allow those personnel to supply all relevant information;

(ii) Permits interviews with those personnel only if the institution's or servicer's management is present; or

(iii) Permits interviews with those personnel only if the interviews are tape recorded by the institution or servicer.

(4) Upon request of the Secretary, or a lender or guaranty agency in the case of a borrower under the FFEL Program, an institution or servicer promptly shall provide the requester with any information the institution or servicer has respecting the last known address, full name, telephone number, enrollment information, employer, and employer address of a recipient of title IV funds who attends or attended the institution.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840-0697) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a, 1070a-1, 1070b, 1070g, 1078, 1078-1, 1078-2, 1078-3, 1082, 1087, 1087a, et seq. , 1087cc, 1087hh, 1088, 1094, 1099c, 1141, 1232f; 42 U.S.C. 2753; section 4 of Pub. L. 95-452, 92 Stat. 1101-1109) [61 FR 60491, Nov. 27, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 27128, May 16, 1997; 64 FR 59042, Nov. 1, 1999; 71 FR 38002, July 3, 2006; 73 FR 35493, June 23, 2008]

(a) An institution may enter into a written contract with a third-party servicer for the administration of any aspect of the institution's participation in any Title IV, HEA program only to the extent that the servicer's eligibility to contract with the institution has not been limited, suspended, or terminated under the proceedings of subpart G of this part.

(b) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section, a third-party servicer is eligible to enter into a written contract with an institution for the administration of any aspect of the institution's participation in any Title IV, HEA program only to the extent that the servicer's eligibility to contract with the institution has not been limited, suspended, or terminated under the proceedings of subpart G of this part.

(c) In a contract with an institution, a third-party servicer shall agree to—

(1) Comply with all statutory provisions of or applicable to Title IV of the HEA, all regulatory provisions prescribed under that statutory authority, and all special arrangements, agreements, limitations, suspensions, and terminations entered into under the authority of statutes applicable to Title IV of the HEA, including the requirement to use any funds that the servicer administers under any Title IV, HEA program and any interest or other earnings thereon solely for the purposes specified in and in accordance with that program;

(2) Refer to the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Education for investigation any information indicating there is reasonable cause to believe that the institution might have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with the institution's administration of any Title IV, HEA program or an applicant for Title IV, HEA program assistance might have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with his or her application. Examples of the type of information that must be referred are—

(i) False claims by the institution for Title IV, HEA program assistance;

(ii) False claims of independent student status;

(iii) False claims of citizenship;

(iv) Use of false identities;

(v) Forgery of signatures or certifications;

(vi) False statements of income; and

(vii) Payment of any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid to any person or entity engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions regarding the award of title IV, HEA program funds.

(3) Be jointly and severally liable with the institution to the Secretary for any violation by the servicer of any statutory provision of or applicable to Title IV of the HEA, any regulatory provision prescribed under that statutory authority, and any applicable special arrangement, agreement, or limitation entered into under the authority of statutes applicable to Title IV of the HEA;

(4) In the case of a third-party servicer that disburses funds (including funds received under the Title IV, HEA programs) or delivers Federal Stafford Loan Program proceeds to a student—

(i) Confirm the eligibility of the student before making that disbursement or delivering those proceeds. This confirmation must include, but is not limited to, any applicable information contained in the records required under § 668.24; and

(ii) Calculate and return any unearned title IV, HEA program funds to the title IV, HEA program accounts and the student's lender, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of §§ 668.21 and 668.22, and applicable program regulations; and

(5) If the servicer or institution terminates the contract, or if the servicer stops providing services for the administration of a Title IV, HEA program, goes out of business, or files a petition under the Bankruptcy Code, return to the institution all—

(i) Records in the servicer's possession pertaining to the institution's participation in the program or programs for which services are no longer provided; and

(ii) Funds, including Title IV, HEA program funds, received from or on behalf of the institution or the institution's students, for the purposes of the program or programs for which services are no longer provided.

(d) A third-party servicer may not enter into a written contract with an institution for the administration of any aspect of the institution's participation in any Title IV, HEA program, if—

(1)(i) The servicer has been limited, suspended, or terminated by the Secretary within the preceding five years;

(ii) The servicer has had, during the servicer's two most recent audits of the servicer's administration of the Title IV, HEA programs, an audit finding that resulted in the servicer's being required to repay an amount greater than five percent of the funds that the servicer administered under the Title IV, HEA programs for any award year; or

(iii) The servicer has been cited during the preceding five years for failure to submit audit reports required under Title IV of the HEA in a timely fashion; and

(2)(i) In the case of a third-party servicer that has been subjected to a termination action by the Secretary, either the servicer, or one or more persons or entities that the Secretary determines (under the provisions of § 668.15) exercise substantial control over the servicer, or both, have not submitted to the Secretary financial guarantees in an amount determined by the Secretary to be sufficient to satisfy the servicer's potential liabilities arising from the servicer's administration of the Title IV, HEA programs; and

(ii) One or more persons or entities that the Secretary determines (under the provisions of § 668.15) exercise substantial control over the servicer have not agreed to be jointly or severally liable for any liabilities arising from the servicer's administration of the Title IV, HEA programs and civil and criminal monetary penalties authorized under Title IV of the HEA.

(e)(1)(i) An institution that participates in a Title IV, HEA program shall notify the Secretary within 10 days of the date that—

(A) The institution enters into a new contract or significantly modifies an existing contract with a third-party servicer to administer any aspect of that program;

(B) The institution or a third-party servicer terminates a contract for the servicer to administer any aspect of that program; or

(C) A third-party servicer that administers any aspect of the institution's participation in that program stops providing services for the administration of that program, goes out of business, or files a petition under the Bankruptcy Code.

(ii) The institution's notification must include the name and address of the servicer.

(2) An institution that contracts with a third-party servicer to administer any aspect of the institution's participation in a Title IV, HEA program shall provide to the Secretary, upon request, a copy of the contract, including any modifications, and provide information pertaining to the contract or to the servicer's administration of the institution's participation in any Title IV, HEA program.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840-0537) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [59 FR 22441, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 34964, July 7, 1994; 61 FR 60492, Nov. 27, 1996; 63 FR 40624, July 29, 1998; 64 FR 59042, Nov. 1, 1999; 75 FR 66952, Oct. 29, 2010]

(a) An institution's participation in a Title IV, HEA program ends on the date that—

(1) The institution closes or stops providing educational programs for a reason other than a normal vacation period or a natural disaster that directly affects the institution or the institution's students;

(2) The institution loses its institutional eligibility under 34 CFR part 600;

(3) The institution's participation is terminated under the proceedings in subpart G of this part;

(4) The institution's period of participation, as specified under § 668.13, expires, or the institution's provisional certification is revoked under § 668.13;

(5) The institution's program participation agreement is terminated or expires under § 668.14;

(6) The institution's participation ends under subpart M of this part; or

(7) The Secretary receives a notice from the appropriate State postsecondary review entity designated under 34 CFR part 667 that the institution's participation should be withdrawn.

(b) If an institution's participation in a Title IV, HEA program ends, the institution shall—

(1) Immediately notify the Secretary of that fact;

(2) Submit to the Secretary within 45 days after the date that the participation ends—

(i) All financial, performance, and other reports required by appropriate Title IV, HEA program regulations; and

(ii) A letter of engagement for an independent audit of all funds that the institution received under that program, the report of which shall be submitted to the Secretary within 45 days after the date of the engagement letter;

(3) Inform the Secretary of the arrangements that the institution has made for the proper retention and storage for a minimum of three years of all records concerning the administration of that program;

(4) If the institution's participation in the Federal Perkins Loan Program ended, inform the Secretary of how the institution will provide for the collection of any outstanding loans made under that program;

(5) If the institution's participation in the LEAP Program ended—

(i) Inform immediately the State in which the institution is located of that fact; and

(ii) Notwithstanding paragraphs (c) through (e) of this section, follow the instructions of that State concerning the end of that participation;

(6) If the institution's participation in all the Title IV, HEA programs ended, inform the Secretary of how the institution will provide for the collection of any outstanding loans made under the National Defense/Direct Student Loan programs; and

(7) Continue to comply with the requirements of § 668.22 for the treatment of title IV, HEA program funds when a student withdraws.

(c) If an institution closes or stops providing educational programs for a reason other than a normal vacation period or a natural disaster that directly affects the institution or the institution's students, the institution shall—

(1) Return to the Secretary, or otherwise dispose of under instructions from the Secretary, any unexpended funds that the institution has received under the Title IV, HEA programs for attendance at the institution, less the institution's administrative allowance, if applicable; and

(2) Return to the appropriate lenders any Federal Stafford Loan program proceeds that the institution has received but not delivered to, or credited to the accounts of, students attending the institution.

(d)(1) An institution may use funds that it has received under the Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, or TEACH Grant Program or a campus-based program or request additional funds from the Secretary, under conditions specified by the Secretary, if the institution does not possess sufficient funds, to satisfy any unpaid commitment made to a student under that Title IV, HEA program only if—

(i) The institution's participation in that Title IV, HEA program ends during a payment period;

(ii) The institution continues to provide, from the date that the participation ends until the scheduled completion date of that payment period, educational programs to otherwise eligible students enrolled in the formerly eligible programs of the institution;

(iii) The commitment was made prior to the end of the participation; and

(iv) The commitment was made for attendance during that payment period or a previously completed payment period.

(2) An institution may credit to a student's account or deliver to the student the proceeds of a disbursement of a Federal Family Education Loan Programs loan to satisfy any unpaid commitment made to the student under the Federal Family Education Loan Programs Loan Program only if—

(i) The institution's participation in that Title IV, HEA program ends during a period of enrollment;

(ii) The institution continues to provide, from the date that the participation ends until the scheduled completion date of that period of enrollment, educational programs to otherwise eligible students enrolled in the formerly eligible programs of the institution;

(iii) The loan was made for attendance during that period of enrollment.

(iv) The proceeds of the first disbursement of the loan were delivered to the student or credited to the student's account prior to the end of the participation.

(3) An institution may use funds that it has received under the Direct Loan Program or request additional funds from the Secretary, under conditions specified by the Secretary, if the institution does not possess sufficient funds, to credit to a student's account or disburse to the student the proceeds of a Direct Loan Program loan only if—

(i) The institution's participation in the Direct Loan Program ends during a period of enrollment;

(ii) The institution continues to provide, from the date that the participation ends until the scheduled completion date of that period of enrollment, educational programs to otherwise eligible students enrolled in the formerly eligible programs of the institution;

(iii) The loan was made for attendance during that period of enrollment; and

(iv) The proceeds of the first disbursement of the loan were delivered to the student or credited to the student's account prior to the end of the participation.

(e)(1) Notwithstanding the requirements of any other provision in this section, with agreement from the institution's accrediting agency and State, the Secretary may permit an institution to continue to originate, award, or disburse funds under a Title IV, HEA program for no more than 120 days following the date of a final, non-appealable decision by an accrediting agency to withdraw, suspend, or terminate accreditation, by a State authorizing agency to remove State authorization, or by the Secretary to end the institution's participation in title IV, HEA programs if—

(i) The institution has notified the Secretary of its plans to conduct an orderly closure in accordance with any applicable requirements of its accrediting agency;

(ii) As part of the institution's orderly closure, it is performing a teach-out that has been approved by its accrediting agency;

(iii) The institution agrees to abide by the conditions of the program participation agreement that was in effect on the date of the decision under paragraph (e)(1), except that it will originate, award, or disburse funds under that agreement only to enrolled students who can complete the program within 120 days of the decision under paragraph (e)(1) or who can transfer to a new institution; and

(iv) The institution presents the Secretary with acceptable written assurances that—

(A) The health and safety of the institution's students are not at risk;

(B) The institution has adequate financial resources to ensure that instructional services remain available to students during the teach-out; and

(C) The institution is not subject to probation or its equivalent, or adverse action by the institution's State authorizing body or accrediting agency, except as provided in paragraph (e)(1).

(2) An institution is prohibited from engaging in misrepresentation, consistent with 34 CFR part 668 subpart F and consistent with 34 CFR part 685 subpart B, about the nature of its teach-out plans, teach-out agreements, and transfer of credit.

(f) For the purposes of this section—

(1) A commitment under the Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, and TEACH Grant programs occurs when a student is enrolled and attending the institution and has submitted a valid Student Aid Report to the institution or when an institution has received a valid institutional student information report; and

(2) A commitment under the campus-based programs occurs when a student is enrolled and attending the institution and has received a notice from the institution of the amount that he or she can expect to receive and how and when that amount will be paid.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840-0537) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g, 1094, 1099a-3) [59 FR 22442, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 34964, July 7, 1994; 61 FR 60492, Nov. 27, 1996; 63 FR 40624, July 29, 1998; 64 FR 59042, Nov. 1, 1999; 65 FR 38729, June 22, 2000; 65 FR 65637, Nov. 1, 2000; 69 FR 12276, Mar. 16, 2004; 71 FR 38002, July 3, 2006; 73 FR 35493, June 23, 2008; 84 FR 58931, Nov. 1, 2019]

(a) General. (1) At the request of an institution, the Secretary may waive the annual audit submission requirement for the period of time contained in paragraph (b) of this section if the institution satisfies the requirements contained in paragraph (c) of this section and posts a letter of credit in the amount determined in paragraph (d) of this section.

(2) An institution requesting a waiver must submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary prescribes.

(3) The first fiscal year for which an institution may request a waiver is the fiscal year in which it submits its waiver request to the Secretary.

(b) Waiver period. (1) If the Secretary grants the waiver, the institution need not submit its compliance or audited financial statement until six months after—

(i) The end of the third fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the institution last submitted a compliance audit and audited financial statement; or

(ii) The end of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the institution last submitted compliance and financial statement audits if the award year in which the institution will apply for recertification is part of the third fiscal year.

(2) The Secretary does not grant a waiver if the award year in which the institution will apply for recertification is part of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the institution last submitted compliance and financial statement audits.

(3) When an institution must submit its next compliance and financial statement audits under paragraph (b)(1) of this section—

(i) The institution must submit a compliance audit that covers the institution's administration of the title IV, HEA programs for the period for each fiscal year for which an audit did not have to be submitted as a result of the waiver, and an audited financial statement for its last fiscal year; and

(ii) The auditor who conducts the audit must audit the institution's annual determinations for the period subject to the waiver that it satisfied the 90/10 rule in § 600.5 and the other conditions of institutional eligibility in § 600.7 and § 668.8(e)(2), and disclose the results of the audit of the 90/10 rule for each year in accordance with § 668.23(d)(4).

(c) Criteria for granting the waiver. The Secretary grants a waiver to an institution if the institution—

(1) Is not a foreign institution;

(2) Did not disburse $200,000 or more of title IV, HEA program funds during each of the two completed award years preceding the institution's waiver request;

(3) Agrees to keep records relating to each award year in the unaudited period for two years after the end of the record retention period in § 668.24(e) for that award year;

(4) Has participated in the title IV, HEA programs under the same ownership for at least three award years preceding the institution's waiver request;

(5) Is financially responsible under § 668.171, and does not rely on the alternative standards of § 668.175 to participate in the title IV, HEA programs;

(6) Is not on the reimbursement or cash monitoring system of payment;

(7) Has not been the subject of a limitation, suspension, fine, or termination proceeding, or emergency action initiated by the Department or a guarantee agency in the three years preceding the institution's waiver request;

(8) Has submitted its compliance audits and audited financial statements for the previous two fiscal years in accordance with and subject to § 668.23, and no individual audit disclosed liabilities in excess of $10,000; and

(9) Submits a letter of credit in the amount determined in paragraph (d) of this section, which must remain in effect until the Secretary has resolved the audit covering the award years subject to the waiver.

(d) Letter of credit amount. For purposes of this section, the letter of credit amount equals 10 percent of the amount of title IV, HEA program funds the institution disbursed to or on behalf of its students during the award year preceding the institution's waiver request.

(e) Rescission of the waiver. (1) The Secretary rescinds the waiver if the institution—

(i) Disburses $200,000 or more of title IV, HEA program funds for an award year;

(ii) Undergoes a change in ownership that results in a change of control; or

(iii) Becomes the subject of an emergency action or a limitation, suspension, fine, or termination action initiated by the Department or a guarantee agency.

(2) If the Secretary rescinds a waiver, the rescission is effective on the last day of the fiscal year in which the rescission takes place.

(f) Renewal. An institution may request a renewal of its waiver when it submits its audits under paragraph (b) of this section. The Secretary grants the waiver if the audits and other information available to the Secretary show that the institution continues to satisfy the criteria for receiving that waiver.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [64 FR 58618, Oct. 29, 1999]

(a) General—(1) Calculating the revenue percentage. A proprietary institution meets the requirement in § 668.14(b)(16) that at least 10 percent of its revenue is derived from sources other than Federal funds by using the formula in appendix C to this subpart to calculate its revenue percentage for its latest complete fiscal year. For purposes of this section—

(i) For any fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2023, Federal funds used to calculate the revenue percentage include title IV, HEA program funds and any other educational assistance funds provided by a Federal agency directly to an institution or a student including the Federal portion of any grant funds provided by or administered by a non-Federal agency, except for non-title IV Federal funds provided directly to a student to cover expenses other than tuition, fees, and other institutional charges. The Secretary identifies the Federal agency and the other educational assistance funds provided by that agency in a notice published in the Federal Register, with updates to that list published as needed.

(ii) For any fiscal year beginning prior to January 1, 2023, Federal funds are limited to title IV, HEA program funds.

(2) Disbursement rule. An institution must use the cash basis of accounting in calculating its revenue percentage by—

(i) For each eligible student, counting the amount of Federal funds the institution received to pay tuition, fees, and other institutional charges during its fiscal year—

(A) Directly from an agency identified under paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section; and

(B) Paid by a student who received Federal funds; and

(ii) For each eligible student, counting the amount of title IV, HEA program funds the institution received to pay tuition, fees, and other institutional charges during its fiscal year. However, before the end of its fiscal year, the institution must—

(A) Request funds under the advanced payment method in § 668.162(b)(2) or the heightened cash monitoring method in § 668.162(d)(1) that the students are eligible to receive and make any disbursements to those students by the end of the fiscal year; or

(B) For institutions under the reimbursement or heightened cash monitoring methods in § 668.162(c) or (d)(2), make disbursements to those students by the end of the fiscal year and report as Federal funds in the revenue calculations the funds that the students are eligible to receive before requesting funds.

(3) Revenue generated from programs and activities. The institution must consider as revenue only those funds it generates from—

(i) Tuition, fees, and other institutional charges for students enrolled in eligible programs as defined in § 668.8;

(ii) Activities conducted by the institution that are necessary for the education and training of its students provided those activities are—

(A) Conducted on campus or at a facility under the institution's control;

(B) Performed under the supervision of a member of the institution's faculty;

(C) Required to be performed by all students in a specific educational program at the institution; and

(D) Related directly to services performed by students; and

(iii) Funds paid by a student, or on behalf of a student by a party unrelated to the institution, its owners, or affiliates, for an education or training program that is not eligible under § 668.8 and that does not include any courses offered in an eligible program. The non-eligible education or training program must be provided by the institution, and taught by one of its instructors, at its main campus or one of its approved additional locations, at another school facility approved by the appropriate State agency or accrediting agency, or at an employer facility. The institution may not count revenue from a non-eligible education or training program for which it merely provides facilities for test preparation courses, acts as a proctor, or oversees a course of self-study. The program must—

(A) Be approved or licensed by the appropriate State agency;

(B) Be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary under 34 CFR part 602;

(C) Provide an industry-recognized credential or certification;

(D) Provide training needed for students to maintain State licensing requirements; or

(E) Provide training needed for students to meet additional licensing requirements for specialized training for practitioners who already meet the general licensing requirements in that field.

(4) Application of funds. The institution must presume that any Federal funds it disburses, or delivers to a student, or determines was provided to a student by another Federal source, will be used to pay the student's tuition, fees, or institutional charges up to the amount of those Federal funds if a student makes a payment to the institution, except to the extent that the student's tuition, fees, or other charges are satisfied by—

(i) Grant funds provided by—

(A) Non-Federal public agencies that do not include Federal or institutional funds, unless the Federal portion of those grant funds can be determined, and that portion of Federal funds is included as Federal funds under this section. If the Federal funds cannot be determined no amount of the grant funds may be included under this section; or

(B) Private sources unrelated to the institution, its owners, or affiliates;

(ii) Funds provided under a contractual arrangement with the institution and a Federal, State, or local government agency for the purpose of providing job training to low-income individuals who need that training;

(iii) Funds used by a student from a savings plan for educational expenses established by or on behalf of the student if the savings plan qualifies for special tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or

(iv) Institutional scholarships that meet the requirements in paragraph (a)(5)(iv) of this section.

(5) Revenue generated from institutional aid. The institution may include the following institutional aid as revenue:

(i) For loans made to students and credited in full to the students' accounts at the institution and used to satisfy tuition, fees, and other institutional charges, the principal payments made on those loans by current or former students that the institution received during the fiscal year, if the loans are—

(A) Bona fide as evidenced by standalone repayment agreements between the students and the institution that are enforceable promissory notes;

(B) Issued at intervals related to the institution's enrollment periods;

(C) Subject to regular loan repayments and collections by the institution; and

(D) Separate from the enrollment contracts signed by the students.

(ii) Funds from an income share agreement or any other alternative financing agreement in which the agreement is with the institution only or with any entity or individual in the institution's ownership tree, or with any common ownership of the institution and the entity providing the funds, or if the entity or another entity with common ownership has any other relationships or agreements with the institution, provided that—

(A) The institution clearly identifies the student's institutional charges, and those charges are the same or less than the stated rate for institutional charges;

(B) The agreement clearly identifies the maximum time and maximum amount a student would be required to pay, including the implied or imputed interest rate and any fees and revenue generated for a related third-party, the institution, or any entity described in paragraph (a)(5)(ii) introductory text, for that maximum time period; and

(C) All payments are applied with a portion allocated to the return of capital and a portion allocated to profit. Revenue, interest, and fees are not included in the calculation.

(iii) For scholarships provided by the institution in the form of monetary aid and based on the academic achievement or financial need of its students, the amount disbursed to students during the fiscal year. The scholarships must be disbursed from an established restricted account and may be included as revenue only to the extent that the funds in that account represent—

(A) Designated funds from an outside source that is unrelated to the institution, its owners, or its affiliates; or

(B) Income earned on those funds.

(6) Funds excluded from revenues. For the fiscal year, the institution does not include—

(i) The amount of Federal Work Study (FWS) wages paid directly to the student. However, if the institution credits the student's account with FWS funds, those funds are included as revenue;

(ii) The amount of funds received by the institution from a State under the LEAP, Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (SLEAP), or Grants for Access and Persistence (GAP) program;

(iii) The amount of institutional funds used to match Federal education assistance funds;

(iv) The amount of Federal education assistance funds refunded to students or returned to the Secretary under § 668.22 or required to be returned under the applicable program;

(v) The amount the student is charged for books, supplies, and equipment unless the institution includes that amount as tuition, fees, or other institutional charges;

(vi) Any amount from the proceeds of the factoring or sale of accounts receivable or institutional loans, regardless of whether the loans were sold with or without recourse;

(vii) Any amount from the sale of an income share agreement or other financing agreement; or

(viii) Any funds, including loans, provided by a third party related to the institution, its owners, or affiliates to a student in any form.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Sanctions. If an institution does not derive at least 10 percent of its revenue from sources other than Federal funds—

(1) For two consecutive fiscal years, it loses its eligibility to participate in the title IV, HEA programs for at least two fiscal years. To regain eligibility, the institution must demonstrate that it complied with the State licensure and accreditation requirements under 34 CFR 600.5(a)(4) and (6), and the financial responsibility requirements under subpart L of this part, for a minimum of two fiscal years after the fiscal year it became ineligible;

(2) For any fiscal year, it becomes provisionally certified under § 668.13(c)(1)(ii) for the two fiscal years after the fiscal year it failed to satisfy the revenue requirement in this section. However, the institution's provisional certification terminates on—

(i) The expiration date of the institution's program participation agreement that was in effect on the date the Secretary determined the institution failed the requirement of this section; or

(ii) The date the institution loses its eligibility to participate under paragraph (c)(1) of this section;

(3) For any fiscal year, it must notify students of the possibility of loss of title IV eligibility;

(4) For any fiscal year, it must report the failure no later than 45 days after the end of its fiscal year, or immediately thereafter if subsequent information is obtained that shows an institution incorrectly determined that it passed the revenue requirement in this section for the prior fiscal year; and

(5) It is liable for any title IV, HEA program funds it disburses after the last day of the fiscal year it becomes ineligible to participate in the title IV, HEA program under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, excluding any funds the institution was entitled to disburse under § 668.26.

[87 FR 65490, Oct. 28, 2022]

If any provision of this subpart or its application to any person, act, or practice is held invalid, the remainder of the subpart or the application of its provisions to any person, act, or practice shall not be affected thereby.

[84 FR 58932, Nov. 1, 2019]

Part III Chapter 3—Independence

(a) The Third general standard for governmental auditing is: In matters relating to the audit work, the audit organization and the individual auditors shall maintain an independent attitude.

(b) This standard places upon the auditor and the audit organization the responsibility for maintaining sufficient independence so that their opinions, conclusions, judgments, and recommendations will be impartial. If the auditor is not sufficiently independent to produce unbiased opinions, conclusions, and judgments, he should state in a prominent place in the audit report his relationship with the organization or officials being audited. 1

1 If the auditor is not fully independent because he or she is an employee of the audited entity, it will be adequate disclosure to so indicate. If the auditor is a practicing certified public accountant, his or her conduct should be governed by the AICPA “Statements on Auditing Procedure.”

(c) The auditor should consider not only whether his or her own attitude and beliefs permit him or her to be independent but also whether there is anything about his or her situation which would lead others to question his or her independence. Both situations deserve consideration since it is important not only that the auditor be, in fact, independent and impartial but also that other persons will consider him or her so.

(d) There are three general classes of impairments that the auditor needs to consider; these are personal, external, and organizational impairments. If one or more of these are of such significance as to affect the auditor's ability to perform his or her work and report its results impartially, he or she should decline to perform the audit or indicate in the report that he or she was not fully independent.

Personal Impairments

There are some circumstances in which an auditor cannot be impartial because of his or her views or his or her personal situation. These circumstances might include:

1. Relationships of an official, professional, and/or personal nature that might cause the auditor to limit the extent or character of the inquiry, to limit disclosure, or to weaken his or her findings in any way.

2. Preconceived ideas about the objectives or quality of a particular operation or personal likes or dislikes of individuals, groups, or objectives of a particular program.

3. Previous involvement in a decisionmaking or management capacity in the operations of the governmental entity or program being audited.

4. Biases and prejudices, including those induced by political or social convictions, which result from employment in or loyalty to a particular group, entity, or level of government.

5. Actual or potential restrictive influence when the auditor performs preaudit work and subsequently performs a post audit.

6. Financial interest, direct or indirect, in an organization or facility which is benefiting from the audited programs.

External Impairments

External factors can restrict the audit or impinge on the auditor's ability to form independent and objective opinions and conclusions. For example, under the following conditions either the audit itself could be adversely affected or the auditor would not have complete freedom to make an independent judgment. 2

2 Some of these situations may constitute justifiable limitations on the scope of the work. In such cases the limitation should be identified in the auditor's report.

1. Interference or other influence that improperly or imprudently eliminates, restricts, or modifies the scope or character of the audit.

2. Interference with the selection or application of audit procedures of the selection of activities to be examined.

3. Denial of access to such sources of information as books, records, and supporting documents or denial or opportunity to obtain explanations by officials and employees of the governmental organization, program, or activity under audit.

4. Interference in the assignment of personnel to the audit task.

5. Retaliatory restrictions placed on funds or other resources dedicated to the audit operation.

6. Activity to overrule or significantly influence the auditors judgment as to the appropriate content of the audit report.

7. Influences that place the auditor's continued employment in jeopardy for reasons other than competency or the need for audit services.

8. Unreasonable restriction on the time allowed to competently complete an audit assignment.

Organizational Impairments

(a) The auditor's independence can be affected by his or her place within the organizational structure of governments. Auditors employed by Federal, State, or local government units may be subject to policy direction from superiors who are involved either directly or indirectly in the government management process. To achieve maximum independence such auditors and the audit organization itself not only should report to the highest practicable echelon within their government but should be organizationally located outside the line-management function of the entity under audit.

(b) These auditors should also be sufficiently removed from political pressures to ensure that they can conduct their auditing objectively and can report their conclusions completely without fear of censure. Whenever feasible they should be under a system which will place decisions on compensation, training, job tenure, and advancement on a merit basis.

(c) When independent public accountants or other independent professionals are engaged to perform work that includes inquiries into compliance with applicable laws and regulations, efficiency and economy of operations, or achievement of program results, they should be engaged by someone other than the officials responsible for the direction of the effort being audited. This practice removes the pressure that may result if the auditor must criticize the performance of those by whom he or she was engaged. To remove this obstacle to independence, governments should arrange to have auditors engaged by officials not directly involved in operations to be audited.

[51 FR 41921, Nov. 19, 1986. Redesignated at 65 FR 65650, Nov. 1, 2000]

Qualifications of Independent Auditors Engaged by Governmental Organizations

(a) When outside auditors are engaged for assignments requiring the expression of an opinion on financial reports of governmental organizations, only fully qualified public accountants should be employed. The type of qualifications, as stated by the Comptroller General, deemed necessary for financial audits of governmental organizations and programs is quoted below:

“Such audits shall be conducted * * * by independent certified public accountants or by independent licensed public accountants, licensed on or before December 31, 1970, who are certified or licensed by a regulatory authority of a State or other political subdivision of the United States: Except that independent public accountants licensed to practice by such regulatory authority after December 31, 1970, and persons who although not so certified or licensed, meet, in the opinion of the Secretary, standards of education and experience representative of the highest prescribed by the licensing authorities of the several States which provide for the continuing licensing of public accountants and which are prescribed by the Secretary in appropriate regulations may perform such audits until December 31, 1975; Provided, That if the Secretary deems it necessary in the public interest, he may prescribe by regulations higher standard than those required for the practice of public accountancy by the regulatory authorities of the States.” 1

1 Letter (B-148144, September 15, 1970) from the Comptroller General to the heads of Federal departments and agencies. The reference to “Secretary” means the head of the department or agency.

(b) The standards for examination and evaluation require consideration of applicable laws and regulations in the auditor's examination. The standards for reporting require a statement in the auditor's report regarding any significant instances of noncompliance disclosed by his or her examination and evaluation work. What is to be included in this statement requires judgment. Significant instances of noncompliance, even those not resulting in legal liability to the audited entity, should be included. Minor procedural noncompliance need not be disclosed.

(c) Although the reporting standard is generally on an exception basis—that only noncompliance need be reported—it should be recognized that governmental entities often want positive statements regarding whether or not the auditor's tests disclosed instances of noncompliance. This is particularly true in grant programs where authorizing agencies frequently want assurance in the auditor's report that this matter has been considered. For such audits, auditors should obtain an understanding with the authorizing agency as to the extent to which such positive comments on compliance are desired. When coordinated audits are involved, the audit program should specify the extent of comments that the auditor is to make regarding compliance.

(d) When noncompliance is reported, the auditor should place the findings in proper perspective. The extent of instances of noncompliance should be related to the number of cases examined to provide the reader with a basis for judging the prevalence of noncompliance.

[45 FR 86856, Dec. 31, 1980. Redesignated at 65 FR 65650, Nov. 1, 2000]

Section 1: Sample Student Account at the Institution/Funds Applied in Priority Order [87 FR 65492, Oct. 28, 2022]