Federal Pell Grant Program Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................... 1
OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................... 1
Other Information Sources .............................................................................................................................2
RECENT CHANGES ...................................................................................................................................... 2
......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Scheduled Award ..............................................................................................................................................3
Annual Award ...................................................................................................................................................3
Award Year .........................................................................................................................................................3
Academic Year ...................................................................................................................................................4
Standard Term and Nonstandard Term ........................................................................................................4

Student Eligibility .......................................................................... 7

GENERAL SFA ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................ 7
Financial Aid History ........................................................................................................................................7
PELL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 7
Undergraduate Student ..................................................................................................................................7
Eligible Postbaccalaureate Program ............................................................................................................8
Incarcerated Students ......................................................................................................................................9
SPECIAL PROGRAMS .............................................................................................................................. 10
Consortium Agreements (Between Eligible Schools) .............................................................................. 10
Correspondence Study ................................................................................................................................. 10
Foreign Study ................................................................................................................................................. 10
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Programs .............................................................................................. 10
ESL as an Eligible Program........................................................................................................................... 10
FINANCIAL NEED ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Professional Judgment ................................................................................................................................. 11
Reporting Changes ....................................................................................................................................... 11
DOCUMENTING THE STUDENT’S ELIGIBILITY FOR PAYMENT .................................................... 11
Output Documents ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Signature Requirements............................................................................................................................... 13
Record keeping .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Deadlines ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Calculating the Federal Pell Grant ............................................. 17

...................................................................................................................................................................... 17
CHOOSING A FORMULA ........................................................................................................................ 17
Credit-Hour Term-Based Programs ............................................................................................................ 17
Clock-Hour or Nonterm Programs (formula 4) ........................................................................................ 18
Correspondence Programs (formula 5) ..................................................................................................... 18
Determining Enrollment Status .................................................................................................................. 19
Enrollment Status Standards ...................................................................................................................... 19
Combined Terms ............................................................................................................................................ 22
Special Programs ........................................................................................................................................... 22
Enrollment Status Change During Year ..................................................................................................... 24
CALCULATING THE COST OF ATTENDANCE .................................................................................... 24
Less than Half Time ....................................................................................................................................... 24
Actual or Average Costs ............................................................................................................................... 25
Consortium COA ............................................................................................................................................ 25
Costs for a Cooperative Education Program ............................................................................................ 25
Tuition and Fees Charges for WIA Programs ............................................................................................ 26
Prorating the COA ......................................................................................................................................... 26
Correspondence Programs .......................................................................................................................... 29
DETERMINING THE ANNUAL AWARD ................................................................................................ 30
Tuition Sensitivity and the Alternate Schedule ........................................................................................ 30
Payment and Disbursement Schedules ..................................................................................................... 31
Correspondence Programs .......................................................................................................................... 36
DETERMINING THE PAYMENT PERIODS ............................................................................................ 36
Credit-Hour Term Programs ........................................................................................................................ 36
Nonterm or Clock-Hour Programs ............................................................................................................. 36
Correspondence Programs .......................................................................................................................... 40
CALCULATING THE PAYMENT FOR A PAYMENT PERIOD ............................................................. 41
Formula 1 ........................................................................................................................................................ 41
Formula 2 ........................................................................................................................................................ 42
Formula 3 ........................................................................................................................................................ 42
Formula 4 ........................................................................................................................................................ 44
Formula 5 ........................................................................................................................................................ 46
SUMMER TERMS ....................................................................................................................................... 47
Alternate Calculation ................................................................................................................................... 49
Summer Minisessions ................................................................................................................................... 49
COA for Summer Terms ................................................................................................................................ 51
CHECKING REMAINING ELIGIBILITY ................................................................................................... 52
Crossover Payment Periods ......................................................................................................................... 52
Transfer Students ........................................................................................................................................... 53
Formula Summaries ...................................................................................................................................... 55

Pell Reporting .............................................................................. 63

OVERVIEW OF RFMS ............................................................................................................................... 63
RFMS Software ............................................................................................................................................... 63
PELL AUTHORIZATION ........................................................................................................................... 64
REPORTING METHOD ............................................................................................................................. 64
Electronic Data Exchange ............................................................................................................................ 64
ORIGINATION RECORDS ........................................................................................................................ 65
Submitting Records ....................................................................................................................................... 65
Specific Origination Record Items .............................................................................................................. 65
Origination Record Acknowledgment ....................................................................................................... 69
DISBURSEMENT RECORDS .................................................................................................................... 71
Timing of Submissions .................................................................................................................................. 71
Specific Disbursement Record Items .......................................................................................................... 72
Disbursement Record Acknowledgment ................................................................................................... 72
REPORTING CHANGES ........................................................................................................................... 73
Changes to Origination Record Information............................................................................................ 73
Changes to Disbursement Information ..................................................................................................... 76
REPORTING DEADLINE .......................................................................................................................... 76
Adjustments after September 30th ............................................................................................................ 77
MULTIPLE REPORTING RECORD .......................................................................................................... 78
Requesting MRRs ........................................................................................................................................... 78
Automatic MRRs ............................................................................................................................................ 78
YEAR-TO-DATE RECORDS ...................................................................................................................... 79
REQUESTING FUNDS .............................................................................................................................. 80
Automated Clearing House (ACH) .............................................................................................................. 80
Administrative Cost Allowance ................................................................................................................... 81

Disbursing Pell Awards ................................................................ 83

GENERAL SFA REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................ 83
Methods of Disbursement ............................................................................................................................ 83
Early Payment Option ................................................................................................................................... 84
Notification of Payment ............................................................................................................................... 84
Late Disbursements ...................................................................................................................................... 84
REVIEWING STUDENT ELIGIBILITY...................................................................................................... 84
FIRST PAYMENT OPTIONS ..................................................................................................................... 85
Verification Exception ................................................................................................................................... 85
TIMING OF PAYMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 85
Retroactive Payment .................................................................................................................................... 85
Releasing a Check Later ............................................................................................................................... 86
STUDENTS WHO WITHDRAW AND LATER RETURN ....................................................................... 86
Paying Returned Amount ............................................................................................................................. 86
Retaking Hours and Courses ....................................................................................................................... 86

Recalculations and Overpayments.............................................. 89

RECALCULATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 89
Change in the EFC ......................................................................................................................................... 89
Change in Enrollment Status....................................................................................................................... 90
Change in Cost of Attendance .................................................................................................................... 91
OVERPAYMENTS ....................................................................................................................................... 92
Reporting Overpayments Collected ........................................................................................................... 93
Reporting and Referring Overpayments ................................................................................................... 93
PREVENTING OVERAWARDS ................................................................................................................ 93
Resources and Estimated Financial Assistance ........................................................................................ 94
NCAA Rules for Student Athletes ................................................................................................................ 94