[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 146 (Monday, August 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18617]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 1, 1994]


_______________________________________________________________________

Part XI





Department of Education





_______________________________________________________________________




Federal Pell Grant Program; Notice
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
Federal Pell Grant Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice; deadline dates for receipt of applications, reports, 
and other documents for the 1994-95 award year.

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

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces the deadline dates for receiving 
documents from persons applying for financial assistance under, and 
from institutions participating in, the Federal Pell Grant Program 
during the 1994-95 award year.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Pell Grant Program provides 
grants to students attending eligible institutions of higher education 
to help them pay for their educational costs. The program supports 
Goals 2000, the President's strategy for moving the Nation toward the 
National Education Goals, by enhancing opportunities for postsecondary 
education. The National Education Goals call for increasing the rate at 
which students graduate from high school and pursue high quality 
postsecondary education and for supporting life-long learning. 
Authority for the Federal Pell Grant Program is contained in section 
401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 
1070a. Regulations that govern the Federal Pell Grant Program are 
codified in 34 CFR part 690 and 34 CFR part 668.
    The Pell Grant Program includes a three-step application process. 
Under the first step, the student must submit an application to have 
his or her expected family contribution (EFC) determined. The student 
may submit a paper application, or, if the institution he or she 
attends or will attend participates in the Department of Education's 
Electronic Data Exchange (EDE), the student may submit an electronic 
application. Under EDE, using software provided by the Department of 
Education (Department) or a needs analysis servicer, an institution 
electronically transmits the student's application data to the 
Department's Federal Student Aid Central Processing System (central 
processor). The institution may enter the application data, or the 
institution may have the student enter that data.
    In the second step, the central processor determines a student's 
EFC based upon the information provided in a paper or electronic 
application and forwards the results to the student, either directly 
(if the student applied using a paper application) or through the 
institution (if the student applied electronically). The central 
processor may also forward the results to the student's institution, 
even if the student gets the information directly.
    As a result of submitting a paper application, the student receives 
a Student Aid Report (SAR), and any institution designated by the 
student may draw down a student's data in the form of an electronic SAR 
(ESAR) if the institution participates in EDE. An ESAR or SAR contains 
the student's EFC and the information on which that EFC was based. If 
application data was submitted electronically under EDE, the student 
will not receive an SAR, but the institution may draw down an ESAR.
    The central processor may also transmit, to the institution that a 
student indicates he or she is attending or will attend, an 
institutional student information report (ISIR) that includes the 
student's EFC and the information on which that EFC was based. An ISIR 
is a paper document or an institutional paper printout from a computer-
generated magnetic or electronic record.
    Under the third step, a student must submit a valid SAR to the 
institution or sign a valid ESAR or ISIR. A valid SAR, ESAR, or ISIR is 
one on which all the information used to calculate the student's EFC is 
accurate and complete. For an ESAR or ISIR to be valid, the student 
must sign it. If corrections are made to an ESAR or ISIR and the 
student is married, the student's spouse must sign the corrected 
document. If corrections are made to an ESAR or ISIR and the student is 
a dependent student, one of his or her parents must sign the corrected 
document. However, for a student to receive his or her Federal Pell 
Grant using a valid ISIR, the institution he or she attends must report 
its Federal Pell Grant payment data to the Department by floppy disk, 
magnetic tape, or electronically under EDE. (Part IV of this notice 
describes the disbursement reporting requirements.)

I. Applications for Determination of Expected Family Contribution--
Table I

    Under the first application step described above, if a student uses 
a paper original or renewal application, he or she must submit an 
approved application to an agency listed in Table I of this notice, at 
the address indicated in Table I. That application must be received at 
that address no later than May 1, 1995. A paper application may not be 
hand-delivered.
    An approved application is an application listed in the first 
column of Table I. Moreover, the student must send the application to 
the address of the organization whose application is being used. Thus, 
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) printed and 
distributed by the Department must be sent to the FAFSA processor in 
Iowa City, Iowa, forms printed and distributed by the American College 
Testing Program (ACT) must be sent to ACT, forms printed and 
distributed by the College Scholarship Service (CSS) must be sent to 
CSS, and forms printed and distributed by the Pennsylvania Higher 
Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) must be sent to PHEAA.
    If a student submits an electronic application under EDE, that 
application must be received by the Department's central processor 
prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on May 1, 1995. (For 
purposes of this notice, this deadline means that a student has all of 
May 1, 1995, to apply.)
    For the balance of this notice, the first application submitted by 
or on behalf of a student shall be called an ``original application.''

Applications of Students Receiving ``Dependency Overrides''

    Under section 480(d)(7) of the HEA, a financial aid administrator 
(FAA) may determine that a student qualifies as an ``independent 
student'' as a result of unusual circumstances even though the student 
does not qualify as an independent student under the other criteria in 
section 480(d). This determination, using what is known as 
``professional judgment,'' results in a ``dependency override.''
    If an FAA makes a dependency override with regard to a student, the 
student must submit an original application, a Correction Application, 
renewal application, or correction to his or her SAR to the Federal 
Student Aid Programs after that document has been specially coded for 
the dependency override and signed by the FAA. If the student attends 
an institution that participates in EDE, the institution may 
electronically transmit to the central processor an original 
application, renewal application, Correction Application, or corrected 
SAR or ESAR information coded for the dependency override.
    If a student has not submitted an original application, the 
deadline date for the submission of a Correction Application for a 
dependency override or any other reason is May 1, 1995. If the student 
has submitted an original or renewal application, the deadline date for 
the submission of a Correction Application is August 1, 1995. (For 
purposes of this notice, this deadline means that a student has all of 
August 1, 1995, to apply.) Applications submitted electronically must 
be received by the central processor prior to midnight (Central 
Daylight Savings Time) on the applicable deadline date.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB Control 
Number Application: 1840-0110)

II. Other Documents--Table I

    Once a student has filed his or her original or renewal 
application, additional transactions may occur as a result of that 
application. In some cases, the agency receiving the original or 
renewal application may request additional information. In other cases, 
the student is responsible for initiating a request to the agency to 
consider additional or alternative information.
    Table I of this notice lists the addresses to which additional 
forms and information, known as transactions, must be sent and the 
deadline dates for the receipt of those transactions.
    The following explains each type of transaction:

A. Correction Application

    In addition to using a Correction Application for a ``dependency 
override,'' the Secretary provides a Correction Application to a 
student if the student's original application lacks sufficient 
information to be processed or contains inaccurate information. The 
student must include on the Correction Application all the information 
necessary to process that application.
    If a student has misreported his or her dependency status or if 
that status has changed after the student submitted an original 
application for reasons other than a change in marital status, the 
student may submit a Correction Application with the correct dependency 
status. A student may also report a dependency status change using part 
2 of a SAR for the 1994-95 award year.
    A Correction Application may be obtained (1) from an FAA or an 
Educational Opportunity Center counselor, (2) by writing to the 
addresses listed in Table I, (3) by writing to Federal Student Aid 
Information Center, P.O. Box 84, Washington, DC, 20044, or (4) by 
calling (800) 4 FED AID. The Correction Application must be returned to 
one of the addressees listed in Table I and received at that address no 
later than August 1, 1995, unless the Correction Application is 
submitted as an original application, in which case it must be received 
by May 1, 1995. A Correction Application submitted electronically under 
EDE through the electronic application process must be received by the 
central processor prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on 
August 1, 1995, unless the Correction Application is submitted as an 
original application, in which case the correction application must be 
received prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on May 1, 
1995.

B. SAR and ISIR

     Correction or Verification of Information Requested by the 
Secretary--If the Secretary returns an SAR to a student for correction 
or notifies an institution through an ISIR that a student needs to 
correct application information, the student must correct that 
information on the SAR. The student must return the SAR to the 
appropriate address listed in Table I, and that corrected SAR must be 
received at the appropriate address no later than August 1, 1995. If 
the student attends an institution that participates in EDE, the 
corrected SAR may be transmitted electronically to the central 
processor. That SAR must be received by the central processor prior to 
midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on August 1, 1995.
    If the Secretary returns an SAR to a student for verification of 
certain data items included on the application or notifies an 
institution through an ISIR that a student needs to verify application 
information, the student must verify the information. The student 
verifies the information on the SAR, and returns the SAR in the same 
manner as described for required corrections. This request for 
verification is separate and apart from the verification requirements 
contained in 34 CFR Part 668, Subpart E.
     Correction of Inaccurate Information--If an SAR or an ISIR 
reflects information that was inaccurate when the application was 
signed, the student must correct that information on the SAR and send 
the SAR to the appropriate address listed in Table I or submit the 
change electronically. The SAR must be received at that address no 
later than August 1, 1995.
     If the student attends an institution that participates in 
EDE, the corrected information may be transmitted electronically to the 
central processor. That SAR must be received by the central processor 
prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on August 1, 1995.
     Recomputation of EFC--A student may request on his or her 
SAR that the Secretary recompute his or her EFC if the student believes 
the EFC is inaccurate because of an arithmetic or clerical error. The 
student must return the SAR to the appropriate address listed in Table 
I, and that SAR must be received at the appropriate address no later 
than August 1, 1995. If the student attends an institution that 
participates in EDE, the request for a recomputation may be transmitted 
electronically to the central processor. That SAR must be received by 
the central processor prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) 
on August 1, 1995.
     Request for Duplicate SAR--If a student wishes to receive 
a duplicate SAR, the student may write to the appropriate agency's 
address listed in Table I or call the appropriate agency's telephone 
number listed in Table I. All written and telephone requests must be 
received no later than August 1, 1995. A written request sent to the 
appropriate agency (listed in Table I) must be received through a U.S. 
Postal facility by August 1, 1995. Individuals at the agencies listed 
in Table I are not authorized to personally accept hand-delivered 
documents.

    Note--Although corrections and requests for a duplicate SAR will 
be processed through August 1, 1995, this deadline date does not 
extend the deadline date by which a student must submit to the 
institution's financial aid office his or her valid SAR, valid ESAR, 
or valid ISIR with an EFC that permits the student to receive a 
Federal Pell Grant. If the student does not submit such a valid SAR, 
valid ESAR, or valid ISIR to the financial aid office by his or her 
last date of enrollment or June 30, 1995, whichever is earlier, he 
or she will be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant award for the 
1994-95 award year.

III. Verification Procedures and Deadline Dates Under 34 CFR 668 
Subpart E

    The information provided on an application and included on an SAR, 
ESAR, or ISIR may be subject to verification under verification 
procedures contained in 34 CFR part 668, Subpart E. In that case, in 
order to receive a Federal Pell Grant award for the 1994-95 award year, 
the student--and his or her parents, if applicable--must submit the 
necessary verification documents in accordance with the following 
procedures and by the deadline dates specified below. These dates do 
not conflict with or supersede the deadline dates specified in Table I 
of this notice.

A. Verification of Information on Application

    If a student is selected to have the information on his or her 
application verified under the verification procedures set forth in 
Subpart E of the Student Assistance General Provisions regulations (34 
CFR part 668, Subpart E), he or she must submit the requested documents 
as specified below in steps 1-4. The deadline date for the completion 
of these steps is the earlier of 60 days after the student's last date 
of enrollment for a student who leaves school because of graduation, 
completion of an academic term, or withdrawal; or August 30, 1995. A 
student who will still be enrolled in a course of study in the 1994-95 
award year after August 30, 1995, must submit the requested documents 
by August 30, 1995. (Documents that are hand-delivered must be received 
by the institution by the close of business on August 30, 1995. 
Documents sent by mail must be postmarked or demonstrate other 
comparable proof of mailing by August 30, 1995.)
    This process is complete when the student has:
    (1) Submitted all requested verification documents to his or her 
institution;
    (2) Made all necessary corrections on (a) Part 2 of the SAR, (b) an 
ESAR, (c) a correction application, or (d) an EDE Correction 
Application;
    (3) Either (a) signed the corrected Part 2 of the SAR or completed 
and signed a paper Correction Application and submitted it to the 
appropriate address indicated in Table I so that the addressee receives 
the form prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) on August 1, 
1995; or (b) signed and submitted the corrected ESAR or electronic 
Correction Application to the institution so that the institution can 
transmit the data to the central processor (for those institutions 
participating in EDE) prior to midnight (Central Daylight Savings Time) 
on August 1, 1995; and
    (4) By August 30, 1995, submitted to the institution the corrected 
and reprocessed SAR, ESAR, or ISIR that, if required, is appropriately 
signed (34 CFR 668.60).

B. Application Forms and Information

    Student aid application forms, Correction Applications, and 
information brochures may be obtained at an institution's financial aid 
office, at an Educational Opportunity Center, or by writing or calling: 
Federal Student Aid Information Center, P.O. Box 84, Washington, DC 
20044. Telephone: (800) 4 FED AID.

Table I

    Deadline Date for Receipt of Original Application Forms for 
Determining Expected Family Contributions: May 1, 1995. Deadline Date 
for receipt of Correction Application Forms other than an original 
Correction Application Form, Applications other than originals, and 
Other Documents: August 1, 1995.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Contact Federal   
      Type of form        For information about    Student Aid Programs 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Application for     English/Spanish/Correct  Box 84, Washington, DC
 Federal Student Aid      ion Application          20044. (800) 4 FED   
 (FAFSA) printed and      request.                 AID. TTY (800) 730-  
 distributed by ED.                                8913.                
                         English Application      C/o Federal Student   
                          submission.              Aid Programs: P.O.   
                                                   Box 4016, Iowa City, 
                                                   IA 52243.            
                         Renewal Application      P.O. Box 4053, Iowa   
                          submission.              City, IA 52243.      
                         Spanish Application      P.O. Box 4046, Iowa   
                          submission.              City, IA 52243.      
                         Correction Application   P.O. Box 4045, Iowa   
                          submission.              City, IA 52243.      
                         SAR corrections........  P.O. Box 4049, Iowa   
                                                   City, IA 52243.      
                         Duplicate requests/      P.O. Box 4050, Iowa   
                          address changes.         City, IA 52243.      
                         All other                P.O. Box 84,          
                          correspondence/inquiri   Washington, DC 20044,
                          es.                      (800) 4 FED AID.     
Federal Electronic       Application, correction  Contact institution's 
 Application,             application, or          financial aid office 
 Correction               renewal application      to find out if it    
 application, or          request, electronic      participates in the  
 Renewal Application of   corrections,             electronic           
 the Electronic Data      electronic duplicate     application of EDE.  
 Exchange.                requests, and other                           
                          inquiries.                                    
                                                  Electronically        
                                                   submitted by the     
                                                   institution to the   
                                                   central processor via
                                                   General Electronic   
                                                   Support computer     
                                                   network.             
                         Diskette and tape        C/o National Computer 
                          submission.              Systems--Electronic  
                                                   Application, Box 30, 
                                                   Iowa City, IA 52244, 
                                                   (319) 339-6642.      
Free Application for     Application Requests     American College      
 Federal Student Aid      and other inquiries.     Testing, P.O. Box    
 (printed, distributed,                            1002, Iowa City, IA  
 and processed by ACT).                            52243.               
                         Application submission.  Federal Student Aid   
                                                   Programs, P.O. Box   
                                                   4054, Iowa City, IA  
                                                   52243.               
                         Renewal Application      P.O. Box 4052, Iowa   
                          submission.              City, IA 52243.      
                         Correction application   P.O. Box 4019, Iowa   
                          submission.              City, IA 52243.      
                         SAR corrections........  P.O. Box 4018, Iowa   
                                                   City, IA 52243.      
                         Duplicate request and    P.O. Box 4017, Iowa   
                          address changes.         City, IA 52243.      
Free Application for     Application requests     C/o College           
 Federal Student Aid      and other inquiries.     Scholarship Service: 
 (printed, distributed,                            P.O. Box 6327,       
 and processed by CSS).                            Princeton, NJ 08541- 
                                                   6327, (609) 771-7725,
                                                   TDD (609) 883-7051.  
                         Application submission.  Federal Student Aid   
                                                   Programs, P.O. Box   
                                                   7381, London, KY     
                                                   40742-7381.          
                         Renewal Application      P.O. Box 7383, London,
                          submission.              KY 40742-7383.       
                         Correction Application   Federal Student Aid   
                          submission.              Programs, P.O. Box   
                                                   7382, London, KY     
                                                   40742-7382.          
                         SAR corrections........  Federal Student Aid   
                                                   Programs: P.O. Box   
                                                   7384, London, KY     
                                                   40742-7384.          
                         Duplicate Request and    Federal Student Aid   
                          Address Changes.         Programs, P.O. Box   
                                                   7385, London, KY     
                                                   40742-7385.          
Free Application for     Application request and  C/o Pennsylvania      
 Federal Student Aid      other inquiries.         Higher Education     
 (printed, distributed,                            Assistance Agency    
 and processed by                                  (PHEAA): Grant       
 PHEAA).                                           Division, 1200 North 
                                                   7th Street,          
                                                   Harrisburg, PA 17102,
                                                   800-692-7435 (PA     
                                                   only), Out of state--
                                                   (717) 257-2800.      
                         Application and          P.O. Box 8173,        
                          correction submission    Harrisburg, PA 17105-
                          application.             8173.                
                         Renewal Application      P.O. Box 8174,        
                          submission.              Harrisburg, PA 17105.
                         SAR corrections/         P.O. Box 8135,        
                          duplicate requests/      Harrisburg, PA 17105-
                          address changes.         8135.                
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Submissions to the Secretary of Institutional Payment Summary and 
Student Aid Reports (Part 3 Payment Vouchers)

    Each institution that participates in the Federal Pell Grant 
Program is required by 34 CFR 690.83(b) to submit to the Secretary 
reports and information in connection with the Federal Pell Grant funds 
the Department makes available to the institution for payment to 
students during an award year. One of the required reports is the 
Institutional Payment Summary (IPS). The IPS accompanies an 
institution's submission of Federal Pell Grant Payment Vouchers and 
summarizes the information contained on the individual Payment 
Vouchers.
    The Secretary provides a paper IPS form to the institution for 
completion and return to the Department.
    The institution may also meet this reporting requirement by 
submitting the IPS and Payment Voucher information to the Department on 
a floppy disk, on a magnetic tape, or by an electronic transmission 
through a modem from a personal computer, minicomputer, or mainframe 
computer. These submissions are referred to, respectively, as the 
Federal Pell Grant Program Floppy Disk Data Exchange, the Federal Pell 
Grant Program Recipient Data Exchange (RDE), and Electronic Payments 
service under EDE. An institution that wishes to use one of these 
automated reporting methods must enter into a written agreement with 
the Department and must agree to (1) comply with the Department's 
prescribed manner of formatting and presenting the submitted 
information, (2) restrict access to the records from which the IPS and 
Payment Voucher information is derived, and (3) ensure that only 
authorized officials or agents of the institution may enter the data 
sent in the IPS submission to the Department.
    The Department credits an institution's Federal Pell Grant account 
on the basis of acceptable Federal Pell Grant payment data submitted 
through the system described in this notice. Such information must be 
submitted to the Department in a timely, certified, and acceptable 
form. A submission is timely if received by the Department by the 
deadlines prescribed in Tables II and III in Part IV.C. of this notice; 
certified if its accuracy is attested to by the institution in the 
manner described in Part IV.D. of this notice; and acceptable if 
submitted in accordance with the directions provided by the Department 
for the particular medium of submission used by the institution.
    Failure to meet these reporting requirements may result in 
administrative action by the Department under Subpart G of 34 CFR part 
668 under which the Department may fine the institution or limit or 
terminate its participation in the Federal Pell Grant Program. In 
addition, failure to report accurately a student's award amount by the 
reporting deadline may render the student ineligible for all or part of 
his or her Federal Pell Grant payment.

A. Data and Records To Be Submitted

    In each IPS submission, the institution must submit:
    (1) On the IPS form, or in the IPS record format, information 
described in Section II of the IPS, including the number and amount of 
each Federal Pell Grant award adjustment that the institution made, and 
the institution's total payments to all Federal Pell Grant recipients 
for the award year up to the date of the submission; and
    (2) An SAR Payment Voucher (Part 3 of the SAR), or its equivalent 
as defined by the Secretary, that discloses--
    (i) Any new Federal Pell Grant recipients identified by the 
institution during the reporting period for which the IPS is submitted; 
or
    (ii) Any change in enrollment status, cost of attendance, or other 
event that occurred during either the reporting period for which the 
IPS is submitted or the reporting period immediately preceding that 
reporting period, if that event causes a change in the amount of the 
Federal Pell Grant that a student has received or qualifies to receive 
for the award year.
    The institution may submit the IPS without SAR Payment Vouchers (or 
the equivalent) if (1) the institution had no Federal Pell Grant 
recipients in attendance or identified no new Federal Pell Grant 
recipients during the reporting period for which the IPS is submitted 
and (2) did not identify any changes to the awards of previously 
reported recipients during the reporting period immediately preceding 
the period for which the IPS is submitted. If an institution that 
submits IPS information under RDE exercises this option, it must use 
the paper IPS document. If an institution that submits IPS information 
via a floppy disk or electronic transmission exercises this option, it 
may use its usual submission medium or the paper IPS document.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB Control 
Numbers 1840-0132 (SAR) and 1840-0540 (IPS))

B. Addresses for Delivery

    The institution must submit the IPS and any accompanying SAR 
Payment Vouchers, or the floppy disk or the RDE magnetic tape 
containing this information, as follows: If by regular mail: U.S. 
Department of Education, Pell Grant Systems Division, PSS, P.O. Box 
10800, Herndon, Virginia 22070-7009. If delivered by a courier other 
than the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Pell Grant 
Systems Division, PSS, c/o PRC, ATTN: G35 PGRFMS/DMS, 1500 PRC Drive, 
McLean, Virginia 22102-5050.

C. Frequency and Schedules for IPS Submissions

    An institution must make an IPS submission or its equivalent at 
least once during each of the reporting periods established in Tables 
II and III. The table that is applicable to a particular institution 
depends on the amount of the institution's 1993-94 award year Federal 
Pell Grant authorization. An institution may make IPS submissions more 
frequently, up to but not exceeding 98 times during the entire 
reporting cycle (July 1, 1994 through September 30, 1995). For purposes 
of complying with the reporting requirements of Part IV.A. of this 
notice, an institution must ensure that the IPS and SAR Payment 
Vouchers (or their equivalent) are received by the Department no later 
than the applicable closing date for each reporting period as specified 
in the appropriate table below. Proof of mailing, such as a date on a 
U.S. Postal Service postmark, is not considered confirmation of receipt 
by the Department. If an institution submits the IPS and SAR Payment 
Voucher information electronically, the transmission must be received 
at the Department's central processor prior to midnight (Central Time 
or, if applicable, Central Daylight Savings Time) of the applicable 
closing date for the reporting periods indicated in Tables II and III. 

      Table II.--Institutions With a 1993-94 Award Year Pell Grant      
                   Authorization of at Least $750,000                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Closing date for  
                Reporting periods                         receipt       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 1, 1994 through Oct. 15, 1994................  Oct. 15, 1994.      
Oct. 16, 1994 through Dec. 15, 1994...............  Dec. 15, 1994.      
Dec. 16, 1994 through Feb. 15, 1995...............  Feb. 15, 1995.      
Feb. 16, 1995 through Apr. 15, 1995...............  Apr. 15, 1995.      
Apr. 16, 1995 through June 15, 1995...............  June 15, 1995.      
June 16, 1995 through Aug. 15, 1995...............  Aug. 15, 1995.      
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Table III.--Institutions With a 1993-94 Pell Grant Authorization of Less
                              Than $750,000                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Closing date for  
                Reporting periods                         receipt       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 1, 1994 through Dec. 15, 1994................  Dec. 15, 1994.      
Dec. 16, 1994 through Apr. 15, 1995...............  Apr. 15, 1995.      
Apr. 16, 1995 through Aug. 15, 1995...............  Aug. 15, 1995.      
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If any closing date for receipt falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or 
Federal holiday, submissions received on the next Federal business day 
will be considered as being submitted on time.

D. Certification of Accuracy

    Institutions participating in the Federal Pell Grant Program must 
certify the accuracy of the data with each IPS submission. An 
institution submitting an IPS form certifies the accuracy of the data 
by including on the form an original signature by the official of the 
institution accountable for the accuracy of the data submitted. An 
institution submitting IPS information by floppy disk or electronic 
transmission certifies the accuracy of the data by including in that 
transmission a code or signature flag prescribed by the Department for 
that certification. By including the prescribed code or signature flag, 
an institution certifies that the submitted data has been provided from 
a file or record to which only officials with appropriate security 
clearance have access and that the data contained in the submission are 
accurate. In the case of an institution submitting IPS information by 
magnetic tape, the institution signs the tape transmittal form assuring 
the accuracy of the data.

V. Annual Deadline for Submission of SAR Payment Vouchers and Requests 
for Adjustments of Federal Pell Grant Accounts

    An institution obtains an adjustment to its Federal Pell Grant 
account, and the amount of Federal Pell Grant funds for which it is 
accountable, by submitting supporting SAR Payment Vouchers, or their 
equivalent, under the procedures described in this notice and the 
reporting system described in the regulations. An institution is 
required by 34 CFR 690.83(a) to submit all SAR Payment Vouchers for an 
award year by a specified date following that award year; for 1994-95 
that date is September 30, 1995. An institution, therefore, must submit 
any Payment Vouchers not previously submitted during the required 
reporting periods established in this notice by September 30, 1995 to 
receive an adjustment to its Federal Pell Grant account on the basis of 
these Payment Vouchers.
    Except as provided in Part V. B. of this notice, after September 
30, 1995, the Secretary closes the institution's Federal Pell Grant 
account for the 1994-95 award year. The institution's account is closed 
on the basis of the information reported by the institution in its 
submissions of IPS and supporting SAR Payment Voucher information (or 
the equivalent) through September 30, 1995, and the data reported on 
the Federal Cash Transaction Report (PMS 272A). The final IPS 
information submitted by the institution must accurately report the 
institution's total payments to all Federal Pell Grant recipients for 
the 1994-95 award year (IPS Item 15 or its equivalent).

A. Timely Delivery for Final Submissions of SAR Payment Vouchers and 
Requests for Adjustments of Federal Pell Grant Accounts: Proof of 
Delivery

    The Department may require an institution to prove that it mailed 
or otherwise submitted its IPS and SAR Payment Vouchers (or the 
equivalent) by the September 30, 1995 deadline date. The Department 
accepts as proof, if the documents were submitted by mail or by non-
U.S. Postal Service courier, one of the following:
    (1) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (2) A legibly-dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

    (Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a 
dated postmark. Before relying on this method of proof of mailing, 
an institution should check with the post office at which it mails 
its submission. An institution is strongly encouraged to use First 
Class Mail.)

    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
courier.
    (4) Other proof of mailing or delivery acceptable to the Secretary.
    The Department accepts hand deliveries at the address stated in 
Part IV.B. between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on days other than 
Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holidays.
    An institution that transmits IPS and SAR Payment Voucher 
information via the EDE Electronic Payments service must ensure that 
its transmission is completed before midnight (local time) on September 
30, 1995.

B. Postdeadline Adjustments to Federal Pell Grant Accounts

    In accordance with Sec. 690.83(a), Sec. 690.83(c), and Sec. 690.83 
(e), the Secretary permits a post-September 30, 1995 adjustment to the 
Federal Pell Grant account of an institution for the 1994-95 award year 
or any prior award year in the following circumstances:
    (1) Underpayment of previously reported awards An institution may 
receive a payment or credit for the full amount of an award made to a 
student if--
    (i) The institution submitted in a timely manner an SAR Payment 
Voucher or its equivalent for a student in accordance with the 
requirements of this notice and Sec. 690.83(a);
    (ii) The institution did not submit in a timely manner or in an 
acceptable form an SAR Payment Voucher necessary to document the full 
amount of the award for which that student was eligible;
    (iii) The underpayment for that award is or would be at least $100; 
and
    (iv) A program review or an audit report produced in accordance 
with the standards prescribed in 34 CFR 668.23(c) demonstrates to the 
satisfaction of the Secretary that the student was eligible to receive 
an amount greater than that reported on the SAR Payment Voucher 
submitted in a timely fashion to, and accepted by, the Department.
    (2) Decreasing previously reported awards. An institution must 
report a reduction in a student's Federal Pell Grant award (1) if the 
institution determines that the student's Federal Pell Grant award 
amount, as reported on either the Student Payment Summary that the 
Department provides to the institution or any subsequent adjustment to 
the student's award amount on file with the Department, is greater than 
the amount the student actually received; or (2) if the institution 
determines that a student was not qualified for the amount reported on 
either the Student Payment Summary or any subsequent adjustment to the 
student's award amount on file with the Department. The institution 
should not make such a report, however, for an overaward for which it 
is not liable under Sec. 690.79(a) unless the student never received 
the funds or has repaid all or a portion of the overaward. If a student 
is repaying an overaward for which the institution is not liable on an 
installment plan, the institution may report periodically the amount 
repaid. The institution does NOT submit such postdeadline award 
reduction data through SAR Payment Vouchers (or their equivalents). The 
institution reports postdeadline reductions through a letter or report 
sent to the address stated in Part IV.B.
    (3) The Secretary, in addition, makes adjustments where the 
institution satisfactorily demonstrates that its failure to submit 
Payment Vouchers on a timely basis and have them accepted by the 
Department was caused by a processing or administrative error made by 
the Department or one of its contractors, or was due to unusual 
circumstances beyond the control of the institution.
    (4) If an institution demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 
Secretary that the institution has provided Federal Pell Grants but has 
not received credit or payment for those grants, the institution may 
receive payment or a reduction in accountability for those grants. In 
accordance with Sec. 690.83(e), the institution shall demonstrate that 
it qualifies for a credit or payment by means of a finding contained in 
an audit submitted in accordance with 34 CFR part 668.23(c).
    The Secretary adjusts an institution's Federal Pell Grant account 
on the basis of student award data submissions made after September 30 
following the award year only in these specified circumstances. Thus, 
if an institution submits SAR Payment Vouchers (or their equivalents) 
for the 1994-95 award year to the Department after the September 30, 
1995 deadline, the institution will not receive additional Federal Pell 
Grant funds from the Department unless the institution can demonstrate 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary that one of the prescribed 
conditions exists. The institution also will be liable for Federal Pell 
Grant funds that were used to pay grants that were not reported in a 
timely manner.
    If an institution made Federal Pell Grant overpayments for which it 
is liable under Sec. 690.79(a) of the Federal Pell Grant program 
regulations, the Secretary will subtract from any funds the institution 
may be entitled to receive under the first exception described in Part 
V-B of this notice the amount of the institution's unpaid liability.
    If an institution believes that an adjustment is warranted on the 
basis of the above-described conditions, it should contact the Pell 
Grant Financial Management Division at (202) 708-9807. If the 
institution seeks administrative relief on the basis of an 
administrative error by the Department or its contractors, the 
institution's request must provide a complete description of all 
relevant facts, including each student's identifying data and full 
Federal Pell Grant payment history. The request must be received by the 
Department no later than January 31, 1996. The request must be 
delivered to: U.S. Department of Education, Pell Grant Systems 
Division, PSS, P.O. Box 23791, Washington, DC 20026-0791.

C. Request for Duplicate Payment Vouchers or Related Information

    To receive a duplicate Payment Voucher, Processed Payment Voucher, 
or processed payment data, an institution must contact the Federal Pell 
Grant Program by fax at (202) 708-9700 or by mail to: U.S. Department 
of Education, Pell Grant Systems Division, PSS, P.O. Box 23791, 
Washington, DC 20026-0791.
    To receive a duplicate Payment Voucher for a student, an 
institution must include with its request a photocopy of either Part 1 
or Part 2 of that student's SAR or a photocopy of that student's ESAR 
or ISIR. All requests must be received no later than August 1, 1995.

Applicable Regulations

    The regulations applicable to this program are the Federal Pell 
Grant Program regulations in 34 CFR part 690 and the Student Assistance 
General Provisions regulations in 34 CFR part 668.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Oliver, Program Specialist, 
Pell and State Grants Section, Grants Branch, Policy Development 
Division, Policy, Training, and Analysis Service, Office of 
Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue S.W. (ROB-3, Room 4018), Washington, DC 20202-5447. Telephone: 
(202) 708-4607. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday.

    Authority: (20 U.S.C. 1070a).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 84.063, Federal Pell 
Grant Program)

    Dated: July 26, 1994.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 94-18617 Filed 7-29-94; 8:45 am]
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