[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 198 (Friday, October 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60072-60074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20623]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Student Assistance General Provisions, Federal Perkins Loan, 
Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, 
Federal Family Education Loan, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan, 
Federal Pell Grant, and Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership 
Programs

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice extending institutional and applicant filing and 
reporting deadlines.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces an extension of the deadline dates for 
specific filing and reporting activities, including those published in 
the Federal Register on March 22, 2005, (70 FR 14450), April 13, 2005 
(70 FR

[[Page 60073]]

19423), and June 7, 2005, (70 FR 33134). The Secretary takes this 
action as a result of the extensive damage and disruption in the 
southern United States caused by Hurricane Rita. The new dates apply 
only to (1) institutions or third-party servicers that are located in a 
federally-declared disaster area and that were adversely affected by 
Hurricane Rita, and (2) applicants that are adversely affected by 
Hurricane Rita. The Secretary notes that the deadline extensions in 
this notice supplement the extensions published in the Federal Register 
on September 9, 2005, (70 FR 53640) for parties adversely affected by 
Hurricane Katrina.
    In addition, the Secretary reminds affected parties that additional 
guidance and regulatory relief are provided in Dear Colleague Letter 
GEN-04-04, available at: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN0404.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary announces new deadlines, as 
described below.

Activities Related to Institutional Reporting

    FISAP Filing Deadline: For an affected institution or third-party 
servicer that is unable to meet the previously published deadline of 
September 30, 2005, the Secretary extends to December 1, 2005, the date 
by which the institution's FISAP (Fiscal Operations Report for 2004-
2005 and Application to Participate for 2006-2007) must be submitted. 
If the institution or servicer cannot meet the extended deadline, it 
must contact the Campus-Based Call Center at 1-877-801-7168, or by e-
mail at [email protected]. An institution or servicer that submits a FISAP 
after September 30, 2005, must maintain documentation of the hurricane-
related reason why it did so.
    Audit Submission Deadline: For an affected institution or third-
party servicer that is unable to submit its annual compliance audit 
and/or audited financial statements, the Secretary extends by 90 days 
the date by which the institution or servicer must otherwise submit 
those audits as provided in 34 CFR 668.23. If the institution or 
servicer cannot meet the extended deadline, it must contact the 
appropriate School Participation Team. Institutions or servicers in 
Texas and Louisiana should contact the Department of Education's Dallas 
Regional Office at (214) 661-9490, or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. An institution or servicer that submits its 
annual audit after the deadline in 34 CFR 668.23 must maintain 
documentation of the hurricane-related reason why it did so.
    2004-2005 Federal Pell Grant Reporting Deadline: For an affected 
institution or third-party servicer that is unable to meet the 
previously published deadline of September 30, 2005, the Secretary 
grants administrative relief and extends to December 1, 2005, the date 
by which the institution or servicer must report Federal Pell Grant 
payments (and adjustments) for the 2004-2005 award year to the Common 
Origination and Disbursement (COD) System. If the institution or 
servicer cannot submit the records by the extended deadline, it must 
contact the COD School Relations Center at 1-800-4PGRANT (1-800-474-
7268), or by e-mail at inc.com">CODSupport@acs-inc.com. An institution or 
servicer that submits Pell Grant payment information for the 2004-2005 
award year after September 30, 2005, must maintain documentation of the 
hurricane-related reason why it did so.
    Submission of Federal Pell Grant Disbursement Records: For the 
2004-2005 and 2005-2006 award years, the Secretary will not enforce the 
current 30-day reporting requirement against an affected institution or 
third-party servicer that is unable to submit Federal Pell Grant 
disbursement records to the COD System. Instead, the institution or 
servicer has until December 1, 2005, to submit these records. If the 
institution or servicer cannot submit the records by the extended 
deadline, it must contact the COD School Relations Center at 1-800-
4PGRANT (1-800-474-7268), or by e-mail at inc.com">CODSupport@acs-inc.com. An 
affected institution or servicer that does not submit Pell Grant 
payment information within the 30-day timeframe must maintain 
documentation of the hurricane-related reason why it did so.
    Submission of Federal Direct Loan Records: The Secretary will not 
enforce the current 30-day requirement against an affected institution 
or third-party servicer that is unable to submit William D. Ford 
Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) promissory notes, loan origination 
records, and disbursement records (including adjustments) to the COD 
System. Instead, the institution or servicer has until December 1, 
2005, to submit these records. If an institution or servicer cannot 
submit the records by the extended deadline, it must contact the COD 
School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978, or by e-mail at 
inc.com">CODSupport@acs-inc.com. An affected institution or servicer that does 
not submit Direct Loan information within the current 30-day timeframe 
must maintain documentation of the hurricane-related reason why it did 
so.

Activities Related to Applicant Filing

    FAFSA Correction Deadline: For an affected applicant for the 2004-
2005 award year, the Secretary extends from September 15, 2005, to 
December 1, 2005, the date by which the Department's Central Processing 
System (CPS) must have received the following items:
     Paper corrections (including address changes and changes 
of institutions) made using a SAR;
     Electronic corrections (including address changes and 
changes of institutions) made from FAFSA on the Web, FAA Access to CPS 
Online, or EDE;
     Changes to mailing or e-mail addresses, changes of 
institutions, and requests for a duplicate SAR made by phone to the 
Federal Student Aid Information Center; and
     Paper signature pages and electronic signatures.

Activities Related to Documents Received by an Institution

    Receipt of SARs and ISIRs: For an affected applicant, institution, 
or third-party servicer, the Secretary extends from September 23, 2005, 
to December 1, 2005, the date by which the institution or servicer must 
have received a SAR from a student, or an ISIR from the Department, for 
the student to be considered for a Federal Pell Grant for the 2004-2005 
award year. An institution or servicer that pays Federal Student Aid on 
a SAR or ISIR that was received after September 23, 2005, must maintain 
documentation of the hurricane-related reason why the SAR or ISIR was 
not received by that date.
    Receipt of Verification Documents: The Secretary extends from 
September 23, 2005, to December 1, 2005, the date by which an 
institution or third-party servicer must have received all requested 
verification documents to consider an applicant for Federal Student Aid 
for the 2004-2005 award year. An institution or servicer that pays 
Federal Student Aid based on verification documents received after 
September 23, 2005, must maintain documentation of the hurricane-
related reason why those documents were not received by that date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions, John Kolotos, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., UCP, room 
113F2, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 377-4027, FAX: (202) 275-
4552, or by e-mail: [email protected].
    For other questions or requests for extensions, contact the 
appropriate call

[[Page 60074]]

center as noted elsewhere in this notice or the Customer Service Call 
Center at 1-800-433-7327.

Electronic Access to This Document

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

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


    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1070a, 1070b-1070b-4, 1070c-1070c-
4, 1071-1087-2, 1087a-1087j, 1087aa-1087ii, 1094, and 1099c; 42 
U.S.C. 2751-2756b.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers: 84.007 Federal 
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program; 84.032 
Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Programs; 84.033 Federal Work-
Study (FWS) Program; 84.038 Federal Perkins (Perkins) Loans; 84.063 
Federal Pell Grant (Pell) Program; 84.069 Leveraging Educational 
Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Programs; and 84.268 William D. Ford 
Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Programs)

    Dated: October 11, 2005.
Theresa S. Shaw,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 05-20623 Filed 10-13-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P