[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12808-12813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05539]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Deadline Dates for Reports and Other Records Associated With the 
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA[supreg]), the Federal 
Pell Grant Program, the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, 
the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant 
Program, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant Program for the 
2015-2016 Award Year

AGENCY: Federal Student Aid, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Catalog Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.007 Federal 
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program; 84.033 
Federal Work Study (FWS) Program; 84.038 Federal Perkins Loan 
(Perkins Loan) Program; 84.063 Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) 
Program; 84.268 William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) 
Program; 84.379 Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher 
Education (TEACH) Grant Program; 84.408 Iraq and Afghanistan Service 
Grant Program.

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces deadline dates for the receipt of 
documents and other information from applicants and institutions 
participating in certain Federal student aid programs authorized under 
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), for the 
2015-2016 award year. The Federal student aid programs covered by this 
deadline date notice are the Pell Grant, Direct Loan, TEACH Grant, and 
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant programs.
    These programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Education 
(Department), provide financial assistance to students attending 
eligible postsecondary educational institutions to help them pay their 
educational costs.

[[Page 12809]]

    Deadline and Submission Dates: See Tables A and B at the end of 
this notice.
    Table A--Deadline Dates by Which a Student Must Submit the FAFSA, 
by Which the Institution Must Receive the Student's Institutional 
Student Information Record (ISIR) or Student Aid Report (SAR), and by 
Which the Institution Must Submit Verification Outcomes for Certain 
Students for the 2015-2016 Award Year.
    Table A provides information and deadline dates for receipt of the 
FAFSA, corrections to and signatures for the FAFSA, ISIRs, and SARs, 
and verification documents.
    The deadline date for the receipt of a FAFSA by the Department's 
Central Processing System is June 30, 2016, regardless of the method 
that the applicant uses to submit the FAFSA. The deadline date for the 
receipt of a signature page for the FAFSA (if required), correction, 
notice of change of address or school, or request for a duplicate SAR 
is September 17, 2016.
    For all Federal student aid programs, an ISIR or SAR for the 
student must be received by the institution no later than the student's 
last date of enrollment for the 2015-2016 award year or September 26, 
2016, whichever is earlier. As a reminder, a FAFSA must be submitted 
for the dependent student for whom a parent is applying for a Direct 
PLUS Loan.
    Verification documents must be received by the institution no later 
than 120 days after the student's last date of enrollment for the 2015-
2016 award year or September 26, 2016, whichever is earlier.
    For all Federal student aid programs except for (1) Direct PLUS 
Loans that will be made to parent borrowers, and (2) Direct 
Unsubsidized Loans that will be made to dependent students who have 
been determined by the institution, pursuant to section 479A(a) of the 
HEA, to be eligible for such a loan without providing parental 
information on the FAFSA, the ISIR or SAR must have an official 
expected family contribution (EFC) and must be received by the 
institution no later than the earlier of the student's last date of 
enrollment for the 2015-2016 award year or September 26, 2016.
    For a student who is requesting aid through the Pell Grant, FSEOG, 
FWS, and Federal Perkins Loan programs or for a student requesting 
Direct Subsidized Loans, who does not meet the conditions for a late 
disbursement under 34 CFR 668.164(g), a valid ISIR or valid SAR must be 
received no later than the student's last date of enrollment for the 
2015-2016 award year or September 26, 2016, whichever is earlier.
    In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(g)(4)(i), an institution may not 
make a late disbursement of title IV student assistance funds later 
than 180 days after the date of the institution's determination that 
the student was no longer enrolled. Table A provides that, to make a 
late disbursement of title IV student assistance funds, an institution 
must receive a valid ISIR or valid SAR no later than 180 days after its 
determination that the student was no longer enrolled, but not later 
than September 26, 2016.
    Table B--Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct 
Loan, and TEACH Grant Programs' Deadline Dates for Disbursement 
Information by Institutions for the 2015-2016 Award Year or Processing 
Year.
    Table B provides the earliest dates for institutions to submit Pell 
Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant 
disbursement records to the Department's Common Origination and 
Disbursement (COD) System and deadline dates for an institution's 
request for administrative relief if it cannot meet the established 
deadline for specified reasons.
    An institution must submit Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service 
Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant disbursement records, as 
applicable, no later than 15 days after making the disbursement or 
becoming aware of the need to adjust a student's previously reported 
disbursement. In accordance with 34 CFR 668.164(a), title IV funds are 
disbursed on the date that the institution: (a) Credits those funds to 
a student's account in the institution's general ledger or any 
subledger of the general ledger; or (b) pays those funds to a student 
directly. Title IV funds are disbursed even if an institution uses its 
own funds in advance of receiving program funds from the Secretary.
    An institution's failure to submit disbursement records within the 
required timeframe may result in the Secretary rejecting all or part of 
the reported disbursement. Such failure may also result in an audit or 
program review finding or the initiation of an adverse action, such as 
a fine or other penalty for such failure, in accordance with subpart G 
of the General Provisions regulations in 34 CFR part 668.

Other Sources for Detailed Information

    We publish a detailed discussion of the Federal student aid 
application process in the 2015-2016 Federal Student Aid Handbook and 
in the 2015-2016 ISIR Guide.
    Additional information on the institutional reporting requirements 
for the Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, 
and TEACH Grant programs is included in the 2015-2016 Common 
Origination and Disbursement (COD) Technical Reference.
    You may access these publications by selecting the ``iLibrary'' 
link at the Information for Financial Aid Professionals Web site at: 
www.ifap.ed.gov.
    Applicable Regulations: The following regulations apply:
    (1) Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668.
    (2) Federal Pell Grant Program, 34 CFR part 690.
    (3) William D. Ford Direct Loan Program, 34 CFR part 685.
    (4) Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education 
Grant Program, 34 CFR part 686.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ian Foss, U.S. Department of 
Education, Federal Student Aid, 830 First Street NE., Union Center 
Plaza, Room 113H2, Washington, DC 20202-5345. Telephone: (202) 377-3681 
or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can 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). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1070a, 1070a-1, 1070b-1070b-4, 
1070g, 1070h, 1087a-1087j, and 1087aa-1087ii; 42 U.S.C. 2751-2756b.


[[Page 12810]]


    Dated: March 6, 2015.
James W. Runcie,
Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid.

   Table A--Deadline Dates by Which a Student Must Submit the FAFSA, by Which the Institution Must Receive the
     Student's Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) or Student Aid Report (SAR), and by Which the
         Institution Must Submit Verification Outcomes for Certain Students for the 2015-2016 Award Year
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                                                                                           What is the deadline
             Who submits?                 What is submitted?     Where is it submitted?     date for receipt?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student..............................  FAFSA--``FAFSA on the    Electronically to the    June 30, 2016.\1\
                                        Web'' (original or       Department's Central
                                        renewal).                Processing System
                                                                 (CPS).
                                       Signature page (if       To the address printed   September 17, 2016.
                                        required).               on the signature page.
Student through an Institution.......  An electronic FAFSA      Electronically to the    June 30, 2016.\1\
                                        (original or renewal).   Department's CPS using
                                                                 the ``Electronic Data
                                                                 Exchange'' (EDE) or
                                                                 ``FAA Access to CPS
                                                                 Online''.
Student..............................  A paper original FAFSA.  To the address printed   June 30, 2016.
                                                                 on the FAFSA or
                                                                 envelope provided with
                                                                 the form.
Student..............................  Electronic corrections   Electronically to the    September 17, 2016.\1\
                                        to the FAFSA using       Department's CPS.
                                        ``Corrections on the
                                        Web''.
                                       Signature page (if       To the address printed   September 17, 2016.
                                        required).               on the signature page.
Student through an Institution.......  Electronic corrections   Electronically to the    September 17, 2016.\1\
                                        to the FAFSA.            Department's CPS using
                                                                 the EDE or ``FAA
                                                                 Access to CPS Online''.
Student..............................  Paper corrections to     To the address printed   September 17, 2016.
                                        the FAFSA using a SAR,   on the SAR.
                                        including change of
                                        mailing and email
                                        addresses and change
                                        of institutions.
Student..............................  Change of mailing and    To the Federal Student   September 17, 2016.
                                        email addresses,         Aid Information Center
                                        change of                by calling 1-800-433-
                                        institutions, or         3243.
                                        requests for a
                                        duplicate SAR.
Student..............................  Except for Parent PLUS   To the institution.....  The earlier of:
                                        Loans and Direct                                 --The student's last
                                        Unsubsidized Loans                                date of enrollment for
                                        made to a dependent                               the 2015-2016 award
                                        student under HEA                                 year; or
                                        section 479A(a), a SAR                           --September 26,
                                        with an official                                  2016.\2\
                                        expected family
                                        contribution (EFC)
                                        calculated by the
                                        Department's CPS.
Student through CPS..................  Except for Parent PLUS   To the institution from  The earlier of:
                                        Loans and Direct         the Department's CPS.   --The student's last
                                        Unsubsidized Loans                                date of enrollment for
                                        made to a dependent                               the 2015-2016 award
                                        student under HEA                                 year; or
                                        section 479A(a), an                              --September 26,
                                        ISIR with an official                             2016.\2\
                                        EFC calculated by the
                                        Department's CPS.
Student..............................  Valid SAR (Pell Grant,   To the institution.....  Except for a student
                                        FSEOG, FWS, Perkins                               meeting the conditions
                                        Loan, and Direct                                  for a late
                                        Subsidized Loans).                                disbursement under 34
                                                                                          CFR 668.164(g), the
                                                                                          earlier of:
                                                                                         --The student's last
                                                                                          date of enrollment for
                                                                                          the 2015-2016 award
                                                                                          year; or
                                                                                         --September 26,
                                                                                          2016.\2\
Student through CPS..................  Valid ISIR (Pell Grant,  To the institution from
                                        FSEOG, FWS, Perkins      the Department's CPS.
                                        Loan, and Direct
                                        Subsidized Loans).
Student..............................  Valid SAR (Pell Grant,   To the institution.....  For a student receiving
                                        FSEOG, FWS, Perkins                               a late disbursement
                                        Loan, and Direct                                  under 34 CFR
                                        Subsidized Loans).                                668.164(g)(4)(i), the
                                                                                          earlier of:
                                                                                         --180 days after the
                                                                                          date of the
                                                                                          institution's
                                                                                          determination that the
                                                                                          student withdrew or
                                                                                          otherwise became
                                                                                          ineligible; or
                                                                                         --September 26,
                                                                                          2016.\2\

[[Page 12811]]

 
Student through CPS..................  Valid ISIR (Pell Grant,  To the institution from
                                        FSEOG, FWS, Perkins      the Department's CPS.
                                        Loan, and Direct
                                        Subsidized Loans).
Student..............................  Verification documents.  To the institution.....  The earlier of: \3\
                                                                                         --120 days after the
                                                                                          student's last date of
                                                                                          enrollment for the
                                                                                          2015-2016 award year;
                                                                                          or
                                                                                         --September 26,
                                                                                          2016.\2\
Institution..........................  Identity and high        Electronically to the    60 days following the
                                        school completion        Department's CPS using   institution's first
                                        verification results     ``FAA Access to CPS      request to the student
                                        for a student selected   Online''.                to submit the required
                                        for verification by                               V4 or V5 identity and
                                        the Department and                                high school completion
                                        placed in Verification                            documentation.\4\
                                        Tracking Group V4 or
                                        V5.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The deadline for electronic transactions is 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on the deadline date. Transmissions
  must be completed and accepted before 12:00 midnight to meet the deadline. If transmissions are started before
  12:00 midnight but are not completed until after 12:00 midnight, those transmissions do not meet the deadline.
  In addition, any transmission submitted on or just prior to the deadline date that is rejected may not be
  reprocessed because the deadline will have passed by the time the user gets the information notifying him or
  her of the rejection.
\2\ The date the ISIR/SAR transaction was processed by CPS is considered to be the date the institution received
  the ISIR or SAR regardless of whether the institution has downloaded the ISIR from its Student Aid Internet
  Gateway mailbox or when the student submits the SAR to the institution.
\3\ Although the Secretary has set this deadline date for the submission of verification documents, if
  corrections are required, deadline dates for submission of paper or electronic corrections and, for Pell Grant
  applicants and applicants selected for verification, deadline dates for the submission of a valid SAR or valid
  ISIR to the institution must still be met. An institution may establish an earlier deadline for the submission
  of verification documents for purposes of the campus-based programs and the Direct Loan Program, but it cannot
  be later than this deadline date.
\4\ Note that changes to previously submitted Identity Verification Results must be updated within 30 days.


  Table B--Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Loan, and TEACH Grant Programs Deadline Dates
        for Disbursement Information by Institutions for the 2015-2016 Award Year or Processing Year \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 What are the
                                                                                                 deadlines for
                                                          Under what          Where is it      disbursement and
         Which program?           What is submitted?   circumstances is       submitted?       for submission of
                                                         it submitted?                            records and
                                                                                                 information?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All (Pell Grant, Direct Loan,     An origination or   The institution     To the Common       The earliest
 TEACH Grant, and Iraq and         disbursement        has made a          Origination and     disbursement date
 Afghanistan Service Grant         record.             disbursement.       Disbursement        is January 29,
 programs).                                                                (COD) System        2015.
                                                                           using the Student  The earliest
                                                                           Aid Internet        submission date
                                                                           Gateway (SAIG);     for anticipated
                                                                           or to the COD       disbursement
                                                                           System using the    information is
                                                                           COD Web site at:    March 30, 2015.
                                                                           www.cod.ed.gov.    The earliest
                                                                                               submission date
                                                                                               for actual
                                                                                               disbursement
                                                                                               information is
                                                                                               March 30, 2015,
                                                                                               but no earlier
                                                                                               than:
                                                                                              (a) 7 calendar
                                                                                               days prior to the
                                                                                               disbursement date
                                                                                               under the advance
                                                                                               payment method or
                                                                                               the Cash
                                                                                               Monitoring #1
                                                                                               payment method;
                                                                                               or
                                                                                              (b) The date of
                                                                                               disbursement
                                                                                               under the
                                                                                               Reimbursement or
                                                                                               Cash Monitoring
                                                                                               #2 payment
                                                                                               methods.

[[Page 12812]]

 
Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan  An origination or   The institution     To COD using SAIG;  The deadline
 Service Grant, and TEACH Grant    disbursement        has made a          or to COD using     submission date
 programs.                         record.             disbursement and    the COD Web site    \2\ is the
                                                       will submit         at:                 earlier of:
                                                       records on or       www.cod.ed.gov.    (a) 15 calendar
                                                       before the                              days after the
                                                       deadline                                institution makes
                                                       submission date.                        a disbursement or
                                                                                               becomes aware of
                                                                                               the need to make
                                                                                               an adjustment to
                                                                                               previously
                                                                                               reported
                                                                                               disbursement
                                                                                               data, except that
                                                                                               records for
                                                                                               disbursements
                                                                                               made between
                                                                                               January 29, 2015
                                                                                               and March 30,
                                                                                               2015 must be
                                                                                               submitted no
                                                                                               later than April
                                                                                               14, 2015; or
                                                                                              (b) September 30,
                                                                                               2016.
Direct Loan Program.............  An origination or   The institution     To COD using SAIG;  The deadline
                                   disbursement        has made a          or to COD using     submission date
                                   record.             disbursement and    the COD Web site    \2\ is the
                                                       will submit         at:                 earlier of:
                                                       records on or       www.cod.ed.gov.    (a) 15 calendar
                                                       before the                              days after the
                                                       deadline                                institution makes
                                                       submission date.                        a disbursement or
                                                                                               becomes aware of
                                                                                               the need to make
                                                                                               an adjustment to
                                                                                               previously
                                                                                               reported
                                                                                               disbursement
                                                                                               data, except that
                                                                                               records of
                                                                                               disbursements
                                                                                               made between
                                                                                               January 1, 2015,
                                                                                               and March 30,
                                                                                               2015, may be
                                                                                               submitted no
                                                                                               later than April
                                                                                               14, 2015; or
                                                                                              (b) July 31, 2016.
Pell Grant and Iraq and           A downward          It is after the     To COD using SAIG;  No later than
 Afghanistan Service Grant         adjustment to an    deadline            or to COD using     September 30,
 programs.                         origination or      submission date.    the COD Web site    2021.
                                   disbursement                            at:
                                   record.                                 www.cod.ed.gov.
Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan  An origination or   After the deadline  Via the COD Web     The earlier of:
 Service Grant programs.           disbursement        submission date     site at:           (a) When the
                                   record.             and after the       www.cod.ed.gov.     institution is
                                                       institution has                         fully reconciled
                                                       received approval                       and is ready to
                                                       of its request                          submit all
                                                       for an extension                        additional data
                                                       to the deadline                         for the program
                                                       submission date.                        and the award
                                                      Requests for                             year; or
                                                       extensions to the                      (b) September 30,
                                                       established                             2021.
                                                       submission
                                                       deadlines may be
                                                       made for reasons,
                                                       including, but
                                                       not limited to:.
TEACH Grant and Direct Loan       ..................  (a) A program       ..................  When the
 programs.                                             review or initial                       institution is
                                                       audit finding                           fully reconciled
                                                       under 34 CFR                            and is ready to
                                                       690.83;                                 submit all
                                                      (b) A late                               additional data
                                                       disbursement                            for the program
                                                       under 34 CFR                            and the award
                                                       668.164(g); or.                         year.
                                                      (c) Disbursements
                                                       previously
                                                       blocked as a
                                                       result of another
                                                       institution
                                                       failing to post a
                                                       downward
                                                       adjustment..

[[Page 12813]]

 
Pell Grant and Iraq and           An origination or   It is after the     Via the COD Web     The earlier of:
 Afghanistan Service Grant         disbursement        deadline            site at:           (a) A date
 programs.                         record.             submission date     www.cod.ed.gov.     designated by the
                                                       and the                                 Secretary after
                                                       institution has                         consultation with
                                                       received approval                       the institution;
                                                       of its request                          or
                                                       for an extension                       (b) February 1,
                                                       to the deadline                         2017.
                                                       submission date
                                                       based on a
                                                       natural disaster,
                                                       other unusual
                                                       circumstances, or
                                                       an administrative
                                                       error made by the
                                                       Department.
Pell Grant and Iraq and           An origination or   It is after the     Via the COD Web     The earlier of:
 Afghanistan Service Grant         disbursement        deadline            site at:           (a) 15 days after
 programs.                         record.             submission date     www.cod.ed.gov.     the student
                                                       and the                                 reenrolls; or
                                                       institution has                        (b) May 3, 2017.
                                                       received approval
                                                       of its request
                                                       for
                                                       administrative
                                                       relief to extend
                                                       the deadline
                                                       submission date
                                                       based on a
                                                       student's reentry
                                                       to the
                                                       institution
                                                       within 180 days
                                                       after initially
                                                       withdrawing \3\.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A COD Processing Year is a period of time in which institutions are permitted to submit Direct Loan records
  to the COD System that are related to a given award year. For a Direct Loan, the period of time includes loans
  that have a loan period covering any day in the 2015-2016 award year.
\2\ Transmissions must be completed and accepted before the designated processing time on the deadline
  submission date. The designated processing time is published annually via an electronic announcement posted to
  the Information for Financial Aid Professionals Web site (www.ifap.ed.gov). If transmissions are started at
  the designated time, but are not completed until after the designated time, those transmissions will not meet
  the deadline. In addition, any transmission submitted on or just prior to the deadline date that is rejected
  may not be reprocessed because the deadline will have passed by the time the user gets the information
  notifying him or her of the rejection.
\3\ Applies only to students enrolled in clock-hour and nonterm credit-hour educational programs.
Note: The COD System must accept origination data for a student from an institution before it accepts
  disbursement information from the institution for that student. Institutions may submit origination and
  disbursement data for a student in the same transmission. However, if the origination data is rejected, the
  disbursement data is rejected.

[FR Doc. 2015-05539 Filed 3-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P