[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 17, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36494-36504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12965]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 668

[Docket ID ED-2020-OPE-0078]
RIN 1840-ZA04


Eligibility of Students at Institutions of Higher Education for 
Funds Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) 
Act

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Interim final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) issues this interim 
final rule so that institutions of higher education may appropriately 
determine which individuals attending their institution are eligible to 
receive emergency financial aid grants to students under the 
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (March 27, 
2020).

DATES: These regulations are effective June 17, 2020. We must receive 
your comments on or before July 17, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. We will not 
accept comments submitted by fax or by email or those submitted after 
the comment period. To ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies, 
please submit your comments only once. In addition, please include the 
Docket ID at the top of your comments.
    If you are submitting comments electronically, we strongly 
encourage you to submit any comments or attachments in Microsoft Word 
format. If you must submit a comment in Adobe Portable Document Format 
(PDF), we strongly encourage you to convert the

[[Page 36495]]

PDF to print-to-PDF format or to use some other commonly used 
searchable text format. Please do not submit the PDF in a scanned 
format. Using a print-to-PDF format allows the Department to 
electronically search and copy certain portions of your submissions.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to 
submit your comments electronically. Information on using 
regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site 
under ``Help.''
     Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: The 
Department strongly encourages commenters to submit their comments 
electronically. However, if you mail or deliver your comments about the 
interim final rule, address them to Gaby Watts, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Room 258-02, Washington, DC 20202.
    Privacy Note: The Department's policy is to make comments received 
from members of the public available for public viewing on the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should 
include in their comments only information that they wish to make 
publicly available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Gaby 
Watts, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Room 258-02, 
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: 202-453-7195. Email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 
(800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Invitation to Comment: Although the Department has decided to issue 
this final rule without first publishing a proposed rule for public 
comment, we are interested in whether you think we should make any 
changes to this rule. We invite your comments. We will consider these 
comments in determining whether to revise the rule.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 and their overall 
requirement of reducing regulatory burden that might result from this 
final rule. Please let us know of any further ways we could reduce 
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the 
effective and efficient administration of the Department's programs and 
activities.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this interim final rule by accessing Regulations.gov. 
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Department's buildings are 
currently not open. However, upon reopening, you may also inspect the 
comments in person at 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202, 
between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday of 
each week except Federal holidays. To schedule a time to inspect 
comments, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the 
Rulemaking Record: On request, we will provide an appropriate 
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who 
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the 
public rulemaking record for this interim final rule. To schedule an 
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Background:
    On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the CARES Act, Public Law 116-
136, to help Americans cope with the economic and health crises created 
by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Section 18004 of 
the CARES Act establishes the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund 
(HEERF) and instructs the Secretary to allocate funding to eligible 
institutions of higher education in connection with the COVID-19 
outbreak. Section 18004(c) specifically allows institutions to use 
their HEERF allocation under Sec.  18004(a)(1) for ``any costs 
associated with significant changes to the delivery of instruction due 
to the coronavirus,'' while adding the restriction that funds cannot be 
used for ``payment to contractors for the provision of pre-enrollment 
recruitment activities; endowments; or capital outlays associated with 
facilities related to athletics, sectarian instruction, or religious 
worship.'' Section 18004(c) also states that institutions must use at 
least 50 percent of their allocations ``to provide emergency financial 
aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus 
operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a 
student's cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, 
technology, health care, and child care),'' implicitly allowing 
institutions to use more than 50 percent of their funds for this 
purpose. Thus, the first sentence of section 18004(c) generally allows 
an institution to use its allocated HEERF funds under section 
18004(a)(1) to cover certain coronavirus-related costs, while the 
second sentence requires an institution to give at least half of its 
allocated HEERF funds as grants to students. Finally, section 18004(e) 
requires institutions to submit reports to the Secretary describing how 
the funds were used under the section and authorizes the Secretary to 
specify the time and manner of such reporting.
    Although the second sentence of section 18004(c) states that the 
emergency financial aid grants are to be given to students, the CARES 
Act does not define the term ``student'' or the phrases ``grants to 
students'' or ``emergency financial aid grants to students.'' In 
addition to leaving these terms undefined, Congress also included an 
implicit reference to title IV terms immediately after the phrase 
``emergency financial aid grants to students,'' 18004(c) (``including 
eligible expenses under a student's cost of attendance''), and explicit 
references to that same title IV standard following the phrase ``grants 
to students'' in two of the preceding subsections, 18004(a)(2) and 
(a)(3) (``the student's cost of attendance (as defined under section 
472 of the Higher Education Act''). In determining who constitutes a 
``student'' for purposes of ``emergency financial aid grants to 
students'' in section 18004 of the CARES Act, the Department is mindful 
that ``[s]tatutory construction . . . is a holistic endeavor.'' United 
Sav. Ass'n of Texas v. Timbers of Inwood Forest Assocs., Ltd., 484 U.S. 
365, 371 (1988). In the appropriate circumstances, the Department's 
construction of the CARES Act must be informed or even controlled by 
other relevant law. (``We assume that Congress is aware of existing law 
when it passes legislation,'' Hall v. United States, 566 U.S. 506, 516 
(2012) quoting Miles v. Apex Marine Corp., 498 U.S. 19, 32 (1990).) In 
context the category of ``student'' recipients eligible for ``emergency 
financial aid grants'' is therefore at a minimum ambiguous.
    This is a critical ambiguity, requiring the Department to exercise 
its narrow interpretative authority under Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. 
Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 843-44 (1984). (`` `The 
power of an administrative agency to administer a congressionally 
created . . . program necessarily requires the formulation of policy 
and the making of rules to fill any gap left, implicitly or explicitly, 
by Congress.' quoting Morton v. Ruiz, 415 U.S. 199, 231 (1974). . . . 
Sometimes the legislative delegation to an agency on a particular 
question is implicit rather than explicit.'') Here the Secretary

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exercises her authority under 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 20 U.S.C. 3474. 
Relying on statutory language and context to develop a harmonious 
construction faithful to the entire statutory scheme, see Food and Drug 
Admin. v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., 529 U.S. 120, 132-33 (2000) 
(``In determining whether Congress has specifically addressed the 
question at issue, a reviewing court should not confine itself to 
examining a particular statutory provision in isolation. The meaning--
or ambiguity--of certain words or phrases may only become evident when 
placed in context.''), we have concluded that Congress intended the 
category of those eligible for ``emergency financial aid grants to 
students'' in section 18004 of the CARES Act to be limited to those 
individuals eligible for title IV assistance.
    The Department considered a number of factors in reaching this 
conclusion. For one, an interpretation of the term ``student'' in 
``emergency financial aid grants to students'' that was broad enough to 
cover anyone engaged in learning, or anyone enrolled in any way at an 
institution, or anyone enrolled full-time at an institution in a 
program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential, would be 
significantly curtailed at the outset by existing law independent of 
title IV with regard to certain immigration statuses. 8 U.S.C. 1611(a) 
already prohibits certain individuals from receiving any ``Federal 
public benefit'' and applies ``[n]otwithstanding any other provision of 
law.'' This prohibition clearly applies to the HEERF funds. Section 
1611(c) defines ``Federal public benefit'' to include (A) ``any grant . 
. . provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds 
of the United States,'' as well as (B) ``any . . . postsecondary 
education . . . benefit . . . for which payments or assistance are 
provided to an individual . . . by an agency of the United States or by 
appropriated funds of the United States.'' \1\ To the extent an 
institution uses HEERF funds, which qualify as ``appropriated funds of 
the United States,'' to provide ``emergency financial aid grants to 
students,'' the grants would qualify as a Federal public benefit under 
both Section 1611(c)(1)(A) and (B) because they would be ``grant[s] . . 
. by appropriated funds,'' as well as ``postsecondary education'' 
benefits to individuals. To the extent an institution otherwise uses 
the funds to make payments to students for purposes of, for example, 
``costs associated with significant changes to the delivery of 
instruction due to the coronavirus,'' these payments would also qualify 
as ``postsecondary education'' benefits to individuals. The Department 
has not identified any specific language in Section 18004, or elsewhere 
in the CARES Act, that suggests Congress intended to include aliens who 
are not ``qualified'' for purposes of Section 1611 among the recipients 
of HEERF funds, notwithstanding the preexisting general prohibition in 
Section 1611.
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    \1\ Because title IV also contains an eligibility requirement 
based on immigration status which is similar in most respects to the 
requirement in 8 U.S.C. 1611, there is little remaining application 
for the prohibition in 8 U.S.C. 1611 once title IV eligibility 
requirements have been applied.
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    On the other extreme, the Department concludes that a more narrow 
interpretation of the term ``student'' in the phrase ``emergency 
financial aid grants to students''--for example, to cover only the 
group that received Federal Pell Grants as referenced in section 
18004(a)(1)(A)--would be overly restrictive and less supportable under 
the language of the CARES Act.
    Earlier in the CARES Act, in section 3504 entitled ``Use of 
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants for Emergency Aid,'' 
Congress expressly authorizes institutions to use money allocated to 
them under the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant 
(FSEOG) program, 20 U.S.C. 1070b et seq., for ``emergency financial aid 
grants to students,'' which is the identical phrase Congress used in 
section 18004. Although Congress did not expressly state that these 
emergency financial aid grants to students must be limited to those 
students who are eligible for participation in programs under title IV 
of the HEA, the context indicates that Congress intended that 
restriction as a general rule. Not only was the previously planned use 
of the funds conditioned upon title IV eligibility (since the FSEOG 
program is part of title IV of the HEA) but also because the text of 
the CARES Act allows institutions to ``waive the amount of need 
calculation under section 471'' of the HEA, which is a calculation that 
applies to title IV aid.
    Because ``identical words and phrases within the same statute 
should normally be given the same meaning,'' Powerex Corp. v. Reliant 
Energy Services, Inc., 551 U.S. 224, 232 (2007), the implicit title IV 
eligibility requirement associated with ``emergency financial aid 
grants to students'' in section 3504 should apply to the distribution 
of ``emergency financial aid grants to students'' in section 18004. 
Congress did not previously choose to provide emergency financial aid 
grants through the HEA, and thus these grants, by definition, do not 
constitute Federal financial student aid under the HEA, including title 
IV of the HEA. However, even though it is true that all title IV aid is 
subject to title IV eligibility requirements, it does not follow that 
all non-title IV aid is exempt from title IV eligibility requirements. 
Rather, non-title IV aid can be subject to title IV eligibility 
requirements. For example, scholarships distributed under the Fund for 
the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, a non-title IV program, 
require that recipients meet certain title IV eligibility requirements, 
as noted below. 20 U.S.C. 1138(d).
    In providing emergency financial aid grants through section 18004 
of the CARES Act, Congress also used the framework under title IV of 
the HEA for the distribution of these emergency financial aid grants to 
students, implying that the Department and institutions adhere to the 
requirements under title IV, such as using the definition of ``cost of 
attendance'' under title IV of the HEA and the same systems for 
distributing Federal financial student aid to institutions under title 
IV of the HEA.
    Indeed, Congress specifically references title IV of the HEA in 
various provisions in section 18004 of the CARES Act, including the 
following provisions:
     Section 18004(a)(1) links a component of the institutional 
allocation for HEERF to enrollment of Pell Grant recipients, and a 
student must be eligible for Federal financial student aid under 
section 484 of title IV of the HEA to receive Pell Grants. 20 U.S.C. 
1070a(a) (stating Pell Grants are only for an ``eligible student 
(defined in accordance with [S]ection 484 [of the HEA])''); 20 U.S.C. 
1091.
     Sections 18004(a)(2) and (3) require institutions to use 
funds ``for grants to students for any component of the student's cost 
of attendance (as defined under Sec.  472 of [title IV of] the Higher 
Education Act), including food, housing, course materials, technology, 
healthcare, and child care.'' (Emphasis added.)
     Section 18004(a)(3) specifically references ``part B of 
title VII of the HEA,'' and section 741(d)(1) of part B of title VII of 
the HEA expressly requires students to be eligible under section 484(a) 
of the HEA to receive grants or scholarships. 20 U.S.C. 1138(d).
     Section 18004(b) expressly requires the Secretary to use 
the same systems that are used to distribute funding to each 
institution under title IV of the HEA in order to distribute funds to 
each institution under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

[[Page 36497]]

     Section 18004(c) again expressly refers to ``a student's 
cost of attendance,'' which is a defined term in section 472 of the 
HEA. 20 U.S.C. 1087ll.
    The most congruent definition of ``student'' for purposes of 
``emergency financial aid grants to students'' in section 18004 is a 
person who is or would be eligible under section 484 of the HEA for 
title IV aid. Indeed, it would be an illogical result for Congress to 
require students to be eligible under section 484 of title IV of the 
HEA for grants under section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act, which 
expressly references part B of title VII of the HEA, but not for grants 
under sections 18004(a)(1) and (2) of the CARES Act, especially when 
Congress in section 18004(d) directs the Secretary to prioritize funds 
under section 18004(a)(3) for institutions that did not receive 
sufficient funding under section 18004(a)(1) and (2). ``Interpretations 
of statute which would produce absurd results are to be avoided.'' 
Griffin v. Ocean Contractors, Inc., 458 U.S. 564, 576 (1982). To 
interpret section 18004 in a holistic manner, it appears that the best 
interpretation of ``student'' where section 18004 references 
``emergency financial aid grants to students'' is to mean a person who 
is eligible under section 484 of the HEA to receive title IV aid.\2\
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    \2\ To calculate the HEERF allocation under section 
18004(a)(1)(B), the Department ``approximated the factors using the 
best available data'' by multiplying the 2017/2018 full-time 
enrollment number by the fall 2018 percentage of undergraduate, 
graduate, and professional students not enrolled exclusively in 
distance education, as self-reported by institutions and compiled in 
the Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System 
(IPEDS). See Methodology for Calculating Allocations per Section 
18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerf90percentformulaallocationexplanation.pdf.
    Thus, the approach taken in calculating the ``full-time 
equivalent enrollment of students'' in section 18004(a)(1)(B) 
differs from the approach taken in this rule in interpreting and 
applying ``grants to students'' elsewhere in section 18004. The 
Department intends to interpret the term ``student'' in the same way 
throughout section 18004, but did not have data available on the 
number of individuals enrolled at each institution who are or could 
be eligible for title IV aid, so the Department had to use a 
different measure based on available data. As between the available 
options, the Department believed that using a broader number for 
part of the baseline in establishing each institution's share under 
18004(a)(1) made sense because funds used toward the first allowed 
purpose in 18004(c) (to cover any costs associated with significant 
changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus) apply 
to the entire institution regardless of the definition of 
``student.'' The Department also deemed it more important to move 
expeditiously to calculate the HEERF allocation despite the 
acknowledged ``limitations of th[e] data,'' rather than stopping the 
HEERF process in order to gather additional data solely for purposes 
of calculating the HEERF allocation.
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    Final Rule:
    For purposes of the phrases ``grants to students'' and ``emergency 
financial aid grants to students'' in sections 18004(a)(2), (a)(3), and 
(c) of the CARES Act, ``student'' is defined as an individual who is, 
or could be, eligible under section 484 of the HEA, to participate in 
programs under title IV of the HEA. We add this definition to 34 CFR 
668.2.
    An important policy goal for the Department is to make emergency 
financial aid grants available to students in the most efficient, 
effective, and expedient way possible and consistent with Congressional 
intent. At the same time, the Department has an obligation to taxpayers 
to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. The potential for waste, fraud, and 
abuse is significant when institutions of higher education are given 
the opportunity to quickly make cash awards to students, particularly 
when institutions are rightfully concerned about declining enrollments 
and the loss of ancillary revenue as a result of COVID-19. In addition, 
there have been reports that the unusual circumstances caused by COVID-
19 have given rise to new efforts to defraud government programs in 
other contexts.\3\
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    \3\ See, e.g., Mike Baker, Feds Suspect Vast Fraud Network Is 
Targeting U.S. Unemployment Systems, New York Times, 
www.nytimes.com/2020/05/16/us/coronavirus-unemployment-fraud-secret-service-washington.html (last visited May 19, 2020).
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    The Department has considered these issues in reaching its 
interpretation of the category of those eligible for ``emergency 
financial aid grants to students'' in section 18004(a)(2), (a)(3), and 
(c). The Department has concluded that the best approach to 
interpreting ``student'' in ``emergency financial aid grants to 
students'' is to mean a person who is eligible under section 484 of the 
HEA to receive title IV aid, as suggested by the references to title IV 
elsewhere in section 18004. This approach uses a clear, existing 
standard that is familiar to the Department and to institutions and 
will allow both the Department and institutions to implement the HEERF 
provisions in an efficient, effective, and expedient way. The 
Department has placed a high priority on getting assistance to 
institutions and individuals as quickly and efficiently as possible in 
light of the national emergency and the immediate needs resulting 
therefrom, and the use of an existing standard here achieves that same 
important goal. The title IV eligibility standard has already been 
specified in great detail by the Department in its practice and its 
communications with institutions with regard to title IV programs over 
the years. In contrast, using a generic, broad standard would require 
the Department and institutions to wade through a litany of specific 
questions about which groups of potential students do or do not qualify 
for ``grants to students.'' \4\
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    \4\ For example, there would need to be consideration and a 
determination made regarding whether to include or exclude 
individuals based on whether they are enrolled for credit, enrolled 
in an off-campus program, simultaneously finishing a high school 
degree, taking remedial courses, taking only zero-credit thesis 
courses, enrolled exclusively in courses not applied towards a 
recognized credential, enrolled only in English as a Second Language 
programs or Continuing Education Units, auditing classes only, 
participating residents or interns in a medical doctor practice 
program after receiving their degree, studying abroad at a foreign 
university, enrolled in a branch campus in a foreign country, or 
participating in Experimental Sites.
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    For the majority of students, active participation in title IV 
programs will clearly demonstrate to the institution and the Department 
that they are qualified as a student to receive emergency financial aid 
grants. For example, with regard to the title IV eligibility 
requirement related to citizenship or appropriate immigration status in 
the United States, the majority of students' statuses can be verified 
by the fact of their participation in title IV.\5\ And this 
verification also ensures that the disbursement of grants to those 
individuals occurs in compliance with the independent statutory 
restriction found in 8 U.S.C. 1611.
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    \5\ For the rest of students, qualification can be confirmed by 
the method described in the May 1, 2015 Dear Colleague Letter, 
entitled ``Citizenship and Immigration Status Documentation'' (DCL 
ID: GEN-15-08), the Federal Student Aid Handbook (https://ifap.ed.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/2019-08/1920FSAHbkVol1Ch2.pdf), or by employing the electronic document 
submission flexibilities provided in the Department's April 3, 2020, 
``UPDATED Guidance for Interruptions of Study Related to COVID-19'' 
(https://ifap.ed.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/2020-04/040320UPDATEDGuidanceInterruptStudyRelCOVID19Attach.pdf).
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    The Department also acknowledges the efficiency of leveraging 
existing processes and procedures to minimize burden on institutions 
implementing this IFR. For example, institutions could encourage 
students who currently do not receive title IV aid to submit the Free 
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to determine title 
IV eligibility.
    In addition, this approach to interpreting ``student'' within the 
phrase ``emergency financial aid grants to students'' also allows the 
Department to prevent potential waste, fraud, and abuse. For example, 
without the title IV eligibility standard, the existence of HEERF 
funding could incentivize individuals who are not qualified and cannot 
qualify under the title IV

[[Page 36498]]

standard to enroll as students, and it could incentivize institutions 
to take advantage of this dynamic to further their bottom lines. If a 
broad definition of ``student'' were employed for purposes of emergency 
financial aid grants to students, unscrupulous institutions could 
create cheap classes and programming that provides little or no 
educational value and then use the HEERF grant funding to incentivize 
individuals not qualified under title IV to enroll as paying students 
in those classes and programs, thereby qualifying for a grant. 
Alternatively, institutions could use the HEERF grant funding to 
incentivize the re-enrollment of students cannot maintain Satisfactory 
Academic Progress (SAP) due to reasons beyond the qualifying emergency, 
solely for the purpose of increasing revenues via the tuition such 
students would pay. Without restriction, institutions could also use 
HEERF funds for students who are enrolled at the institution but do not 
intend to receive a degree or certificate, thereby diverting funds from 
students who are pursuing a degree or certificate in an eligible 
program.
    Instead, interpreting ``student'' to track title IV eligibility for 
purposes of emergency financial aid grants to students will ensure that 
institutions are only providing funds to students who are enrolled in 
an eligible program at an institution and are maintaining SAP in their 
program, among other requirements. Each of these requirements exists 
because it focuses the use of Federal resources on valuable educational 
activities and excludes areas that are more open to waste, fraud, and 
abuse. This approach will thereby allow the Department to reduce the 
likelihood and amount of waste, fraud, and abuse in the administration 
of the HEERF allocations under the CARES Act.

Waiver of Notice and Comment Rulemaking, Negotiated Rulemaking, and 
Delayed Effective Date Under the Administrative Procedure Act

    The Department believes its interim final rulemaking authority must 
be narrowly construed and exercised only when there is a sound basis 
for doing so. However, Congress enacted the CARES Act to help Americans 
cope with the urgent economic and health crises created by the COVID-19 
outbreak and created the HEERF to provide emergency financial aid 
grants to students. In light of the urgent economic challenges facing 
many students as a result of the crisis, the Department has determined 
that there is good cause for interim final rulemaking and that such 
action is in the public interest. In the absence of this interim final 
rule, the terms defined herein will remain undefined and indefinite, 
and the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse described above will not 
have been unaddressed in any legally binding manner.\6\
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    \6\ Nor will the Department enforce the title IV eligibility 
interpretation announced in this rule against distribution of HEERF 
funds that occurred prior to the publication of this rule.
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    Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), the 
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to 
comment on proposed rules. However, the APA provides that an agency is 
not required to conduct notice and comment rulemaking when the agency, 
for good cause, finds that notice and public comment thereon are 
impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest (5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(B)). In light of the current national emergency and the 
importance of institutions properly distributing the HEERF allocations 
via emergency financial aid grants to students to help with their 
expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 
as quickly as possible, the normal rulemaking process would be 
impracticable and contrary to the public interest, so good cause exists 
for waiving the notice and comment requirements of the APA. Although 
the Department has issued guidance to this effect already, that 
guidance is not legally binding, the Department understands that 
certain institutions have refrained from distributing some or all of 
their HEERF funds until a final rule is issued clarifying this point in 
a legally binding manner.
    The Department is not required to conduct negotiated rulemaking for 
this rule. The requirement in HEA section 492 that requires the 
Department to obtain public involvement in the development of proposed 
regulations for title IV of the HEA does not apply to this final rule, 
because it implements the CARES Act, not title IV. Moreover, even if it 
did apply, section 492(b)(2) of the HEA provides that negotiated 
rulemaking may be waived for good cause when doing so would be 
``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.'' 
Section 492(b)(2) of the HEA also requires the Secretary to publish the 
basis for waiving negotiations in the Federal Register at the same time 
as the regulations in question are first published. Even if section 492 
applied to this rule, good cause would exist to waive the negotiated 
rulemaking requirement, since, as explained above, notice and comment 
rulemaking is not practicable or in the public interest in this case.
    The master calendar requirement in section 482 of the HEA likewise 
does not apply to this rule, because the rule does not relate to the 
delivery of student aid funds under title IV.
    Additionally, the APA generally requires that regulations be 
published at least 30 days before their effective date, except as 
otherwise provided by the agency for good cause found and published 
with the rule (5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3)). As described above, good cause 
exists for this rule to be effective upon publication in light of the 
current national emergency and the importance of institutions properly 
distributing the HEERF allocations via emergency financial aid grants 
to students to help with their expenses related to the disruption of 
campus operations due to COVID-19. The CRA requires a major rule may 
take effect no sooner than 60 calendar days after an agency submits a 
CRA report to Congress or the rule is published in the Federal 
Register, whichever is later. 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(3)(A). However, the CRA 
creates limited exceptions to this requirement. See id. Sec.  801(c); 
Sec.  808. An agency may invoke the ``good cause'' exception under 
section 808(2) in the case of rules for which the agency has found 
``good cause'' under the APA, section 553(b)(B), to issue the rule 
without providing the public with an advance opportunity to comment. As 
stated above the Department has found good cause to issue this rule 
without notice and comment rulemaking and thus we are not including the 
60-day delayed effective date in this rule.

Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 13771

Regulatory Impact Analysis

    Under Executive Order 12866, it must be determined whether this 
regulatory action is ``significant'' and, therefore, subject to the 
requirements of the Executive order and subject to review by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB). Section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 
defines a ``significant regulatory action'' as an action likely to 
result in a rule that may--
    (1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more, 
or adversely affect a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, 
jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or 
Tribal governments or communities in a material way (also referred to 
as an ``economically significant'' rule);

[[Page 36499]]

    (2) Create serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
action taken or planned by another agency;
    (3) Materially alter the budgetary impacts of entitlement grants, 
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or
    (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles stated in the 
Executive order.
    OMB has determined that this regulatory action is a significant 
regulatory action subject to review by OMB under section 3(f) of 
Executive Order 12866.
    Under Executive Order 13771, for each new regulation that the 
Department proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates 
that is a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866 and 
that imposes total costs greater than zero, it must identify two 
deregulatory actions. For FY 2020, any new incremental costs associated 
with a new regulation must be fully offset by the elimination of 
existing costs through deregulatory actions. This rule's designation 
under Executive Order 13771 will be informed by public comment.
    We have also reviewed these regulations under Executive Order 
13563, which supplements and explicitly reaffirms the principles, 
structures, and definitions governing regulatory review established in 
Executive Order 12866. To the extent permitted by law, Executive Order 
13563 requires that an agency--
    (1) Propose or adopt regulations only upon a reasoned determination 
that their benefits justify their costs (recognizing that some benefits 
and costs are difficult to quantify);
    (2) Tailor its regulations to impose the least burden on society, 
consistent with obtaining regulatory objectives and taking into 
account--among other things and to the extent practicable--the costs of 
cumulative regulations;
    (3) In choosing among alternative regulatory approaches, select 
those approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential 
economic, environmental, public health and safety, and other 
advantages; distributive impacts; and equity);
    (4) To the extent feasible, specify performance objectives rather 
than the behavior or manner of compliance a regulated entity must 
adopt; and
    (5) Identify and assess available alternatives to direct 
regulation, including economic incentives--such as user fees or 
marketable permits--to encourage the desired behavior, or provide 
information that enables the public to make choices.
    Executive Order 13563 also requires an agency ``to use the best 
available techniques to quantify anticipated present and future 
benefits and costs as accurately as possible.'' The Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB has emphasized that these 
techniques may include ``identifying changing future compliance costs 
that might result from technological innovation or anticipated 
behavioral changes.''
    We are issuing this interim final rule only on a reasoned 
determination that its benefits would justify its costs. In choosing 
among alternative regulatory approaches, we selected those approaches 
that would maximize net benefits. Based on the analysis that follows, 
the Department believes that these regulations are consistent with the 
principles in Executive Order 13563.
    We have also determined that this regulatory action would not 
unduly interfere with State, local, and Tribal governments in the 
exercise of their governmental functions.
    Elsewhere in this section under Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we 
identify and explain burdens specifically associated with the 
information collection requirements.

Need for Regulatory Action

    The Department is issuing this interim final rule to clarify which 
students are eligible for emergency financial aid grants under section 
18004 of the CARES Act. This final rule is meant to balance flexibility 
and clarify administration for institutions so the funds can be 
provided to eligible students as efficiently as possible with 
eligibility requirements consistent with congressional intent and 
designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. The emergency financial 
aid grants are meant to assist students with expenses related to the 
disruption of on-campus activities, so this final rule is meant to 
clarify any questions about eligibility so the funds can be disbursed 
in a timely manner.
    As detailed in the preamble of this IFR, in light of the current 
national emergency and the importance of institutions distributing the 
HEERF allocations via emergency financial aid grants to students to 
help with their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations 
due to COVID-19, the normal rulemaking process would be impracticable 
and contrary to the public interest. With the definition of ``student'' 
in ``emergency financial aid grants to students'' uncertain, 
institutions may be reluctant to award the full allocation for grants 
to students in time to assist with the COVID-19 related expenses the 
funds are intended to alleviate.

Costs, Benefits, and Transfers

    The emergency financial aid grants under section 18004 of the CARES 
Act are intended to assist eligible students with expenses related to 
the disruption of campus activities. In accordance with OMB Circular A-
4, we are evaluating the costs and benefits of the IFR compared to a 
pre-statutory baseline. This IFR defines which students are eligible 
for the grants but does not change the amount available or the 
allocation formula for providing the funds to institutions. The amount 
of transfers available to eligible students in 2020 is a minimum of 
$6.25 billion and up to $12.5 billion, depending on the amount 
institutions retain for institutional expenses. We have not discounted 
or annualized this amount because it is meant to be disbursed to 
students as efficiently as possible in the current year.
    As described in this preamble, the eligibility requirements 
clarified in this final rule allow students to know if they are 
eligible to receive such funds from their institution. Limiting 
eligibility to title IV-eligible students who were enrolled and making 
P SAP in on-campus programs during the time of coronavirus-related 
disruptions to campus operations should allow the grants to be targeted 
for the purpose they were established. By aligning requirements with 
title-IV eligibility,\7\ those individuals who do not meet one or more 
of the title IV eligibility requirements will be unable to receive 
HEERF grants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ An exhaustive list of student eligibility requirements can 
be found in Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended [20 U.S.C. 1091]. They are as follows (1) enroll or be 
accepted for enrollment in a program leading to a recognized 
credential at an eligible IHE and not enrolled in elementary or 
secondary school (2) if presently enrolled, be maintaining 
satisfactory academic progress (3) not owe a refund on a Federal 
student grant or be in default on any Federal student loan (4) 
submit a Statement of Educational Purpose (5) are a U.S. citizen, 
National or eligible noncitizen (6) not have been convicted of, or 
plead nolo contendere or guilty to, a crime involving fraud in 
obtaining federal student aid (7) have a high school diploma or its 
equivalent (8) have a valid social security number (9) register with 
the Selective Service (if required) (10) not been convicted of any 
offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or 
sale of a controlled substance for conduct that occurred during a 
period of enrollment for which the student was receiving Federal 
student aid. For more information visit: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:20%20section:1091%20edition:prelim) and here 
https://ifap.ed.gov/federal-student-aid-handbook/08-05-2019-2019-2020-federal-student-aid-handbook-student-eligibility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As institutions will determine how they will distribute funds to 
their

[[Page 36500]]

students, the Department does not know the exact distribution of who 
will receive the grants. Table 1 shows the estimated pool of potential 
recipients as derived from IPEDS data for institutions that received an 
allocation. It is not specific to Spring 2020 enrollment but does 
provide an indication of the number of students who could receive 
funds. The primary eligibility limitations reflected in the table are 
the exclusion of non-resident aliens and the use of the percent of 
students whose programs were exclusively through distance education to 
estimate eligible on-campus enrollment.

                     Table 1--Estimated Potential Grant Recipients by Control of Institution
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Public            Private          Proprietary           Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Enrollment \8\................         18,527,813          4,778,403          1,053,455         24,359,671
    Undergraduate...................         16,872,158          3,208,336            916,722         20,997,216
    Graduate........................          1,655,655          1,570,067            136,733          3,362,455
Non-Resident Alien..................            692,123            408,696             25,903          1,126,722
Percent All-Distance \9\............              11.40              19.20              59.90
Estimated Potentially Eligible On-           15,802,421          3,530,723            412,048         19,745,193
 Campus Enrollment..................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    It will be easier for students who have successfully completed a 
FAFSA and received a valid student aid report (SAR) or institutional 
student information record (ISIR) for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 award 
years to receive an emergency financial aid grant because they have 
already demonstrated their eligibility under title IV. While some 
students may choose not to fill out a FAFSA because they have other 
sources of funding for their education, others may lack the necessary 
information or familiarity with the financial aid process to have 
information in place already. A number of studies have examined the 
issue of barriers to FAFSA completion including complexity and lack of 
counseling. These barriers are particularly challenging for low-income, 
minority, and first-generation students.\10\ Another limitation that 
will restrict title IV eligible students' access to the emergency 
financial aid grants is their program's participation in title IV aid. 
Some programs at title-IV eligible institutions, primarily shorter 
training courses such as first responder training certificate programs, 
do not participate. Students enrolled in such programs will not be 
eligible for the emergency financial aid grants. Students who choose 
not to fill out a FAFSA but otherwise meet the title IV eligibility 
criteria may verify their eligibility by completing an application 
designed by the institution in which the student attests under the 
penalty of perjury to meeting the requirements of section 484 of the 
HEA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ Analysis of IPEDS 2017-18 12-month enrollment file, effy2018 
available at https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/DataFiles.aspx?goToReportId=7.
    \9\ National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of 
Education Statistics 2019, Table 311.15. Number and percentage of 
students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by 
distance education participation, location of student, level of 
enrollment, and control and level of institution: Fall 2017 and Fall 
2018. Fall 2017 share of students taking exclusively distance 
education courses. Available at https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_311.15.asp.
    \10\ Owen, Laura and Westlund, Erik (2016) ``Increasing College 
Opportunity: School Counselors and FAFSA Completion,'' Journal of 
College Access: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol2/iss1/3. Literature review discusses 
barriers and interventions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In developing this IFR, the Department considered waiving some 
title IV eligibility requirements related to drug offenses, fraud 
related to title IV funds, or default. Ultimately, it was determined 
that eliminating some eligibility criteria and not others would not be 
fair across groups of students and would not allow institutions to 
maximize the use of their existing eligibility confirmation processes.
    It is unclear how institutions will interpret the language of the 
CARES Act as they continue distributing emergency financial aid grants 
to students in the absence of the clarification contained in this rule. 
Some institutions may choose to continue to follow the guidance the 
Department has already issued on this subject, while others may adopt 
their own broader definition of ``student.'' At a minimum, the 
Department has already brought to the attention of institutions that 
the restrictions in 8 U.S.C. 1611 apply with regard to the distribution 
of grants to non-qualifying aliens as defined therein, so those 
individuals would not qualify for such grants under any interpretation 
of ``students.'' On the other hand, within the boundaries established 
by the terms of the CARES Act and other applicable statutes, 
institutions have discretion in distributing emergency financial aid 
grants to students, so even if an institution decided to use a broad 
definition of ``students'' in the absence of this rule, the institution 
might not exercise its discretion to award grants to everyone who meets 
that broader definition. It is therefore difficult to estimate with any 
degree of certainty how institutions would use their HEERF allocations 
differently for distribution of emergency financial aid grants to 
students in the absence of this rule.
    Students will benefit from assistance in paying additional expenses 
associated with elements included in their cost of attendance, such as 
room and board, that changed with the disruption of campus activities. 
As confirmed by the Internal Revenue Service, the relief provided under 
section 18004 of the CARES Act will not be considered gross income, so 
students have no Federal tax consequences to deter them from accepting 
this assistance. Students will have to work with their institutions to 
access the funds according to whatever process the institution 
establishes to award the relief. As described in the Paperwork 
Reduction Act section of this preamble, students are expected to take 
263,138 hours for a total of $4.71 million at a wage rate of $17.89 
\11\ to apply for emergency relief in 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ Students' hourly rate estimated using Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) for Sales and Related Workers, All Other, available 
at: https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/print.pl/oes/current/oes_nat.htm. 
Last accessed May 20, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Institutions are also affected by this final rule. They have some 
flexibility in determining how they will distribute the funds they were 
allocated for this emergency relief. They will incur some costs in 
setting criteria or establishing an application process for their 
students. We assume the distribution of the funds can largely rely on 
existing processes and information involved in the disbursement of 
other title IV aid, but there will be some burden in confirming 
students' eligibility for the emergency relief, including for students 
who do not have an existing valid SAR or ISIR for the 2019-20 or 2020-
21 award years. This could involve developing an application that 
includes student attestation under the penalty of

[[Page 36501]]

perjury to meeting the requirements of section 484 of the HEA. For 
students who knowingly misrepresent the truth in their attestation, the 
school may take disciplinary action against the student or require 
repayment of the emergency grant. As described in the Paperwork 
Reduction Act section of this preamble, burden on institutions is 
estimated to increase by 25,680 hours and $1,177,941 at a wage rate of 
$45.87 for postsecondary education administrators \12\ in 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ Based on BLS 2019 median hourly wage rate for postsecondary 
education administrators in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. 
Available at www.bls.gov/ooh/management/postsecondary-education-administrators.htm. Last accessed May 20, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To the extent that students use their emergency financial aid 
grants for expenses related to elements of their cost of attendance 
provided by institutions, those institutions will receive some revenue 
students may otherwise have been unable to pay at this time. Table 2 
summarizes the amounts to be allocated to institutions by sector. The 
full breakout of amounts allocated to individual institutions, 
including the maximum that can be allocated to institutional costs, is 
available in the Allocations for section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act 
document \13\ on the Department's CARES Act website.\14\ These 
allocations were made according to the formula described in the 
Methodology for Calculating Allocations document \15\ on the 
Department's CARES Act website. The allocation formula emphasizes 
institutions' share of Pell Grant recipients with 75 percent of the 
allocation based on each IHE's share of full-time equivalent (FTE) 
enrollment of Pell Grant recipients who were not enrolled exclusively 
in distance education prior to the coronavirus emergency, relative to 
the share of such individuals in all institutions. The remaining 25 
percent is based on the institution's share of FTE enrollment of 
students who were not Pell Grant recipients and who were not enrolled 
exclusively in distance education prior to the coronavirus emergency. 
This formula helps direct relief to institutions that serve lower 
income students as part of their on-campus operations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ Available at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/allocationstableinstitutionalportion.pdf.
    \14\ www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/caresact.html.
    \15\ Available at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerf90percentformulaallocationexplanation.pdf.

                  Table 2--Summary of HEERF Allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Sum of minimum
                                                      allocation to be
                                  Sum of total           awarded for
         Row labels                allocation        emergency financial
                                                        aid grants to
                                                          students
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Non-Profit <2 Yrs...            11,121,217             5,560,619
Private Non-Profit 2-3 Yrs..            31,469,853            15,734,951
Private Non-Profit 4 Yrs or          2,441,436,384         1,220,718,556
 More.......................
Proprietary <2 Yrs..........           314,169,982           157,085,261
Proprietary 2-3 Yrs.........           415,718,070           207,859,135
Proprietary 4 Yrs or More...           388,802,168           194,401,134
Public <2 Yrs...............            40,318,527            20,159,318
Public 2-3 Yrs..............         2,655,311,849         1,327,656,148
Public 4 Yrs or More........         6,208,906,453         3,104,453,411
                             -------------------------------------------
    Grand Total.............        12,507,254,503         6,253,628,533
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net Budget Impact

    We estimate that the definition of student eligibility for the 
emergency financial aid grants to students will not have an impact on 
the Federal budget. The CARES Act provided a maximum of $12.5 billion, 
with a minimum of $6.25 billion required to be spent on emergency 
financial aid grants to students and not spent on institutional 
expenses. The final rule does not impact the Federal budget because it 
clarifies which students are eligible to receive emergency relief 
provided by the CARES Act but do not change the amount available for 
such grants. As described in the Costs, Benefits, and Transfers section 
related to institutions, allocations have been determined and $11.1 
billion of the funding has been disbursed to institutions already, with 
$50 million held in reserve to account for data limitations in 
allocating the initial amounts to eligible institutions. We anticipate 
that $12.5 billion will ultimately be disbursed in 2020, and therefore 
estimate $12.5 billion in transfers in 2020 relative to a pre-statutory 
baseline.

Accounting Statement

    As required by OMB Circular A-4 (available at www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/circulars/a004/a-4.pdf), in the 
following table we have prepared an accounting statement showing the 
classification of the impacts associated with the provisions of these 
final regulations in 2020, using 3% and 7% discount rates. This table 
provides our best estimate of the changes in monetized transfers in 
2020 as a result of these final regulations. We note that transfers 
below flow from the Federal Government to eligible students and are 
processed through institutions.

[[Page 36502]]



  Table 3--Accounting Statement: Classification of Estimated Impacts in
                                  2020
                              [In millions]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                             Benefits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistance may support students
 continuing in their programs...........          Not Quantified
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Costs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paperwork burden on institutions to                   7%              3%
 administer funds and on students to                $5.9            $5.9
 apply..................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category................................             Transfers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Relief for eligible students and                      7%              3%
 institutions to help with additional            $12,500         $12,500
 expenses due to disruption of campus
 activities.............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act does not apply to this rulemaking 
because there is good cause to waive notice and comment under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553).
    The Secretary certifies that this final rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The U.S. Small Business Administration Size Standards define ``small 
entities'' as for-profit or nonprofit institutions with total annual 
revenue below $7,000,000 or, if they are institutions controlled by 
small governmental jurisdictions (that are comprised of cities, 
counties, towns, townships, villages, school districts, or special 
districts), with a population of less than 50,000.
    However, as noted in several of the Department's recent 
regulations, we believe that an enrollment-based standard for small 
entity status is more applicable to institutions of higher education. 
The Department recently proposed a size classification based on 
enrollment using IPEDS data that established the percentage of 
institutions in various sectors considered to be small entities, as 
shown in Table 4. We described this size classification in the NPRM 
published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2018 for the proposed 
borrower defense rule (83 FR 37242, 37302). The Department discussed 
the proposed standard with the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small 
Business Administration, and while no change has been finalized, the 
Department continues to believe this approach better reflects a common 
basis for determining size categories that is linked to the provision 
of educational services.

                            Table 4--Small Entities Under Enrollment Based Definition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Level                            Type                 Small           Total          Percent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-year................................  Public..................             342           1,240              28
2-year................................  Private.................             219             259              85
2-year................................  Proprietary.............           2,147           2,463              87
4-year................................  Public..................              64             759               8
4-year................................  Private.................             799           1,672              48
4-year................................  Proprietary.............             425             558              76
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.............................  ........................           3,996           6,951              57
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This rule will benefit those institutions of higher education that 
are small entities by allowing them to use a familiar existing 
eligibility framework to determine who should receive emergency 
financial aid grants under HEERF. As described in the Regulatory Impact 
Analysis, institutions may benefit from applying no more than 50 
percent of their allocation of HEERF funds to institutional costs, so 
some small entities will benefit from those revenues. They will also 
have to establish a process for determining which of their students 
should receive and disburse the funds accordingly. We expect that the 
2,586 estimated small entities allocated funds for this purpose under 
the CARES Act will spend a total of 5,172 hours totaling $237,240 at a 
wage rate of $45.87 \11\ for postsecondary administrators to administer 
the distribution of the relief.
    Table 5 shows the allocations of funds to small entities by sector, 
with any institution for which there was no small business indicator 
available considered a small entity. As for all institutions, the 
allocations of funds to specific small institutions is available on the 
Department's CARES website.\12\

       Table 5--Summary of Allocations to Small Entities by Sector
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Sum of minimum
                                                        allocation to be
                                                          awarded for
              Sector                   Sum of total        emergency
                                        allocation       financial aid
                                                           grants to
                                                            students
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Non-Profit <2 Yrs.........          8,274,977          4,137,498
Private Non-Profit 2-3 Yrs........         20,417,294         10,208,669

[[Page 36503]]

 
Private Non-Profit 4 Yrs or More..        266,608,121        133,304,213
Proprietary <2 Yrs................        239,330,457        119,665,488
Proprietary 2-3 Yrs...............        177,306,399         88,653,273
Proprietary 4 Yrs or More.........         84,269,294         42,134,681
Public <2 Yrs.....................         29,196,455         14,598,279
Public 2-3 Yrs....................         28,278,395         14,139,221
Public 4 Yrs or More..............         56,909,101         28,454,561
                                   -------------------------------------
    Grand Total...................        910,590,493        455,295,883
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As institutions control the distribution of the funds to eligible 
students and have flexibility to establish a process suitable to their 
circumstances, no alternatives were considered specifically for small 
entities.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden, the Department provides the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections 
of information, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This helps ensure that: The public 
understands the Department's collection instructions, respondents can 
provide the requested data in the desired format, reporting burden 
(time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are 
clearly understood, and the Department can properly assess the impact 
of collection requirements on respondents.
    In determining eligibility for these funds, IHEs are being directed 
to use the Department's interpretation of ``student,'' meaning a person 
who is eligible under section 484 of the HEA to receive title IV aid, 
as suggested by the references to title IV in the context of section 
18004.
    We believe that most institutions will expand their current 
financial aid appeals process and utilize that framework to receive 
requests for COVID-19 assistance from eligible students. We estimate 
that each institution that received an allocation would require five 
hours to set up any new form for students to complete and establish 
review and recordkeeping procedures to be able to comply with the 
separate reporting requirements in the Certification and Agreement 
between the institutions and the Secretary. The estimated burden for 
the 1,651 private institutions is 8,255 hours (1,651 x 5 hours). The 
estimated burden for the 1,641 proprietary institutions is 8,205 hours 
(1,641 x 5 hours). The estimated burden for the 1,844 public 
institutions is 9,220 (1,844 x 5 hours). The total new burden to all 
institutions receiving an allocation of funds is 25,680 hours (5,136 
institutions x 5 hours).
    Using the unique number of title IV aid recipients 10,319,154 (both 
Federal grant and Federal student loan) for the Award Year 2019-2020 we 
estimate that 15 percent, or 1,547,873, of those recipients will 
request additional aid from their institution based on changed 
circumstances due to the coronavirus. We estimate approximately 20 
minutes per students to complete the request for additional aid for a 
total new burden of 510,798 hours (.33 hours x 1,547,873).
    This is a new information collection with a total burden assessment 
of 536,478 hours for 1,553,009 respondents with a single response. The 
Department has requested an emergency clearance to allow for the 
immediate collection of this information. The public will be provided 
the ability to comment on the proposed burden assessment through the 
standard information collection process with notice requesting comment 
being published in the Federal Register.

       1840-NEW--Eligibility of Students at Institutions of Higher Education for Funds Under the CARES Act
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Estimate costs
                                     Number of       Number of       Hours per                    student $17.89
         Affected entity            respondents      responses       response      Total burden    institutions
                                                                                                      $45.87
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual Student..............       1,547,873       1,547,873             .33         510,798      $9,138,176
Private Institution.............           1,651           1,651               5           8,255         378,657
Proprietary Institution.........           1,641           1,641               5           8,205         376,363
Public Institution..............           1,844           1,844               5           9,220         422,921
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................       1,553,009       1,553,009  ..............         536,478      10,316,117
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the 
objectives of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental 
partnership and a strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies 
on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination 
and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
actions for this program.

[[Page 36504]]

Federalism

    Executive Order 13132 requires us to ensure meaningful and timely 
input by State and local elected officials in the development of 
regulatory policies that have federalism implications. ``Federalism 
implications'' means substantial direct effects on the States, on the 
relationship between the National Government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government. This interim final regulation may have federalism 
implications. We encourage State and local elected officials to review 
and provide comments on this interim final regulation.
    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 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. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 portable document format PDF. To 
use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available for 
free on 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.

List of Subjects in 34 CFR Part 668

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aliens, Colleges and 
universities, Consumer protection, Grant programs--education, Loan 
programs--education, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Selective Service System, Student aid, Vocational education.

Betsy DeVos,
Secretary of Education.
    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Secretary amends 
title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 668--STUDENT ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 668 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1001-1003, 1070a, 1070g, 1085, 1087b, 
1087d, 1087e, 1088, 1091, 1092, 1094, 1099c, and 1099c-1, 1221e-3, 
and 3474; Pub. L. 111-256, 124 Stat. 2643; unless otherwise noted.

0
 2. Section 668.2 is amended by adding the definition ``Student,'' in 
alphabetical order to read as follows:


Sec.  668.2  General definitions.

* * * * *
    Student, for purposes of the phrases ``grants to students'' and 
``emergency financial aid grants to students'' in sections 18004(a)(2), 
(a)(3), and (c) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
(CARES) Act, is defined as an individual who is, or could be, eligible 
under section 484 of the HEA, to participate in programs under title IV 
of the HEA.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 3474)
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2020-12965 Filed 6-15-20; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P