Federal Title IV Grant Fund Management
Automated packaging of Federal Title IV Grant funds is managed using U.S. Department of Education (ED) guidelines and system configuration.
Overview
Eligibility for Title IV grants is based on ED regulations by Award Year and the institution's guidelines as applicable. Once eligibility for any eligible grants is determined, the application calculates the award amount to be disbursed. Here are the Federal grants for which student applicants are considered:
- Pell Grant
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (for the 2023-2024 and prior Aid Years)
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal Title IV Loan Funds, Non-Federal Funds, and Student Resources available through the institution can also be configured and managed.
Pell Grants for the 2023-2024 and Prior Aid Years
Determines Pell Grant Eligibility
The application checks to see if the student meets all general Title IV eligibility requirements and reviews the student's program, ISIR, courses, and financial aid history information to determine eligibility. The application determines if the student is enrolled in an undergraduate Pell eligible program and has an eligible enrollment status before awarding Pell. The application prevents retroactive Pell awarding if the student doesn't meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or has unusual enrollment restrictions.
For Pell-eligible students, the application uses the program type, Pell Cost of Attendance (COA), and Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by incorporating them into the federal Pell disbursement matrix based on the student's enrollment status to determine a Pell scheduled award. For students enrolled in a program that doesn't align with the standard academic year metrics, the scheduled award is prorated based on the number of credit hours or weeks in the academic year to calculate the student's annual award.
Determines Pell Grant Awards
If the student is eligible to receive Pell grant funds, the application determines the award amount and includes it in the student's package. The payment period award year is established and the application determines if the student qualifies for Zero EFC treatment based on the calculated EFC number. The application uses the COA, nine-month EFC (or Zero EFC), and enrollment status when calculating the student's scheduled award. For students that are enrolled in periods longer or shorter than an academic year, the application uses a prorated COA.
The application determines if the student has exceeded the aggregate (Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU)) and/or the award year (Percent of Eligibility Used (PEU)) limits. The application determines the maximum projected award per payment period by selecting the lesser of the Pell scheduled award disbursement amounts or the Pell LEU/award year Limit and doesn't award less than the regulatory minimum amount for Pell. The final amount(s) to be disbursed adheres to ground rules for Pell formula fraction calculations and rounding.
Calculates Pell Grant Disbursement Amounts for Non-term Credit-hour Institutions
The application uses Pell Formula 4 to calculate the disbursement amounts per payment period for a non-term credit-hour institution. Pell Formula 4 prorates the student’s scheduled award based on the number of credit hours in the payment period as compared to the credit-hours in the defined academic year or the number of weeks of instructional time in the payment period as compared to the weeks of instructional time in the academic year.
Determines Pell Grant Awards for a Crossover Payment Period
The application calculates Pell Grant award amounts when a crossover payment period exists. You can use the Award Year Selection Criteria field in the FAS Fund Config Guide to select which Aid Year to use determine Pell Grant awards for the crossover payment period. If you don't configure the Award Year Selection Criteria field, the application defaults to the first award year if there's remaining eligibility. If there's no remaining eligibility in the first award year of a crossover payment period, the application uses the second award year to award Pell funds.
When Pell Grant eligibility conditions exist for the first and second award year, the application calculates the maximum projected award for both award years in the crossover payment period and determines if there are ISIRs selected to be used in packaging ISIR for both award years. The application uses the same formula for calculating the payment for a crossover payment period as any other payment period in the award year.
Updates the Pell Grant Award Status
The application updates the fund status from Estimated to Projected to Awarded during the packaging process once the fund meets the configured awarding criteria. Once the status has updated to Awarded it doesn't revert back to an Estimated or Projected unless the ISIR is updated from Valid to Invalid. If the ISIR status is updated to Invalid, the fund status would be updated from Awarded to Projected. If an award amount increases and the student doesn't pass the award criteria check, the application doesn't award the more increased amount.
Pell Grants for the 2024-2025 and Future Aid Years
To determine Pell Grant eligibility, the application checks to see if the student meets all general Title IV eligibility requirements and reviews the student's program, ISIR, courses, and financial aid history information. The application prevents retroactive Pell awarding if the student doesn't meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or has unusual enrollment restrictions.
- Uses a combination of the Maximum and Minimum Pell Eligible Indicators, Pell Grant Eligibility flag, SAI, Iraq Afghanistan Student Grant (IASG)/Children of Fallen Heroes indicators, configured Minimum and Maximum Pell Award amounts, and Pell Cost of Attendance (COA) to determine the Pell Scheduled Award amount.
- Takes the Enrollment Intensity configured output by term and multiplies it by the Pell Scheduled Award amount.
- Uses the appropriate Pell Formula.
- Checks adherence to the student Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) and Percent of Eligibility Used (PEU) limits.
To calculate Pell Grant Disbursement Amounts for Non-term Credit-hour Institutions, the application uses Pell Formula 4 to calculate the disbursement amounts per payment period for a non-term credit-hour institution. Pell Formula 4 always uses an Enrollment Intensity of 100%.
TEACH Grants
The following sections discuss what the application does automatically for TEACH.
Determines TEACH eligibility
The application determines if the student is eligible to receive a TEACH grant by evaluating the student’s Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), the Student Academic and Financial Information (SAFI) message, and institutionally configured policy.
To be considered eligible for a TEACH grant the student must meet the following criteria:
- Be from a TEACH eligible state, country, and/or jurisdiction
- Complete initial TEACH grant counseling and the Agreement-to-Serve (ATS)
- Be enrolled in a TEACH grant eligible program
- Be using funds for first baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate programs combined (those after the first aren't eligible) or student is using for a graduate degree
- Meet the minimum GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Maintain a TEACH eligible enrollment status
The application prevents retroactive TEACH awarding when the student doesn't meet default C-Code clearance rules.
Determines TEACH award amount
The application calculates the award amount and includes it in the student's package. To determine the student's TEACH grant award, the application:
- Determines the award year for a payment period
- Determines the student's scheduled award established by the department, per enrollment status
- Reduces the student's scheduled award according to sequester requirements based on the student's disbursement date
- Determines if the student has surpassed annual and/or aggregate limits
- Uses the previously determined disbursed amounts as inputs into the aggregate/award year calculation
- Determines the maximum projected award per payment period by selecting the lesser of the payment period disbursement amount for the award year, remaining award year eligibility, and the remaining TEACH grant eligibility amount
- Determines if the student's award meets the regulatory minimum amount
- Sets the manual award indicator based on the TEACH configurable attributes used to determine each maximum projected award per payment period for the academic year
- Determines the fund status associated with the maximum projected award
- Saves all inputs/outputs used to determine the fund eligibility and maximum projected award amount
Calculates the TEACH payment period amount for non-term credit hour schools
The application calculates the TEACH grant payment period amounts. When calculating TEACH payment period amounts, the application use the TEACH grant formula configured specifically to the school's academic year set up, to calculate the amounts per payment period. Further, the application ensures that each payment period amount is greater than the minimum allowable amount.
The application use TEACH grant formula 4, and the enrollment status for TEACH formula 4 to calculate the amounts prepayment period for non-term credit-hour institutions.
The calculation for the payment period prorates a student’s scheduled award based on the number of credit hours in the payment period as compared to the credit-hours in the defined academic year profile or the number of weeks of instructional time in the payment period as compared to the weeks of instructional time in the academic year profile.
The application makes sure each payment period amount is greater than the minimum allowable amount. If the minimum allowable amount isn'tattainable, the student isn'tpackaged with TEACH grant funds.
Updates the TEACH fund status
The application updates the fund status from Estimated to Projected to Awarded during the packaging process once the fund meets the configured awarding criteria. If an award amount increases and the student doesn't pass the award criteria check, the application doesn't award the more increased amount.
IASG Grants for the 2023-2024 and Prior Aid Years
The following sections discuss what the application does automatically for IASG for the 2023-2024 and Prior Aid Years.
Determines Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG) eligibility
The application determines if the student meets all general Title IV eligibility requirements for Federal Student Aid (FSA) and the IASG. IASG very closely follows the same guidelines for the Pell grant, and a student can only receive one or the other (not both). to receive the IASG instead of Pell, the student must have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) greater than the allowable EFC to receive the Pell grant.
The application uses the student's program, courses, financial aid history and ISIR to determine eligibility. The application evaluates and determines if the student meets the following requirements:
- Eligible IASG program
- Eligible IASG enrollment status
- Eligible degree (bachelors degree or a first professional degree)
- Eligible EFC (must be greater than the federal maximum allowable EFC for Pell)
The application prevents retroactive awarding when the student doesn't meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or has unusual enrollment restrictions.
Determines IASG award
Once eligibility is established, the maximum projected award amount of IASG is determined and the application doesn't award an amount less than the regulatory minimum. The application determines the payment period award year, the student's scheduled award based on the student's enrollment status and reduces the scheduled award according to sequester requirements based on the student's disbursement date (if necessary).
Calculates IASG disbursement amount for non-term credit hour schools
The application use Pell Formula 4 to calculate the disbursement amounts per payment period for a non-term credit-hour institution. The calculation for the Pell Formula 4 prorates the student’s scheduled award based on the number of credit hours in the payment period as compared to the credit-hours in the defined academic year or the number of weeks of instructional time in the payment period as compared to the weeks of instructional time in the academic year.
Determines IASG award for a crossover payment period
The application calculates the IASG award amounts when a crossover payment period exists. If a crossover exists, the application always defaults to the first award year if there's remaining eligibility. If there's no remaining eligibility in the first award year of a crossover payment period, the application uses the second award year to award IASG funds.
When IASG eligibility conditions exist for the first and second award year, the application calculates the maximum projected award for both award years in the crossover payment period and determines if there are ISIRs selected to be used in packaging for both award years. The application use the same formula for calculating the payment for a crossover payment period, the same as any other payment period in the award year.
Updates the IASG fund status
The application updates the fund status from Estimated to Projected to Awarded during the packaging process once the fund meets the configured awarding criteria. If an award amount increases and the student doesn't pass the award criteria check, the application doesn't award the more amount.
FSEOG
The following sections discuss what the application does automatically for FSEOG.
Determines FSEOG Eligibility
The application determines if the student passes general Title IV eligibility requirements for Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds and the student's eligibility for FSEOG funds for each payment period within the student's academic year. When establishing FSEOG eligibility, the application uses the data from the student's active valid Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), Student Academic and Financial Information (SAFI) message, guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education, and the institution's FSEOG fund configuration.
The student must be awarded the Pell Grant to receive FSEOG funds. FSEOG can be configured using the FAS Fund Config workbook to be awarded for the entire Award Year or a single term.
The application determines FSEOG eligibility for an academic year, provided at least one FSEOG Award Year matches the Loan Period Award Year. If there's no match, SFP determines the student ineligible for FSEOG for that Academic Year. If the student isn'teligible for any Title IV loans for the Academic Year FSEOG is being determined eligible for, then SFP doesn't consider whether the FSEOG award year matches the Loan Period Award Year.
FSEOG funds are based on a Fund Allocation; therefore, funds must be available in the Allocation Period the student becomes eligible for the fund. The Allocation Period is based on the students Academic Year Start Date. The student's Academic Year Start Date must fall on or after the Allocation Period Start Date and on or before the Allocation Period End Date.
For the student to be eligible for FSEOG, the ISIR must be valid and all C-Codes must be cleared by the end of the first eligible Payment Period. If the C-Codes aren't cleared by the end of the first eligible Payment Period, SFP determines the student to be ineligible for the fund for that Academic Year.
Finally, FSEOG isn'ta fund that is projected by the application. SFP requires actual inputs (for example, valid ISIR and NSLDS FA History file) to award the fund. The NSLDS file contains data to determine Pell eligibility, therefore if there's not a valid/payable ISIR or NSLDS FA History file, the application determines the student ineligible for FSEOG funds.
Determines a maximum projected FSEOG award
The application determines a student's maximum projected FSEOG award for each eligible payment period and makes sure the student meets the minimum requirement per payment period before awarding the student FSEOG. If the FSEOG funds do not meet the minimum amount required per payment period, the student is considered ineligible to receive FSEOG. The student's maximum projected FSEOG award for the academic year is calculated by adding the total fund amount for each PP award.
SFP determines the student's remaining eligibility based upon the Award Year Limit for each Payment Period within the Academic Year.
- SFP uses any institutionally configured Award Year limit for FSEOG awards minus the Institutional Award Year Limit.
- Award Year Limit (configured value) - FSEOG award(s) for current/previous Award Year for the Award Year Payment Period being considered = Remaining Award Year eligibility.
The application sets the fund status prepayment period and the manual award Indicator (if applicable) associated with the maximum projected FSEOG award.
Updates the FSEOG fund status
The application updates the fund status from Projected to Estimated to Awarded during the packaging process once the fund meets the configured awarding criteria. If an award amount increases and the student doesn't pass the award criteria check, the application doesn't award the more amount.
Configurable Attributes
Configure Fund Attributes
The institution can configure certain attributes in order for funds to be awarded properly.
Configure Student Resource Funds
The application can account for funding that has been provided to the student outside of the application through the student resource tag within the SAFI Message. to ensure that the application understands how to handle the received fund amount, the fund must be configured in the Fund Configuration Engine. Configuration for the fund within the Fund Configuration Engine allows the application to understand what Borrower Based academic year (BBAY) to place the fund in, if the fund goes toward funding up to the COA, and other such items that help the application on the packaging and advisory side.
It should be noted that any received fund amounts through the student resource tag should not be adjusted by the application in the student's package, even if the fund is lower in priority than a Title IV fund. (for example, if the application is packaging a student up to COA and they've hit COA without accounting for the student resource fund, the Packaging Engine reduces the funds that are higher in priority within the Fund Configuration Engine to account for all the student resource funds).
If the fund is unknown to the application because it isn't configured via the Fund Configuration Engine, the application doesn't process the fund and the fund goes through the application exception handling process.
Required Role Permissions
The user must have a role with this General Permission through Roles Management to view the following information:
- Student
See Set General Permissions Matrix for more information.
Navigation to the Application UI Functionality
To view the packaged funds> Student > Financial Information > Packaging