[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR668.4]

[Page 411-413]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
PART 668--STUDENT ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 668.4  Payment period.

    (a) Payment periods for an eligible program that measures progress 
in credit hours and has academic terms. For a student enrolled in an 
eligible program that measures progress in credit hours and has academic 
terms, the payment period is the academic term.
    (b) Payment periods for an eligible program that measures progress 
in credit hours and does not have academic terms. (1) For a student 
enrolled in an eligible program that is one academic year or less in 
length--
    (i) The first payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes half the number of credit hours in the program and 
half the number of weeks in the program; and
    (ii) The second payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes the program.
    (2) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that is more than 
one academic year in length--
    (i) For the first academic year and any subsequent full academic 
year--
    (A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes half the number of credit hours in the academic year 
and half the number of weeks in the academic year; and
    (B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes the academic year.
    (ii) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is more 
than one-half an academic year but less than a full academic year in 
length--
    (A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes half the number of credit hours in the remaining 
portion of the program and half the number of weeks remaining in the 
program; and
    (B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes the remainder of the program.

[[Page 412]]

    (iii) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is not 
more than half an academic year, the payment period is the remainder of 
the program.
    (3) For purposes of paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section, if 
an institution is unable to determine when a student has completed half 
of the credit hours in a program, academic year, or remainder of a 
program; the student is considered to begin the second payment period of 
the program, academic year, or remainder of a program at the later of--
    (i) The date, as determined by the institution, on which the student 
has completed half of the academic coursework in the program, academic 
year, or remainder of the program; or
    (ii) The calendar midpoint between the first and last scheduled days 
of class of the program, academic year, or remainder of the program.
    (c) Payment periods for an eligible program that measures progress 
in clock hours. (1) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that 
is one academic year or less in length--
    (i) The first payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes half the number of clock hours in the program; and
    (ii) The second payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes the program.
    (2) For a student enrolled in an eligible program that is more than 
one academic year in length--
    (i) For the first academic year and any subsequent full academic 
year--
    (A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes half the number of clock hours in the academic year; 
and
    (B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes the academic year.
    (ii) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is more 
than one-half an academic year but less than a full academic year in 
length--
    (A) The first payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes half the number of clock hours in the remaining 
portion of the program; and
    (B) The second payment period is the period of time in which the 
student completes the remainder of the program.
    (iii) For any remaining portion of an eligible program that is not 
more than one half of an academic year, the payment period is the 
remainder of the program.
    (d) Number of payment periods. Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and 
(c) of this section, an institution may choose to have more than two 
payment periods. If an institution so chooses, the regulations in 
paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section are modified to reflect the 
increased number of payment periods. For example, if an institution 
chooses to have three payment periods in an academic year in a program 
that measures progress in credit hours but does not have academic terms, 
each payment period must correspond to one-third of the academic year 
measured in both credit hours and weeks of instruction.
    (e) Re-entry within 180 days. If a student withdraws from a program 
described in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section during a payment 
period and then reenters the same program within 180 days, the student 
remains in that same payment period when he or she returns and, subject 
to conditions established by the Secretary or by the FFEL lender or 
guaranty agency, is eligible to receive any title IV, HEA program funds 
for which he or she was eligible prior to withdrawal, including funds 
that were returned by the institution or student under the provisions of 
Sec. 668.22.
    (f) Re-entry after 180 days or transfer. (1) Subject to the 
conditions of paragraph (f)(2) of this section, an institution 
calculates new payment periods for the remainder of a student's program 
based on paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section, for a student who 
withdraws from a program described in paragraph (b) or (c) of this 
section, and--
    (i) Reenters that program after 180 days,
    (ii) Transfers into another program at the same institution within 
any time period, or
    (iii) Transfers into a program at another institution within any 
time period.

[[Page 413]]

    (2) For a student described in paragraph (f)(1) of this section--
    (i) For the purpose of calculating payment periods only, the length 
of the program is the number of credit hours and the number of weeks, or 
the number of clock hours, that the student has remaining in the program 
he or she enters or reenters; and
    (ii) If the remaining hours, and weeks if applicable, constitute 
one-half of an academic year or less, the remaining hours constitute one 
payment period.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.)

[67 FR 67071, Nov. 1, 2002]