[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 34, Volume 3]

[Revised as of July 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 34CFR668.3]



[Page 397-398]

 

                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION

 

 CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 

PART 668_STUDENT ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS--Table of Contents

 

                            Subpart A_General

 

Sec. 668.3  Academic year.



    (a) General. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, an 

academic year is a period that begins on the first day of classes and 

ends on the last day of classes or examinations during which--



[[Page 398]]



    (1) An institution provides a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional 

time; and

    (2) For an undergraduate educational program, a full-time student is 

expected to complete at least--

    (i) Twenty-four semester or trimester credit hours or 36 quarter 

credit hours for a program measured in credit hours; or

    (ii) 900 clock hours for a program measured in clock hours.

    (b) Definitions. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section--

    (1) A week is a consecutive seven-day period;

    (2) A week of instructional time is any week in which at least one 

day of regularly scheduled instruction or examinations occurs or, after 

the last scheduled day of classes for a term or payment period, at least 

one day of study for final examinations occurs; and

    (3) Instructional time does not include any vacation periods, 

homework, or periods of orientation or counseling.

    (c) Reduction in the length of an academic year. (1) Upon the 

written request of an institution, the Secretary may approve, for good 

cause, an academic year of 26 through 29 weeks of instructional time for 

educational programs offered by the institution if the institution 

offers a two-year program leading to an associate degree or a four-year 

program leading to a baccalaureate degree.

    (2) An institution's written request must--

    (i) Identify each educational program for which the institution 

requests a reduction, and the requested number of weeks of instructional 

time for that program;

    (ii) Demonstrate good cause for the requested reductions; and

    (iii) Include any other information that the Secretary may require 

to determine whether to grant the request.

    (3)(i) The Secretary approves the request of an eligible institution 

for a reduction in the length of its academic year if the institution 

has demonstrated good cause for granting the request and the 

institution's accrediting agency and State licensing agency have 

approved the request.

    (ii) If the Secretary approves the request, the approval terminates 

when the institution's program participation agreement expires. The 

institution may request an extension of that approval as part of the 

recertification process.



(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 

1845-0022)



(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088)



[67 FR 67071, Nov. 1, 2002]