[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR673.5]

[Page 562-565]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
 CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
PART 673_GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR THE FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM, FEDERAL 
 
  Subpart B_General Provisions for the Federal Perkins Loan, FWS, and 
                             FSEOG Programs
 
Sec. 673.5  Overaward.

    (a) Overaward prohibited--(1) Federal Perkins Loan and FSEOG 
Programs. An institution may only award or disburse a Federal Perkins 
loan or an FSEOG to a student if that loan or the FSEOG, combined with 
the other estimated financial assistance the student receives, does not 
exceed the student's financial need.
    (2) FWS Program. An institution may only award FWS employment to a 
student if the award, combined with the other estimated financial 
assistance the student receives, does not exceed the student's financial 
need.
    (b) Awarding and disbursement. (1) When awarding and disbursing a 
Federal Perkins loan or an FSEOG or awarding FWS employment to a 
student, the institution shall take into account those amounts of 
estimated financial assistance it--
    (i) Can reasonably anticipate at the time it awards Federal Perkins 
Loan funds, an FSEOG, or FWS funds to the student;
    (ii) Makes available to its students; or
    (iii) Otherwise knows about.
    (2) If a student receives amounts of estimated financial assistance 
at any

[[Page 563]]

time during the award period that were not considered in calculating the 
Federal Perkins Loan amount or the FWS or FSEOG award, and the total 
amount of estimated financial assistance including the loan, the FSEOG, 
or the prospective FWS wages exceeds the student's need, the overaward 
is the amount that exceeds need.
    (c) Estimated financial assistance. (1) Except as provided in 
paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) of this section, the Secretary considers 
that ``estimated financial assistance'' includes, but is not limited to, 
any--
    (i) Funds a student is entitled to receive from a Federal Pell 
Grant;
    (ii) William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans;
    (iii) Federal Family Education Loans;
    (iv) Long-term need-based loans, including Federal Perkins loans;
    (v) Grants, including FSEOGs, State grants, Academic Competitiveness 
Grants, National SMART Grants, and ROTC subsistence allowances;
    (vi) Scholarships, including athletic scholarships and ROTC 
scholarships;
    (vii) Waivers of tuition and fees;
    (viii) Fellowships or assistantships, except non-need-based 
employment portions of such awards;
    (ix) Veterans educational benefits paid under Chapters 30 
(Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty), 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation and 
Employment Program), 32 (Veterans' Educational Assistance Program), and 
35 (Dependents' Educational Assistance Program) of title 38 of the 
United States Code, and Chapters 31 (National Call to Service), 1606 
(Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve), 1607 (Reserve Educational 
Assistance Program) of title 10 of the United States Code, and Section 
903 of Public Law 96-342 (Educational Assistance Pilot Program);
    (x) National service education awards or post-service benefits paid 
for the cost of attendance under title I of the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990 (AmeriCorps);
    (xi) Net earnings from need-based employment;
    (xii) Insurance programs for the student's education; and
    (xiii) Any educational benefits paid because of enrollment in a 
postsecondary education institution, or to cover postsecondary education 
expenses.
    (2) The Secretary does not consider as estimated financial 
assistance--
    (i) Any portion of the estimated financial assistance described in 
paragraph (c)(1) of this section that is included in the calculation of 
the student's expected family contribution (EFC);
    (ii) Earnings from non-need-based employment;
    (iii) Those amounts used to replace EFC, including the amounts of 
any unsubsidized Federal Stafford or Direct Loans, Federal PLUS or 
Federal Direct PLUS Loans, and non-federal non-need-based loans, 
including private, state-sponsored, and institutional loans. However, if 
the sum of the loan amounts received that are being used to replace the 
student's EFC actually exceed the EFC, the excess amount must be treated 
as estimated financial assistance; and
    (iv) Assistance not received under this part if that assistance is 
designated to offset all or a portion of a specific component of the 
cost of attendance and that amount is excluded from the cost of 
attendance as well. If that assistance is excluded from either estimated 
financial assistance or cost of attendance, that amount must be excluded 
from both.
    (3) The institution may also exclude as estimated financial 
assistance any portion of a subsidized Federal Stafford or Direct Loan 
that is equal to or less than the amount of a student's veterans 
education benefits paid under Chapter 30 of title 38 of the United 
States Code (Montgomery GI Bill--Active Duty) and national service 
education awards or post service benefits paid for the cost of 
attendance under title I of the National and Community Service Act of 
1990 (AmeriCorps).
    (d) Treatment of estimated financial assistance in excess of need--
General. An institution shall take the following steps if it learns that 
a student has received additional amounts of estimated financial 
assistance not included in the calculation of Federal Perkins Loan, FWS, 
or FSEOG eligibility that would result in the student's total amount of

[[Page 564]]

estimated financial assistance exceeding his or her financial need by 
more than $300:
    (1) The institution shall decide whether the student has increased 
financial need that was unanticipated when it awarded financial aid to 
the student. If the student demonstrates increased financial need and 
the total amount of estimated financial assistance does not exceed this 
increased need by more than $300, no further action is necessary.
    (2) If the student's total amount of estimated financial assistance 
still exceeds his or her need by more than $300, as recalculated 
pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the institution shall 
cancel any undisbursed loan or grant (other than a Federal Pell Grant).
    (3) Federal Perkins loan and FSEOG overpayment. If the student's 
total amount of estimated financial assistance still exceeds his or her 
need by more than $300, after the institution takes the steps required 
in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section, the institution shall 
consider the amount by which the estimated financial assistance amount 
exceeds the student's financial need by more than $300 as an 
overpayment.
    (e) Termination of FWS employment. (1) An institution may fund a 
student's FWS employment with FWS funds only until the amount of the FWS 
award has been earned or until the student's financial need, as 
recalculated under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, is met.
    (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (e)(1) of this 
section, an institution may provide additional FWS funding to a student 
whose need has been met until that student's cumulative earnings from 
all need-based employment occurring subsequent to the time his or her 
financial need has been met exceed $300.
    (f) Liability for and recovery of Federal Perkins loans and FSEOG 
overpayments. (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (f)(2) and (f)(3) of 
this section, a student is liable for any Federal Perkins loan or FSEOG 
overpayment made to him or her. An FSEOG overpayment for purposes of 
this paragraph does not include the non-Federal share of an FSEOG award 
if an institution meets its FSEOG matching share by the individual 
recipient method or the aggregate method.
    (2) The institution is liable for a Federal Perkins loan or FSEOG 
overpayment if the overpayment occurred because the institution failed 
to follow the procedures in this part or 34 CFR parts 668, 674, or 676. 
The institution shall restore an amount equal to the overpayment and any 
administrative cost allowance claimed on that amount to its loan fund 
for a Federal Perkins loan overpayment or to its FSEOG account for an 
FSEOG overpayment.
    (3) A student is not liable for, and the institution is not required 
to attempt recovery of, a Federal Perkins loan or FSEOG overpayment, nor 
is the institution required to refer an FSEOG overpayment to the 
Secretary, if the overpayment--
    (i) Is less than $25; and
    (ii) Is neither a remaining balance nor a result of the application 
of the overaward threshold in paragraph (d) of this section.
    (4)(i) Except as provided in paragraph (f)(3) of this section, if an 
institution makes a Federal Perkins loan or FSEOG overpayment for which 
it is not liable, it shall promptly send a written notice to the student 
requesting repayment of the overpayment amount. The notice must state 
that failure to make that repayment, or to make arrangements 
satisfactory to the holder of the overpayment debt to pay the 
overpayment, makes the student ineligible for further title IV, HEA 
program funds until final resolution of the overpayment.
    (ii) If a student objects to the institution's Federal Perkins loan 
or FSEOG overpayment determination on the grounds that it is erroneous, 
the institution shall consider any information provided by the student 
and determine whether the objection is warranted.
    (5) Except as provided in paragraph (f)(3) of this section, if a 
student fails to repay an FSEOG overpayment or make arrangements 
satisfactory to the holder of the overpayment debt to repay the FSEOG 
overpayment after the institution has taken the action required by 
paragraph (f)(4) of this section, the institution must refer the FSEOG 
overpayment to the Secretary

[[Page 565]]

for collection purposes in accordance with procedures required by the 
Secretary. After referring the FSEOG overpayment to the Secretary under 
this section, the institution need make no further effort to recover the 
overpayment.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
1845-0019)

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070b-1, 1087dd, and 1087hh, 42 U.S.C. 2753)

[61 FR 60393, Nov. 17, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 58292, Oct. 28, 1999; 
67 FR 67075, Nov. 1, 2002; 71 FR 45696, Aug. 9, 2006; 71 FR 64397, Nov. 
1, 2006]