[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: 34CFR691.63] [Page 917-920] TITLE 34--EDUCATION CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PART 691_ACADEMIC COMPETITIVENESS GRANT (ACG) AND NATIONAL SCIENCE AND Subpart F_Determination of Awards Sec. 691.63 Calculation of a grant for a payment period. (a)(1) Programs using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time. A student's payment for a payment period is calculated under paragraphs (b) or (d) of this section if-- (i) The student is enrolled in an eligible program that-- [[Page 918]] (A) Measures progress in credit hours; (B) Is offered in semesters, trimesters, or quarters; (C) Requires the student to enroll for at least 12 credit hours in each term in the award year to qualify as a full-time student; and (D) Is not offered with overlapping terms; and (ii) The institution offering the program-- (A) Provides the program using an academic calendar that includes two semesters or trimesters in the fall through the following spring, or three quarters in the fall, winter, and spring; and (B) Provides at least 30 weeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section. (2) Programs using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time. A student's payment for a payment period is calculated under paragraph (c) or (d) of this section if-- (i) The student is enrolled in an eligible program that-- (A) Measures progress in credit hours; (B) Is offered in semesters, trimesters, or quarters; (C) Requires the student to enroll in at least 12 credit hours in each term in the award year to qualify as a full-time student; and (D) Is not offered with overlapping terms; and (ii) The institution offering the program-- (A) Provides the program using an academic calendar that includes two semesters or trimesters in the fall through the following spring, or three quarters in the fall, winter, and spring; and (B) Does not provide at least 30 weeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section. (3) Other programs using terms and credit hours. A student's payment for a payment period is calculated under paragraph (d) of this section if the student is enrolled in an eligible program that-- (i) Measures progress in credit hours; and (ii) Is offered in academic terms other than those described in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section. (4) Programs not using terms or using clock hours. A student's payment for any payment period is calculated under paragraph (e) of this section if the student is enrolled in an eligible program that-- (i) Is offered in credit hours but is not offered in academic terms; or (ii) Is offered in clock hours. (5) Programs for which an exception to the academic year definition has been granted under 34 CFR 668.3. If an institution receives a waiver from the Secretary of the 30 weeks of instructional time requirement under 34 CFR 668.3, an institution may calculate a student's payment for a payment period using the following methodologies: (i) If the program is offered in terms and credit hours, the institution uses the methodology in-- (A) Paragraph (b) of this section provided that the program meets all the criteria in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, except that in lieu of paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section, the program provides at least the same number of weeks of instructional time in the terms specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section as are in the program's academic year; or (B) Paragraph (d) of this section. (ii) The institution uses the methodology described in paragraph (e) of this section if the program is offered in credit hours without terms or clock hours. (b) Programs using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time. The payment for a payment period, i.e., an academic term, for a student in a program using standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time in two semesters or trimesters or in three quarters as described in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section, is calculated by-- (1) Confirming his or her full-time enrollment status for the term; (2) Determining his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award; and (3) Dividing the amount described under paragraph (b)(2) of this section by-- [[Page 919]] (i) Two at institutions using semesters or trimesters or three at institutions using quarters; or (ii) The number of terms over which the institution chooses to distribute the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award if-- (A) An institution chooses to distribute all of the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award determined under paragraph (b)(2) of this section over more than two terms at institutions using semesters or trimesters or more than three quarters at institutions using quarters; and (B) The number of weeks of instructional time in the terms, including the additional term or terms, equals the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year. (c) Programs using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time. The payment for a payment period, i.e., an academic term, for a student in a program using standard terms with less than 30 weeks of instructional time in two semesters or trimesters or in three quarters as described in paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section, is calculated by-- (1) Confirming his or her full-time enrollment status for the term; (2) Determining his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award; (3) Multiplying his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section by the following fraction as applicable: In a program using semesters or trimesters-- [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR03JY06.010 ; or In a program using quarters-- [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR03JY06.011 ; and (4)(i) Dividing the amount determined under paragraph (c)(3) of this section by two for programs using semesters or trimesters or three for programs using quarters; or (ii) Dividing the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section by the number of terms over which the institution chooses to distribute the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award if-- (A) An institution chooses to distribute all of the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award determined under paragraph (c)(2) of this section over more than two terms for programs using semesters or trimesters or more than three quarters for programs using quarters; and (B) The number of weeks of instructional time in the terms, including the additional term or terms, equals the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year definition. (d) Other programs using terms and credit hours. The payment for a payment period, i.e., an academic term, for a student in a program using terms and credit hours, other than those described in paragraphs (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section, is calculated by-- (1)(i) For a student enrolled in a semester, trimester, or quarter, determining his or her full-time enrollment status for the term; or (ii) For a student enrolled in a term other than a semester, trimester, or quarter, determining his or her full-time enrollment status for the term by-- (A) Dividing the number of weeks of instructional time in the term by the number of weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year; (B) Multiplying the fraction determined under paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(A) of this section by the number of credit hours in the program's academic year to determine the number of hours required to be enrolled to be considered a full-time student; and (C) Determining a student's enrollment status by comparing the number of hours in which the student enrolls in the term to the number of hours required to be considered full-time under [[Page 920]] paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) of this section for that term; (2) Based upon that full-time enrollment status, determining his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award; and (3) Multiplying his or her ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award determined under paragraph (d)(2) of this section by the following fraction: [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR03JY06.012 (e) Programs using clock hours or credit hours without terms. The payment for a payment period for a student in a program using credit hours without terms or using clock hours is calculated by-- (1) Determining that the student is attending at least full-time; (2) Determining the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award; (3) Multiplying the amount determined under paragraph (e)(2) of this section by the lesser of-- (i) [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR03JY06.013 ; or (ii) One; and (4) Multiplying the amount determined under paragraph (e)(3) of this section by-- [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR03JY06.014 (f) Maximum disbursement. A single disbursement may not exceed 50 percent of any award determined under paragraph (d) or (e) of this section. If a payment for a payment period calculated under paragraphs (d) or (e) of this section would require the disbursement of more than 50 percent of a student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award in that payment period, the institution shall make at least two disbursements to the student in that payment period. The institution may not disburse an amount that exceeds 50 percent of the student's ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award until the student has completed the period of time in the payment period that equals, in terms of weeks of instructional time, 50 percent of the weeks of instructional time in the program's academic year. (g) Definition of academic year. For purposes of this section, an institution must define an academic year for each of its eligible programs in terms of the number of credit or clock hours and weeks of instructional time in accordance with the requirements of 34 CFR 668.3. (h) Payment period with two academic years. In a payment period, if a student is completing the remaining portion of the first academic year or second academic year for an ACG or the third academic year for a National SMART Grant Scheduled Award, the student's payment for the payment period-- (1) Is from the ACG or National SMART Grant Scheduled Award of the academic year being completed; and (2) Is calculated based on the total credit or clock hours, and, for a credit-hour program, weeks of instructional time, in the payment period. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-1)