A school may be certified to participate for up to six years. Recertification is the process through which a school that is presently certified to participate in the FSA programs applies to have its participation extended beyond the expiration date of its current Program Participation Agreement (PPA). USDE (the Department) will notify a school six months prior to the expiration of the school’s PPA. The school must submit a materially complete application before the expiration date listed in its PPA.
If a school that is currently certified submits its materially complete application to the Department no later than 90 calendar days before its PPA expires, its PPA remains valid, and its eligibility to participate in the FSA programs continues until its application is either approved or not approved.
This is true even if the Department does not complete its evaluation of the application before the PPA’s expiration date. (For example, if a school’s PPA expires on June 30 and it submits its application by March 31, the school remains certified during the Department’s review period—even if the review period extends beyond June 30.) If the 90th day before the PPA’s expiration falls on a weekend or a federal holiday and the school submits its application (E-App) no later than the next business day, the Department considers the application to be submitted 90 days before the PPA expires.
If the school’s application is not received at least 90 days before the PPA expires or is not materially complete, the school’s PPA will expire on the scheduled expiration date and the FSA program funding will cease. If a school’s eligibility lapses, the school may not continue to disburse FSA funds until it receives the Department’s notification that the school is again eligible to participate in the programs.
Following submission of an application, the School Participation Team will contact the school if it has questions about the application. Generally, this will be within 90 days of the Department receiving an application. If a school’s application has been approved, the Department will send an electronic notice to the president and financial aid officer notifying them that the school’s PPA is available to print, review, sign, and return. If the school’s application is not approved, ED will notify the school and explain why.
Below is a sample letter that you will receive once you have submitted an application for recertification.
Your institution recently submitted an electronic application (e-app) for recertification of participation in the Title IV, HEA programs.
Please note that there is certain supporting documentation required to supplement your application. This documentation, specified in Section M of the e-app web page, must be submitted to the address specified on that web page.
Additionally, as part of the recertification process, the School Participation Division for your state will be reviewing your institution’s written policies and procedures in the following four areas:
· Admissions
· Satisfactory academic progress
· Institutional refund policy (for students who withdraw from all classes)
· Return of Title IV Funds Policy
You must include a copy of each of the written policies/procedures noted above. These policies may be sent along with the supporting documentation listed in Section M.
If the institution’s policies are described in detail on the institution’s Web site or in an online catalog, you will be required to provide the URL links. If you need guidance related to developing policies consistent with Federal Student Aid requirements, please note that the FSA Assessment Modules, located at http://ifap.ed.gov/qahome/fsaassessment.html, can assist your school in understanding and making a thorough assessment of its policies. Additionally, please note that a self-assessment worksheet that summarizes the required elements of each policy, including the regulatory citation for each policy, is located at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/qadocs/policiesandprocedures/gettingstartedppnewschools.doc. The self-assessment tool is very useful in evaluating your own policies and compliance with federal regulations.
Additionally, the institution must ensure that its COD and G5 expenditures are reconciled for completed award years, and that it is in compliance with the state authorization requirements of 34 C.F.R. § 600.9.
To assess your compliance with these provisions see go to the following link for the FSA
Assessment modules – Institutional Eligibility – Recertification
http://ifap.ed.gov/qahome/qaassessments/institutionalelig.html
You will also find the “Help” section at http://www.eligcert.ed.gov/ to be a valuable resource.
Comments are closed.