NASFAA realizes that, while in the throes of closing out the 2019-20 award year and preparing for the 2020-21 award year, schools might have missed important guidance and revisions that took place over the summer. In some cases, existing Electronic Announcements were revised without notification from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). In other cases, ED guidance may have gone unnoticed. The following AskRegs Knowledgebase Q&As and NASFAA Today’s News articles were published and updated (and updated again) over the course of the summer — in case you missed it.

AskRegs Q&As:

• Are We Allowed To Extend Or Shorten Our Terms Or To Have Overlapping Terms Due To COVID-19?
• Does the R2T4 Waiver Also Apply To Payment Periods That Begin After March 13, 2020 and For 2020-21?
• What Are the R2T4 Reporting Requirements Under the CARES Act?
• Must It Be a Title IV-Approved Leave Of Absence To Qualify Under the COVID-19 Guidance?
• Do the COVID-19 Distance Education Flexibilities Apply To Incoming Students For the 2020-21 Award Year?
• Must the School Still Meet the July 1, 2020 State Authorization Requirements If It Moved Classes Online Due To COVID-19?
• Do the COVID-19 Verification Flexibilities Apply To the 2020-21 Award Year?
• Are We Required To Recalculate COA Or Awards If We Adjust Charges Or Refund All Or Part Of Tuition, Fees, Room, Or Board Due To Coronavirus?
• If a Student Moves Off Campus Due To Coronavirus, Must We Recalculate Her COA Or Awards?
• Do the COVID-19 SAP Exceptions Apply To the Summer 2020 Payment Period Or To the 2020-21 Award Year?
• Can We Continue To Pay FWS Students Who Are Unable To Work FWS Jobs For the 2020-21 Award Year Due To COVID-19?
• Will ED Issue FWS Community Service Waivers Due to Coronavirus?
• Can We Make Emergency FSEOG Awards For the 2020-21 Award Year?
• Has the FISAP Deadline Been Extended Due To COVID-19?
• Has ED Extended OIG Audit Guide Deadlines and Site Visit Alternatives Due To COVID-19?
• Are Schools Required To Provide Educational Programming To Observe Constitution Day On September 17?

Today’s News Articles:

• ED Announces Trump’s Executive Order Extending Borrower Relief Will Be Automatic
• ED Announces Additional Reporting Requirements for CARES Act HEERF Funds
• ED Delays Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment Requirements

Remember: NASFAA is constantly adding COVID-19 guidance and revising COVID-related AskRegs Q&As in our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Web Center. Be sure to check back frequently to see if and when guidance has changed.

Reference the following Electronic Announcements for COVID-19 guidance:

• August 21, 2020 Electronic Announcement — Updated deadlines for flexibilities related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• August 3, 2020 Electronic Announcement — Fiscal Operations Report for 2019–20 and Application to Participate for 2021–22 (FISAP) Reporting Instructions and Additional Flexibilities Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
• July 30, 2020 Electronic Announcement — Additional COD System Implementation Information for COD System Changes to Support the CARES Act
• July 10, 2020 Electronic Announcement — ADDITIONAL regulatory flexibilities related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• July 10, 2020 Electronic Announcement — Update on Required CARES Act Quarterly Reporting
• July 9, 2020 Electronic Announcement — Reminder of Alternative Acceptable Documentation to Complete for IRS Verification of Non-Filing (VNF) and Form W-2; Increase in Professional Judgments due to COVID-19
• May 15, 2020 Electronic Announcement — UPDATED Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Updated June 16, 2020)
• April 23, 2020 Electronic Announcement — FY 2017 Cohort Default Rate Deadline Modification and Update on Federal Work-Study Community Service Waivers Related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• April 3, 2020 Electronic Announcement — UPDATED Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• March 5, 2020 Electronic Announcement — Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Updated June 16, 2020)

Publication Date: 8/27/2020

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