Publication Date: December 21, 2007
Author: William Leith, Acting General Manager, Application, Operations and Delivery Services, Federal Student Aid
Summary: CCRAA Operational Implementation Guidance (CPS, COD System, and EDESuite) - New TEACH Grant Program Question Will Be Added to 2008-2009 FAFSA on the Web
Posted on 12-21-2007
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act (the CCRAA), Pub.L. 110-84, created
the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
Program (TEACH Program). This program is effective beginning with the 2008-2009
Award Year and provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to students who
plan on becoming a teacher and meet certain specified requirements. If a student
who receives a TEACH Grant does not complete the required teaching, the grant
must be repaid as a Direct Unsubsidized Loan under the William D. Ford Federal
Direct Loan Program.
Note: A Dear Colleague Letter that provides information on all
of the provisions of the CCRAA, including the TEACH Grant Program, will be posted
on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals
(IFAP) Web site as soon as it receives final clearance.
This announcement is the first in a series of communications intended to focus
on the operational implementation of the CCRAA changes that will affect the
Central Processing System (CPS), Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System,
and EDESuite. We are very close to finalizing the operational changes that we
must make to our Federal student aid processes and procedures to implement the
provisions of the CCRAA, including the TEACH Grant Program for the 2008-2009
Award Year, and appreciate the community's patience as we complete this work.
Forthcoming communications will fully explain the necessary changes and implementation
schedule. All participants in the Federal student aid programs should refer
to the IFAP Web site for applicable guidance
and information.
At this time, we want to inform you of a new question relating to the TEACH
Grant Program that will be included on the 2008-2009 Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). For 2008-2009, this question will only be on our FAFSA
on the Web application and not on the paper FAFSA. The question is intended
to assist in identifying potentially eligible TEACH Grant recipients and will
be available on both the English and Spanish versions of FAFSA
on the Web. Below, we highlight important information about the implementation
of the new TEACH Grant Program question.
Beginning at start up, 2008-2009 FAFSA
on the Web filers will be presented with the new TEACH Grant Program question
in the "Info About You (the Student)" section of FAFSA on the Web.
A screen shot showing the location of the question in FAFSA
on the Web is attached to this announcement in PDF format. The document
is titled "New TEACH Grant Program Question."
The new TEACH Grant Program question will read as follows:
"Are you planning on completing coursework now, or in the future,
necessary for you to become an elementary or secondary school teacher?
A 'YES' response will inform your school that you may be interested in
a new Federal aid program for students who meet certain conditions and plan
on becoming teachers."
Although 2008-2009 FAFSA on the Web
filers will be presented with the new TEACH Grant Program question beginning
at start up, the applicant's response to the question will not initially be
included on either the student's Student Aid Report (SAR) or the school's
Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR). The applicant's answer to
the question will be stored in the CPS.
In mid-February 2008, we will reprocess CPS records for all applicants
who answered "Yes" to the new TEACH Grant Program question. ISIRs
will be sent to all schools listed on the applicant's FAFSA and will include
a new comment code indicating that the applicant answered "Yes"
to the TEACH Grant question. A SAR with appropriate TEACH Grant comment
text will also be sent to the applicant.
We are in the process of finalizing the additional changes that will be
made to the CPS and other FAFSA-related functionality. We will communicate
implementation dates for any additional changes and detailed information
about the changes in a forthcoming Electronic Announcement posted on the
IFAP Web site.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the new TEACH Grant question on FAFSA
on the Web, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at
800/4-FED-AID (800/433-3243).
Attachments/Enclosures:
New TEACH Grant Program Question in PDF Format, 178KB, 1 page
Posted 01/02/07 to www.NASFAA.org. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org
