Experimental Sites Still Open for Applications
By Karen McCarthy, Policy & Federal Relations Staff
Nine different experiments currently underway at the Department of Education (ED) are still open for applications by schools, according to representatives from ED’s Experimental Sites team at the Federal Student Aid (FSA) conference.
The Experimental Sites Initiative, authorized under the Higher Education Act (HEA), as amended, tests the effectiveness of statutory and regulatory flexibility for participating institutions by providing waivers of specific statutory and/or regulatory requirements. The intended goal of the program is to yield data that will inform decisions about changes to regulations and statute.
The nine experiments, which have been announced intermittently since 2011, are listed below. Details on the experiments can be found in the associated Federal Register, or by emailing [email protected].
| Title of Experiment | Description | For More Information |
|
Pell for Students with Bachelor’s Degrees |
An otherwise-eligible student who has a bachelor’s degree, but is unemployed or under-employed, may be eligible Pell Grant funds for enrollment in eligible vocational or career programs |
|
|
Pell for Short-Term Training Programs |
Students may be eligible for Pell Grants in short-term training programs if the program is at least eight weeks of instructional time in duration; and includes at least 150 clock hours, four semester hours, or six quarter hours |
|
|
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) |
COA can include reasonable costs incurred by a student for assessments of prior learning; Federal Pell Grant enrollment status may include up to three credit hours associated with a student’s efforts to prepare materials for a prior learning assessment | |
|
Limited Direct Assessment (LDA) |
Programs offering a combination of direct assessment and credit/clock hours are allowed; An institution may include remedial coursework offered in credit hours or using direct assessment in a student’s enrollment status | |
|
Competency-Based Education (CBE) |
Split disbursement; Satisfactory academic progress; Subscription period disbursement | |
|
Federal Work-Study (FWS) for Near-Peer Counseling |
The “matching” share of the FWS compensation will be reduced or eliminated for near-peer counselors, allowing 100 percent of Federal funds to provide FWS compensation to those students |
|
|
Second Chance Pell |
Students incarcerated in Federal or State penal institutions, are eligible for Pell Grant funds |
|
|
Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships |
Participating institutions may provide Title IV aid to otherwise eligible students pursuing a program of study for which 50 percent or more of the content and instruction is offered by one or more Title IV-ineligible organizations (non-traditional providers) |
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Dual Enrollment |
An otherwise-eligible student who is enrolled in both secondary school and an eligible postsecondary program may receive a Pell Grant |
Publication Date: 12/10/2015
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