Pop Quizzes

• Pop Quiz - Does a School Need to Verify the Student Filed Taxes?
  May 31, 2023 - A school has a student selected for verification who did not file taxes for 2021, but was above the threshold for not being required to file. The school directed the student to file, but does the school need to verify the student actually filed with ...
• Pop Quiz - Can a Student Receive Federal Pell Grant in the Summer Without Utilizing Year-Round Pell?
  March 22, 2023 - A school has a Pell-eligible student who plans to enroll during the summer term. The student will be less than half-time. Summer is a trailer to the academic year. The financial aid administrator understands that if students are enrolled full-ti...
• Pop Quiz - Can Federal Work-Study (FWS) Continue to Be Transferred to FSEOG With the National Emergency Ending May 11?
  February 17, 2023 - A school has a spring term which ends May 4, 2023 and a summer term which begins May 15, 2023. The national emergency is set to end on May 11. Would spring term be the last term in which the school can transfer up to 100% of Federal Work-Study (FWS) ...
• Pop Quiz - Can a Student With Subsidized Direct Loan Receive Additional Aid That Puts Them Over Need?
  January 25, 2023 - A school has a student with a Direct Subsidized Loan present in their financial aid offer. If it has not been accepted, can a student have other aid (state or institutional) that puts the student over their financial need, but still within their cost...
• Pop Quiz - Is This Payment Plan Considered a Private Loan?
  December 14, 2022 - A school has two payment plans. One payment plan has no interest and does not extend beyond a year. The other payment plan is serviced by a third party, charges interest, and can extend beyond a year. Do the regulations consider the second plan a pri...
• Pop Quiz - How Do We Resolve Comment Code 359 for Unusual Enrollment History?
  November 29, 2022 - A school has seen an increase in students with the 359 comment code for unusual enrollment history (UEH). Do you know why we are seeing an increase and how do we resolve this comment code? Think you know the answer? Read on to see if you got it right...
• Pop Quiz - Is an R2T4 Calculation Required if the Student Withdraws After 60 Percent of the Term?
  October 11, 2022 - The student has officially withdrawn from the school. It is after the 60 percent point of the term. Is a return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation necessary? Think you know the answer? Read on to see if you got it right!
• Pop Quiz - How Is SAP Handled for Enrollment in Multiple Programs With Distinct Credentials?
  September 12, 2022 - The school has many students enrolled simultaneously in two or more separate academic programs with the purpose of earning two or more distinct academic credentials. How would the school handle satisfactory academic progress (SAP) for students in thi...
• Pop Quiz - Is the School Meeting Community Service Requirements for Family Literacy Activities?
  August 30, 2022 - The school has several students who are general reading and math tutors in local elementary schools. Do Federal Work-Study (FWS) students performing reading and math tutoring in elementary school meet the requirement of having at least one student pe...
• Pop Quiz - How Is the Federal Pell Grant Awarded for the Summer Term?
  July 19, 2022 - A student was enrolled full time during fall 2021 and spring 2022, receiving 100% of the scheduled award (SA) for the 2021-22 award year. If the student then enrolls in six credits in the summer 2022 term, which is composed of combined modules, shoul...
• Pop Quiz - Is the Waiver of the Institutional Share Matching Requirement for Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Still in Effect?
  June 10, 2022 - Our school remembers automatically receiving the institutional share waiver for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 award years due to the national emergency. Our school is not designated as Title III or Title V. We assumed this was still the case for the 2021-2...
• Pop Quiz - Has the Student Exceeded Their Maximum Time Frame for SAP?
  May 17, 2022 - The school is a community college offering associate degrees. The school has been considering changes to their satisfactory academic progress (SAP) based on an environmental scan of other college practices. They have found some community colleges&rsq...
• Pop Quiz – When Would the Student Progress to the Next Grade Level?
  March 23, 2022 - If a student is a sophomore at the start of the fall term and completes a module course that advances him to junior status half way through the fall term, can his loan eligibility for fall be updated to the junior grade level or will he not be eligib...
• Pop Quiz - Is a Student Who Had a Special Immigration Visa and Will Receive a Permanent Resident Card Eligible for Title IV Aid?
  February 17, 2022 - A school has a student who entered the country under a Special Immigration Visa. Special Immigration Visa status is not listed in the approved eligible noncitizen visas for Title IV aid. However, the Department of State website indicates that legal p...
• Pop Quiz - Does the Requirement to Return Unclaimed Funds Within 240 Days 'Reset' With a Check Reissue?
  January 27, 2022 - A school has a student who requests to have a refund check reissued after a credit balance check expired after 90 days. Does the 240 day rule to return unclaimed funds "reset" on the date of the check reissue? Think you know the answer? Read on to se...
• Pop Quiz - Must Students Who Fall Under the 49 Percent Exemption for R2T4 Receive Exit Counseling?
  December 22, 2021 - A school has a group of students who have completed a module which encompasses 49 percent of the countable days in the term and, therefore, are exempt from having an R2T4 processed. Must these students receive exit counseling since they are considere...
• Pop Quiz - Is This Student Eligible for Fall Aid With Updated Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Status?
  November 23, 2021 - A school checks SAP annually for its students, following the spring term. The student was not meeting standards at the end of the spring term and appealed. The student’s appeal was denied and the student attended without aid for the fall term. ...
• Pop Quiz - What Is the Order of Return of Funds From a Stale Dated Check?
  October 25, 2021 - A school has received returned checks for students who failed to cash credit balances. When returning the funds back to the source, if the student declines, is there an order of operations? Think you know the answer? Read on to see if you got it righ...
• Pop Quiz – Has the Order of the Return of Title IV Funds Changed?
  August 19, 2021 - A school has begun processing return of Title IV funds (R2T4) calculations for students, but noticed a difference between the available R2T4 worksheets and the regulations. Has the order of the return of Title IV funds changed? Think you know the ans...
• Pop Quiz – Can Unspent 2020-21 Federal Work-Study (FWS) Funds be Carried Forward for Use During the 2021-22 Award Year?
  July 19, 2021 - A school has leftover Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds from the 2020-21 award year. Can the school carry these funds forward to be used during the 2021-22 award year? Is there a dollar amount or percentage limit on that carry forward? Think you know th...
• Pop Quiz – For V4 Verification, Is “Personally Known” Acceptable for Type of Government ID?
  June 23, 2021 - A student completed a V4 form and had a notary sign; however, the notary indicated "personally known" on line for "type of government-issued ID." According to the notary website, some states allow this to be used. Can it be used for the U.S Departmen...
• Pop Quiz – Can Schools Roll Over the Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose Document Each Year?
  May 24, 2021 - A student was selected under the V4 group for verification in the previous year. The student is selected for V4 verification again this year. Can the school "roll over" the identity and Statement of Educational Purpose document from the previous year...
• Pop Quiz – Is the Institutional Match for FSEOG Waived for the 2021-22 Award Year?
  April 26, 2021 - An aid administrator at a school, which had previously had its institutional match for FSEOG waived due to its status as a Title II institution, is confused about what waivers are in place for the 2021-22 award year due to the COVID-19 national emerg...
• Pop Quiz – How Does a School Award Aid for Repeated Coursework in the Same Term?
  March 29, 2021 - The school has a student who was enrolled in module 1 in the last term of their program. The student was awarded the less-than-half time Federal Pell Grant amount, and was not eligible for Direct Loan due to less-than-half time status. The student re...
• Pop Quiz – Can We Award Summer Pell as a Header School for R2T4?
  January 29, 2021 - The school treats summer as a header to its academic year with some summer modules that start and end before July 1 and others that end on or after July 1. All summer modules are combined to form a standard term. If a student enrolled only in modules...
• Pop Quiz – Can a Student Receive Both Regular FSEOG and Emergency FSEOG?
  December 15, 2020 - The school would like to award both regular FSEOG and Emergency FSEOG to some students. If a student is receiving regular FSEOG, can the student receive an Emergency FSEOG award up to the amount of the full Pell Grant as well or does the regular FSEO...
• Pop Quiz – How Do Retroactive Withdrawals Affect the R2T4 Calculation?
  November 30, 2020 - The school allows for retroactive drops for courses in some situations. A student started the term, received a disbursement, and subsequently, the school retroactively withdrew the student from the term. How does this affect the R2T4 calculation? Thi...
• Pop Quiz – Are Schools Required to Check Satisfactory Academic Progress After the Second Academic Year?
  September 24, 2020 - The school had the same satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy for a long time, but recently hired a new Director of Financial Aid. The director reviewed the institution's policies and procedures but did not see where the school evaluated studen...
• Pop Quiz – When Is the Earliest that Title IV Aid Can Be Disbursed?
  June 10, 2020 - The school has modules which it combines to form a single summer term. There is a session that extends the regular 10 weeks and there is also a module that is four weeks long and does not start the end of June. If students are only registered for the...
• Pop Quiz – Can Title IV Aid Be Disbursed to a Graduate Student with an Unofficial Transcript?
  April 23, 2020 - The school has a graduate student with only an unofficial transcript on file with the school at the time the term starts. Can Title IV aid be disbursed for the student? Think you know the answer? Read on to see if you got it right!
• Pop Quiz – How Do We Handle Readmitted Students With a Change in SAP Policy?
  March 9, 2020 - The school had the same satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy for a long time, but effective for the 2019-20 academic year, the required pace of completion for SAP was changed from 75% to 67%. The school evaluates SAP annually. Is the school re...
• Pop Quiz Update – Must a School Have a Signed Statement to Update Degree Level on the FAFSA?
  February 27, 2020 - The school has a number of students who complete their undergraduate program in December, the end of the fall term, and then go on to their graduate program in the spring. The school runs a report to update the student’s ISIR on their behalf. S...
• Pop Quiz – What Documentation Is Needed to Award Graduate Level Aid to a Student in a Joint Undergraduate/Graduate Program?
  December 20, 2019 - School A offers a joint undergraduate/professional degree program, with the undergraduate portion being offered at School B. Since School A does not grant the undergraduate degree, can School A collect other documentation from School B to show the st...
• Pop Quiz – In Completing Verification, Does the School Have Enough Information to Determine if the Parent Should File a Tax Return?
  November 21, 2019 - A school received an IRS Wage and Income Statement to confirm a parent’s income. The parent indicated she is medically discharged and receiving disability benefits. On the wage and income statement, there is a Form SSA-1099 Benefits Statement a...
• Pop Quiz – How Does a School Document a Student Qualifies for the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship?
  October 17, 2019 - As part of its process, a school sent out a general notification about the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship (CFHS). It has had two students come into the financial aid office stating they believe they qualify. How does a school document that a s...
• Pop Quiz – Can Verification Be Completed in the Situation?
  September 20, 2019 - The school has a student whose father filed taxes as married filing separately and whose mother worked but did not file. The mother did not file an extension and the parents are still married and living together. Can I complete verification for this ...
• Pop Quiz – Can a Student Have Both a Federal Work-Study Position and a Non-FWS Position?
  August 13, 2019 - The school has a student who is employed 20 hours per week in its office of financial aid in a Federal Work-Study (FWS) position and is also employed with another department on campus in a non-FWS position. The student desires to work 20 hours in eac...
• Pop Quiz – Is Satisfactory Academic Progress Reset for a Transfer Student?
  July 24, 2019 - School A has a student who withdrew and enrolled at another school for a year. The student then returns to School A. Does the student return under the same satisfactory academic progress status, or can the school start fresh? Think you know the answe...
• Pop Quiz – Must This Student File Even Though He is Not Selected for Verification?
  June 21, 2019 - A school has a dependent student who is not selected for verification. As a result of the parent's income, the student is only eligible for unsubsidized loans. On the FAFSA the student reported income earned from working which exceeds the tax filing ...
• Pop Quiz - Can a Transferring Student Be Paid Federal Work-Study During the Summer at the Previous School?
  May 14, 2019 - If a student attends University A during the fall and spring terms, and then plans to attend University B during the upcoming fall term, can the student work at University A during the summer months (break of enrollment), if University A sends the st...
• Pop Quiz – Can a School Accept a Lower Payment on a Defaulted Perkins Loan?
  April 22, 2019 - The school has a student in default on his Federal Perkins Loan. He has been granted previous hardship deferments and forbearance. In order to rehabilitate the loan, the student would need to make 9 consecutive, full, on-time payments. The student ow...
• Correction: Pop Quiz – Can This Student and Spouse Both be Head of Household?
  March 12, 2019 - The pop quiz question and answer we ran in Today's News yesterday incorrectly stated that the answer to this question was "yes." We have since updated the answer to reflect guidance provided in IRS Publication 17. We apologize for any confusion ...
• Pop Quiz – Do We Need Proof of Ability-to-Benefit?
  February 12, 2019 - School B has a student who transferred from School A with an associate degree. The student graduated from a foreign high school and does not have proof of a high school diploma or equivalent. The student began taking college level courses at School A...
• Pop Quiz – Can This Student Receive Federal Pell Grant?
  January 17, 2019 - A school has a student who withdrew from all courses for the fall semester in November after the 60 percent point; however, the student’s ISIR was not received until December 21. Can the student receive the Federal Pell Grant, even though the s...
• Pop Quiz - Which System Is Correct When Evaluating Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used?
  December 18, 2018 - When the school checks the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System, the Federal Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) shows over 600 percent and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) shows the Pell LEU as 100 percent. NSLDS show...
• Pop Quiz – How Do We Handle Disbursed Aid When Verification Selection Happens Between the Withdrawal and the Return Calculation?
  November 20, 2018 - The school has a student who was awarded, aid disbursed, and the student withdrew. The student was then selected for verification before the return to Title IV funds calculation was begun. The school then returned the student’s funds due to his...
• Pop Quiz – How Are Forgiven Grades Treated in Satisfactory Academic Progress?
  October 16, 2018 - For evaluating satisfactory academic progress (SAP) of its students, a school had historically used the academic grade point average, calculated by the registrar’s office. To assist students who left the institution and want to return to comple...
• Pop Quiz – Are We Required to Update Our PPA?
  September 13, 2018 - The school has just begun to offer online courses within an existing Title IV eligible program. The Program Participation Agreement (PPA) does not currently reflect any correspondence or distance education courses. Does this need to be updated with t...
• Pop Quiz – Are Schools Required to Report V4 and V5 Results Even If a Student Never Attends or Registers for School?
  July 23, 2018 - A school has students who apply and are accepted, but never end up registering for courses at the university. Verification documents are requested for all admitted students. Must these applicants still be reported to the Department of Education? Thin...
• Pop Quiz – Can a Student Be Paid for Repeating This Course?
  February 21, 2018 - A student received a D+ in a course. The student would like to take it over to receive a higher grade in the class. Is the student still eligible to receive federal financial aid for repeating the course? Read on to see if you got the answer right.
• Pop Quiz – Is a Refund Required?
  February 2, 2018 - A student who was scheduled to attend classes in module 1 and in module 2, attended one day of classes in module 1 and then withdrew. The student has confirmed attendance in his module 2 class; so he is not a withdrawal. Does the school have to give ...
• Pop Quiz – What Is an Institution Responsible for in the Event of a Data Breach?
  October 19, 2017 - School XYZ accidentally released personally identifiable information to the wrong students, which included the name of the student, the amount of financial aid the student was eligible to receive, and the student’s school identification number,...
• Pop Quiz – Do We Have to Verify Income Earned From Work During the 2018-19 Award Year?
  August 25, 2017 - A school is aware the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is coming back online during the 2018-19 award year, but the school is confused regarding the information provided in the Aug. 7, 2017 Electronic Announcement, regarding income earned from work and ...
• Pop Quiz – Can a Student Add a School Code to the FAFSA After the End of the Award Year?
  July 25, 2017 - XYZ College has a student that attended during the 2016-17 award year, but failed to put XYZ's school code on the FAFSA form. The student would like to receive her Federal Pell Grant. Can she still receive it even though the award year has ended? Rea...
• Pop Quiz – May Loans Be Disbursed During a Module in Which the Student Is Not Attending?
  June 16, 2017 - A school has a credit-hour program, with nonstandard terms that are not substantially equal in length, meaning it uses the nonterm rules for disbursing Direct Loans. A student registers for classes in modules 1-5 (all of Fall) and completes them...