TEXAS Grant Program Updates

TASFAA Conference
October 9, 2014
Lyn Wheeler Kinyon
Assistant Director, Grants and Special Programs
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
lyn.kinyon@thecb.state.tx.us
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Program Updates
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TEXAS Grant
Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG)
Top 10 Percent Scholarship
Texas College Work-Study (TCWS)
College Access Loan (CAL)
B-On-Time Loan (BOT)
Exemptions and Waivers
Coordinating Board Identification (CBID) Process
Negotiated Rule-Making (NRM) and Allocations
Financial Aid Database (FADB) and End-of-Year (EOY)
Reports
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Effective beginning 2014/15:
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2-year institutions are no longer eligible to make IY awards
2-year institutions are eligible to make RY awards to eligible
students with an IY award at a 2-year institution prior to fall
2014
IY pathway added for students who transfer to a public
university with at least 24 SCH’s, a minimum cumulative 2.5
GPA, and an IY TEOG in fall 2014 or later
EFC maximum for IY awards = $4,800
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Target award amounts remain in effect:
Institution Type
Public Universities,
Health-Related
Institutions, and State
Colleges
Public Community
Colleges
Public Technical
Colleges
Maximum
Year
Maximum
Term
Target
Year
Target
Term
$8,000
$4,000
$5,000
$2,500
$2,700
$1,350
$1,325
$663
$4,700
$2,350
$2,500
$1,250
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Effective beginning 2015/16:
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Maximum Time Frame Hour Limitation:
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Currently – 150 SCH’s attempted while receiving a TEXAS Grant
Beginning 2015-16 – 150 attempted hours toward degree
No grandfathering
PJ authority for hardships added to allow greater than 150
attempted SCH’s, but no more than:
• 150 SCH’s attempted while receiving the grant for HS graduate IY
recipients
• 90 SCH’s attempted while receiving the grant for AD IY recipients
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Effective beginning 2014-15:
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EFC maximum for IY awards = $4,800
Award amounts must be prorated in relation to the student’s
enrollment status as of the census date
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12 hours or more – 100% of maximum award
9 to 11 hours – 75% of maximum award
6 to 8 hours – 50% of maximum award
< 6 hours – 0% (unless granted an award under the hardship
provisions or due to < 6 hours remaining of the 75 SCH limit – at
which time the appropriate proration schedule would apply)
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Prorated maximum award amounts:
Institution Type
Award
Maximum
Per Year
Public State
Colleges
Public Community
Colleges
Public Technical
Colleges
$8,000
Award Maximum Per Semester Based on
Census Date Enrollment
Full-Time
ThreeHalf< Half(12 or
Quarter
Time
Time
more
Time
(6-8
(1-5
SCH’s)
(9-11 SCH’s) SCH’s) SCH’s)
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$0
$2,700
$1,350
$1,013
$675
$0
$4,700
$2,350
$1,763
$1,175
$0
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Effective beginning 2015-16:
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Maximum Time Frame Hour Limitation:
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Currently – 75 attempted hours while receiving the grant
Beginning 2015-16 – 75 attempted hours toward degree
No grandfathering
PJ authority for hardships added to allow greater than 75
attempted SCH’s, but no more than 75 SCH’s attempted while
receiving the grant
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Nothing new to report at this time.
Questions?
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Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) exercises its
prosecutorial discretion to forego immigration enforcement
against certain individuals for a specified period of time – may
be renewed or terminated
DACA does not confer lawful immigration status, nor does it
provide a pathway to citizenship
DACA recipients may be eligible for work authorization, to apply
for SSN’s, and possibly to obtain a driver’s license
DACA recipients may be able to work under TCWS if otherwise
eligible
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Effective beginning 2014-15:
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New origination fee structure based on the highest credit score
of the student or cosigner:
Prior to 2014-15
Beginning 2014-15
Credit Score
VantageScore ≥ 700
VantageScore ≥ 591
Origination
Fee
Borrower OR Cosigner
Approved – 5%
Borrower OR Cosigner
Score
Tier
Rate
≥ 711
651-710
591-650
≤ 590
A
B
C
N/A
0%
3%
5%
Denied
___________________________________________________________________________
Borrower AND Cosigner
Approved – 3%
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Interest rate will continue to be a simple fixed rate of 5.25%
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Effective beginning 2014-15:
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Institutions will have until March 15th, or the first working day
thereafter, to encumber funds
As of this date, institutions will lose claim to any unspent funds
not yet reserved for students
Funds released will be available for reallocations to other
institutions
Reallocation method will be the same as the initial allocation
method
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Any unencumbered FY14 funds have been carried forward and
added to the FY15 allocations
Updated allocations are posted to www.HHLoans.com under
the institution’s link
LPO questions should be directed to:
• Janie.Miramontes@thecb.state.tx.us or 512.427.6352
• Albert.Contreras@thecb.state.tx.us or 512.427.6585
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
SB1210 added requirements for continuation awards:
Requirement
Minimum GPA
(GPA from Financial Aid
SAP Policy)
Limitation of Eligibility
(Excess Hours – TEC
54.014)
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Programs
Residency
Classification
Level
Exemptions
and Waivers
Residents and
Nonresidents
Undergraduates
and Graduates
All Levels
Exemptions
Only
Residents
Only
Undergraduates Undergraduate
Only
Levels Only
Allows for certain program exceptions to these requirements –
reference document available on the GSP Information Site at
https://www1.thecb.state.tx.us/apps/SpecialPrograms/ under
the ‘references and forms’ section
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New system functionality to access the TEXAS Grant and
TEOG databases and payment processes:
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Effective September 15, 2014
Institution Master (IM)
Other Institutional Users
For assistance, contact:
• 4-year institutions (Shebah.Spears@thecb.state.tx.us or
512.427.6332)
• 2-year institutions (JoElla.Martinez@thecb.state.tx.us or
512.427.6554)
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SB215 requires negotiated rulemaking to determine the
allocation process for those programs with allocations:
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Consensus was reached for TEXAS Grant, TCWS, and BOT
Consensus was not reached for TEOG
• The CB has proposed rules for adoption in January – currently
posted to the Texas Register
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Institutions will be given 10 days to review draft allocation
numbers before they become final – a chance to confirm the
data used for the calculations correctly reflect the numbers
submitted to the CB
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FADB
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Required field for the 9-month EFC
Edits regarding the matching of SSN’s to the CBM001 were
changed from errors to warnings – except for students identified
as affidavit students which must be matched before certification
EOY
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FY14 – TEXAS Grant priority model confirmation added
FY15 – TEXAS Grant transfer IY avenue confirmation will be
added
FY15 – TEXAS Grant and TEOG 9-month EFC field will be added
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Lyn Wheeler Kinyon
lyn.kinyon@thecb.state.tx.us
(512) 427-6393 or (800) 242-3062 x6393
GSP Generic Email
grantinfo@thecb.state.tx.us
GSP Information Site
https://www1.thecb.state.tx.us/apps/SpecialPrograms/
GSP Distribution List
http://lists.state.tx.us/mailman/listinfo/txgnsp-l
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