Ala. Admin. Code r. 300-4-2-.06

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 300-4-2-.06 - Awarding Procedures

(1) Each applicant must submit to the eligible institution a yearly Free Application for Federal Student Aid application.

(2) An applicant may receive consideration for an Alabama Student Assistance Program award at only one institution per academic term. If a student wishes to receive consideration for an Alabama Student Assistance Program award at another Alabama postsecondary educational institution, he/she must follow the procedures outlined in 06(1).

(3) Information received on applicants shall be evaluated by an institutional student financial aid officer.

(a) All applicants' need shall be determined by the expected family contribution figures provided on the students' aid report.

(b) Students with need shall be compared with monies available. In determining the priority order in which students will be awarded funds in any given award year, the school must:

1. first, choose those students with exceptional financial need -- that is, those with the lowest expected family contributions (EFCs) who will also receive Pell Grants in that award year, and

2. after awarding ASAP funds to all of its eligible Pell Grant recipients in order of lowest expected family contributions (EFCs), next award ASAP funds to those eligible students with the lowest EFCs who will not receive Pell Grants in that award year.

(c) An award list shall be made and sent to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. The maximum award that a student may receive is $5,000 per academic year. The maximum award shall be reduced proportionately for students who attend part-time.

(4) All grants to students enrolled at least half-time shall be not less than $300 nor more than $5,000 for the academic year.

(5) All awards made by the Alabama Student Assistance Program shall be made to individual students who are residents of the State of Alabama.

(a) Each awardee shall be sent an award notice by the institution and informed of aid awarded through the Alabama Student Assistance Program.

(b) The institutional Financial Aid Officer will check each awardee for:

1. Number of hours enrolled;

2. Academic progress and program;

3. Residency and nationality; and

4. Status on previous grants and loans.

(c) The institutional Financial Aid Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that each student is not over-awarded.

(d) If the award is accepted, each student shall certify his/her eligibility and verify that the educational grant will be used only for educational expenses for attendance at the approved Alabama postsecondary institution.

(6) Disbursement of all grants shall be made by checks in accordance with the procedures outlined in 06(6) (a) or 06(6) (b) .

(a) Certain approved institutions may prepare checks for eligible awardees under the following conditions:

1. An approved institution may prepare checks for eligible awards only after all steps in 06(5) have been completed.

2. The Alabama Student Assistance Program Office will send a lump sum payment of funds to the approved institution for deposit in a specific Alabama Student Assistance Program account.

3. The approved institution shall prepare individual checks on the account.

4. All checks which are undeliverable shall be cancelled, and the funds returned to the special Alabama Student Assistance Program account. Replacement awards may be issued to eligible students prior to the expiration of the term only after the ASAP Office is provided the following information: Social Security numbers of award recipients, full names of recipients, adjusted gross incomes of recipients, and amounts of awards per term.

5. All funds remaining in the institution's Alabama Student Assistance Program account must be returned to the Alabama Student Assistance Program Office no later than August 31 each year. No awards may be issued for terms commencing after June 30.

6. An approved institution's permission to write individual checks may be terminated at any time, upon written notice from the Alabama Student Assistance Program Office. Reasons for termination may include noncompliance with any Alabama Student Assistance Program Regulations or untimely delay in submitting required reports to the Alabama Student Assistance Program Office.

(b) Certain approved institutions may credit accounts of eligible awardees under the following conditions:

1. An approved institution may credit accounts of eligible awardees only after all steps in 06(5) have been completed.

2. The Alabama Student Assistance Program office will send a lump sum payment of funds to the approved institution for deposit in a specific Alabama Student Assistance Program account.

3. The approved institution shall provide each eligible awardee with documentation of an Alabama Student Assistance Program award.

4. Should the dollar amount of an award credited to an eligible student's account exceed the dollar amount due the institution by the student at the time an ASAP award is credited to an eligible student's account, a check in the amount of excess funds (credit) shall be issued within fourteen (14) work days to the student by the approved institution.

5. All checks which are undeliverable shall be cancelled, and the funds returned to the special Alabama Student Assistance program account. Replacement awards may be issued to eligible students prior to the expiration of the term only after the ASAP Office is provided the following information: Social Security numbers of award recipients, full names of recipients, adjusted gross incomes of recipients, and amounts of awards per term.

6. All funds remaining in the institution's Alabama Student Assistance Program account must be returned to the Alabama Student Assistance Program Office no later than August 31 each year. No awards may be issued for terms commencing after June 30.

7. An approved institution's permission to credit eligible students' accounts may be terminated at any time, upon written notice from the Alabama Student Assistance Program Office. Reasons for termination may include noncompliance with any Alabama Student Assistance Program Regulations or untimely delay in submitting required reports to the Alabama Student Assistance Program office.

(7) All eligible institutions shall follow the recordkeeping procedures set forth by the Alabama Student Assistance Program Office.

(a) Eligible institutions shall complete all requested accounting reports and return them to the Alabama Student Assistance Program office on or before August 31 each year.

(b) A summary of all fiscal reports pertaining to the Alabama Student Assistance Program shall be furnished to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 300-4-2-.06

Filed September 30, 1982. Amended: Filed May 18, 1984; July 5, 1984; June 11, 1985. Emergency Amendment: Filed October 13, 1987. Amended: Filed December 7, 1987; April 6, 1988; April 9, 1992. Amended: Filed December 6, 2007; effective January 10, 2008.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXV, Issue No. 07, April 28, 2017, eff. 5/11/2017.

Authors: Joseph T. Sutton, Timothy W. Vick

Statutory Authority: Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended.