From: Delisa Falks <provost@tamu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2014 7:30 AM
To: lowery@TAMU.EDU
Subject: Phase II of Federal Student Aid Compliance
SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID
November 19, 2014
MEMORANDUM
TO: University Faculty
FROM: Delisa Falks, Executive Director
Scholarships & Financial Aid
SUBJECT: Phase II of Federal Student Aid Compliance
Documenting last date of attendance for students
Scholarships & Financial Aid has worked with EIS and the eCampus Learning Management team to create the mechanism to facilitate documenting the last date of attendance for students. As you may recall the university has been working to ensure compliance in respect to students beginning attendance in their course(s), and documenting a last date of attendance for federal aid purposes. Phase I of federal student aid compliance began in fall 2013, with verifying students have begun attendance in their course(s), In addition fall 2014 class rosters were enhanced for you to verify beginning of attendance on line reducing the need to email you directly for this information. Phase II will be available for the fall 2014 grading period. Federal student aid regulations require the University to calculate financial aid earned by students with non-passing grades. Based on this information obtained from course instructors, adjustments to or cancellation of financial aid awards may be necessary. Scholarships & Financial Aid calculates aid earned using the students last date of attendance at an academically-related activity (LDA); for students who receive non-passing (F-Failing, U Unsatisfactory, or I-Incomplete) grades. This date is used in determining if students have fully earned the aid that was advanced to them for the semester’s educational expenses. This requirement applies to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students alike.
In an effort to efficiently and effectively collect this necessary information, you will need to report the last date of attendance (LDA) at an academically-related activity for students whom you assign non-passing grades (F, U, I). Last day of academically-related activity can be the following; but not limited to roll call, sign-in sheets, class participation, i>clicker use, assignments, projects, papers, exams, or quizzes. For online courses, students must access academic materials, participate in online academic discussions, complete homework, quizzes, or tests.
A process has been designed within the Howdy portal to streamline and automate this documentation.
REASONING
Federal aid regulations 34 CFR 668.22 and DCL GEN-04-03, require the University to have a procedure for determining whether a Title IV aid recipient who began attendance completed the period or should be treated as a withdrawal.
In collecting LDA at the time of grade reporting, faculty would have their gradebooks/participation records readily available. In the past Scholarships & Financial Aid has emailed faculty to receive this necessary information, this procedure will reduce the need for faculty to be contacted in between semester breaks, and summer in order to facilitate collection of this information for student records.
PROCEDURE
Beginning fall 2014 grading period a mechanism will be available to submit LDA information via the Howdy portal. After grade submission whether a faculty member uses Howdy or eCampus, a link will be available within the Howdy Roster view (grade submission page) to select one of three Last Date of Attendance (LDA) options for students assigned non-passing grades (F, I, U):
o Attended entire semester
o Never attended/no attendance documented
o Last date of attendance known (fill in date)
As with confirmation of beginning attendance, last date of attendance at an academically-related activity may be documented based on a number of means including but not limited to roll call, sign-in sheets, class participation, i>clicker use, assignments, projects, papers, exams, or quizzes. For online courses, students must access academic materials, participate in online academic discussions, complete homework, quizzes, or tests as stated above.
In the absence of a last date of attendance at an academically-related activity within 30 days of the end of the semester, students may lose all aid eligibility for that term and previously disbursed aid must be returned. To preclude Scholarships & Financial Aid and/or a student from emailing you and/or calling you, please submit the LDA for non-passing grades during the grading period.
A step-by-step guide will be made available both on the News page of financialaid.tamu.edu as well as on the Learn About Faculty/Teaching Tab channel in Howdy by the beginning of December.
We appreciate your cooperation and assistance with this process as we seek to maintain University compliance for federal financial aid purposes. If you have any further questions, please contact Delisa Falks, Executive Director of Scholarships & Financial Aid, delisaf@tamu.edu.