Title 34

SECTION 686.2

686.2 Definitions.

§ 686.2 Definitions. Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 49821, Aug. 14, 2020.

(a) Definitions for the following terms used in this part are in the regulations for Institutional Eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, (HEA) 34 CFR part 600:

Award year Clock hour Correspondence course Credit hour Eligible institution Institution of higher education (institution) Regular student Secretary State Title IV, HEA program

(b) Definitions for the following terms used in this part are in subpart A of the Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668:

Academic year Enrolled Expected family contribution (EFC) Full-time student Graduate or professional student Half-time student HEA Payment period Three-quarter-time student Undergraduate student William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program

Local educational agency (LEA) State educational agency (SEA)

(d) Other terms used in this part are defined as follows:

Academic year or its equivalent for elementary and secondary schools (elementary or secondary academic year):

(1) One complete school year, or two complete and consecutive half-years from different school years, excluding summer sessions, that generally fall within a 12-month period.

(2) If a school has a year-round program of instruction, the Secretary considers a minimum of nine consecutive months to be the equivalent of an academic year.

Agreement to serve (ATS): An agreement under which the individual receiving a TEACH Grant commits to meet the service obligation described in § 686.12 and to comply with notification and other provisions of the agreement.

Annual award: The maximum TEACH Grant amount a student would receive for enrolling as a full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time student and remaining in that enrollment status for a year.

Bilingual education: An educational program in which two languages are used to provide content matter instruction.

Elementary school: A nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public elementary charter school, that provides elementary education, as determined under State law.

English language acquisition: The process of acquiring English as a second language.

Full-time teacher: A teacher who meets the standard used by a State in defining full-time employment as a teacher. For an individual teaching in more than one school, the determination of full-time is based on the combination of all qualifying employment.

High-need field: Includes the following:

(1) Bilingual education and English language acquisition.

(2) Foreign language.

(3) Mathematics.

(4) Reading specialist.

(5) Science.

(6) Special education.

(7) Another field documented as high-need by the Federal Government, a State government or an LEA, and approved by the Secretary and listed in the Department's annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing (Nationwide List) in accordance with 34 CFR 682.210(q).

Highly-qualified: Has the meaning set forth in section 9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) or in section 602(10) of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR): An electronic record that the Secretary transmits to an institution that includes an applicant's -

(1) Personal identification information;

(2) Application data used to calculate the applicant's EFC; and

(3) EFC.

Numeric equivalent: (1) If an otherwise eligible program measures academic performance using an alternative to standard numeric grading procedures, the institution must develop and apply an equivalency policy with a numeric scale for purposes of establishing TEACH Grant eligibility. The institution's equivalency policy must be in writing and available to students upon request and must include clear differentiations of student performance to support a determination that a student has performed at a level commensurate with at least a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale in that program.

(2) A grading policy that includes only “satisfactory/unsatisfactory”, “pass/fail”, or other similar nonnumeric assessments qualifies as a numeric equivalent only if -

(i) The institution demonstrates that the “pass” or “satisfactory” standard has the numeric equivalent of at least a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale awarded in that program, or that a student's performance for tests and assignments yielded a numeric equivalent of a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale; and

(ii) For an eligible institution, the institution's equivalency policy is consistent with any other standards the institution may have developed for academic and other title IV, HEA program purposes, such as graduate school applications, scholarship eligibility, and insurance certifications, to the extent such standards distinguish among various levels of a student's academic performance.

Payment Data: An electronic record that is provided to the Secretary by an institution showing student disbursement information.

Post-baccalaureate program: A program of instruction for individuals who have completed a baccalaureate degree, that -

(1) Does not lead to a graduate degree;

(2) Consists of courses required by a State in order for a student to receive a professional certification or licensing credential that is required for employment as a teacher in an elementary school or secondary school in that State, except that it does not include any program of instruction offered by a TEACH Grant-eligible institution that offers a baccalaureate degree in education; and

(3) Is treated as an undergraduate program of study for the purposes of title IV of the HEA.

Retiree: An individual who has decided to change his or her occupation for any reason and who has expertise, as determined by the institution, in a high-need field.

Scheduled Award: The maximum amount of a TEACH Grant that a full-time student could receive for a year.

School serving low-income students (low-income school): An elementary or secondary school that -

(1) Is in the school district of an LEA that is eligible for assistance pursuant to title I of the ESEA;

(2) Has been determined by the Secretary to be a school in which more than 30 percent of the school's total enrollment is made up of children who qualify for services provided under title I of the ESEA; and

(3) Is listed in the Department's Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits. The Secretary considers all elementary and secondary schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) in the Department of the Interior or operated on Indian reservations by Indian tribal groups under contract or grant with the BIE to qualify as schools serving low-income students.

Secondary school: A nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public secondary charter school, that provides secondary education, as determined under State law, except that the term does not include any education beyond grade 12.

Student Aid Report (SAR): A report provided to an applicant by the Secretary showing the amount of his or her expected family contribution.

TEACH Grant-eligible institution: An eligible institution as defined in 34 CFR part 600 that meets financial responsibility standards established in 34 CFR part 668, subpart L, or that qualifies under an alternative standard in 34 CFR 668.175 and -

(1) Provides a high-quality teacher preparation program at the baccalaureate or master's degree level that -

(i)(A) Is accredited by a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary for the accreditation of professional teacher education programs; or

(B) Is approved by a State and includes a minimum of 10 weeks of full-time pre-service clinical experience, or its equivalent, and provides either pedagogical coursework or assistance in the provision of such coursework; and

(ii) Provides supervision and support services to teachers, or assists in the provision of services to teachers, such as -

(A) Identifying and making available information on effective teaching skills or strategies;

(B) Identifying and making available information on effective practices in the supervision and coaching of novice teachers; and

(2) Provides a two-year program that -

(i) Is acceptable for full credit in a baccalaureate teacher preparation program of study offered by an institution described in paragraph (1) of this definition, as demonstrated by the institutions; or

(ii) Is acceptable for full credit in a baccalaureate degree program in a high-need field at an institution described in paragraph (3) of this definition, as demonstrated by the institutions;

(3) Offers a baccalaureate degree that, in combination with other training or experience, will prepare an individual to teach in a high-need field as defined in this part and has entered into an agreement with an institution described in paragraphs (1) or (4) of this definition to provide courses necessary for its students to begin a career in teaching; or

(4) Provides a post-baccalaureate program of study.

TEACH Grant-eligible program: An eligible program, as defined in 34 CFR 668.8, is a program of study that is designed to prepare an individual to teach as a highly-qualified teacher in a high-need field and leads to a baccalaureate or master's degree, or is a post-baccalaureate program of study. A two-year program of study that is acceptable for full credit toward a baccalaureate degree is considered to be a program of study that leads to a baccalaureate degree.

Teacher: A person who provides direct classroom teaching or classroom-type teaching in a non-classroom setting, including special education teachers and reading specialists.

Teacher preparation program: A State-approved course of study, the completion of which signifies that an enrollee has met all the State's educational or training requirements for initial certification or licensure to teach in the State's elementary or secondary schools. A teacher preparation program may be a regular program or an alternative route to certification, as defined by the State. For purposes of a TEACH Grant, the program must be provided by an institution of higher education.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g, et seq.) [73 35495, June 23, 2008, as amended at 75 FR 66968, Oct. 29, 2010]