Title 34
SECTION 686.32
686.32 Counseling requirements.
§ 686.32 Counseling requirements. Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 49824, Aug. 14, 2020.(a) Initial counseling. (1) An institution must ensure that initial counseling is conducted with each TEACH Grant recipient prior to making the first disbursement of the grant.
(2) The initial counseling must be in person, by audiovisual presentation, or by interactive electronic means. In each case, the institution must ensure that an individual with expertise in title IV, HEA programs is reasonably available shortly after the counseling to answer the student's questions. As an alternative, in the case of a student enrolled in a correspondence program of study or a study-abroad program of study approved for credit at the home institution, the student may be provided with written counseling materials before the grant is disbursed.
(3) The initial counseling must -
(i) Explain the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant agreement to serve as described in § 686.12;
(ii) Provide the student with information about how to identify low-income schools and documented high-need fields;
(iii) Inform the grant recipient that, in order for the teaching to count towards the recipient's service obligation, the high-need field in which he or she has prepared to teach must be -
(A) One of the six high-need fields listed in § 686.2; or
(B) A high-need field listed in the Nationwide List at the time and for the State in which the grant recipient begins teaching in that field.
(iv) Inform the grant recipient of the opportunity to request a suspension of the eight-year period for completion of the agreement to serve and the conditions under which a suspension may be granted in accordance with § 686.41;
(v) Explain to the student that conditions, such as conviction of a felony, could preclude the student from completing the service obligation;
(vi) Emphasize to the student that if the student fails or refuses to complete the service obligation contained in the agreement to serve or any other condition of the agreement to serve -
(A) The TEACH Grant must be repaid as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan; and
(B) The TEACH Grant recipient will be obligated to repay the full amount of each grant and the accrued interest from each disbursement date;
(vii) Explain the circumstances, as described in § 686.43, under which a TEACH Grant will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan;
(viii) Emphasize that, once a TEACH Grant is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, it cannot be reconverted to a grant;
(ix) Review for the grant recipient information on the availability of the Department's Student Loan Ombudsman's office;
(x) Describe the likely consequences of loan default, including adverse credit reports, garnishment of wages, Federal offset, and litigation; and
(xi) Inform the student of sample monthly repayment amounts based on a range of student loan indebtedness.
(b) Subsequent counseling. (1) If a student receives more than one TEACH Grant, the institution must ensure that the student receives additional counseling prior to the first disbursement of each subsequent TEACH Grant award.
(2) Subsequent counseling may be in person, by audiovisual presentation, or by interactive electronic means. In each case, the institution must ensure that an individual with expertise in title IV, HEA programs is reasonably available shortly after the counseling to answer the student's questions. As an alternative, in the case of a student enrolled in a correspondence program of study or a study-abroad program of study approved for credit at the home institution, the student may be provided with written counseling materials before the grant is disbursed.
(3) Subsequent counseling must -
(i) Review the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant agreement to serve as described in § 686.12;
(ii) Emphasize to the student that if the student fails or refuses to complete the service obligation contained in the agreement to serve or any other condition of the agreement to serve -
(A) The TEACH Grant must be repaid as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan; and
(B) The TEACH Grant recipient will be obligated to repay the full amount of the grant and the accrued interest from the disbursement date;
(iii) Explain the circumstances, as described in § 686.34, under which a TEACH Grant will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan;
(iv) Emphasize that, once a TEACH Grant is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, it cannot be reconverted to a grant; and
(v) Review for the grant recipient information on the availability of the Department's Student Loan Ombudsman's office.
(c) Exit counseling. (1) An institution must ensure that exit counseling is conducted with each grant recipient before he or she ceases to attend the institution at a time determined by the institution.
(2) The exit counseling must be in person, by audiovisual presentation, or by interactive electronic means. In each case, the institution must ensure that an individual with expertise in title IV, HEA programs is reasonably available shortly after the counseling to answer the grant recipient's questions. As an alternative, in the case of a grant recipient enrolled in a correspondence program of study or a study-abroad program of study approved for credit at the home institution, the grant recipient may be provided with written counseling materials within 30 days after he or she completes the TEACH Grant-eligible program.
(3) Within 30 days of learning that a grant recipient has withdrawn from the institution without the institution's knowledge, or from a TEACH Grant-eligible program, or failed to complete exit counseling as required, exit counseling must be provided either in-person, through interactive electronic means, or by mailing written counseling materials to the grant recipient's last known address.
(4) The exit counseling must -
(i) Inform the grant recipient of the four-year service obligation that must be completed within the first eight calendar years after completing a TEACH Grant-eligible program in accordance with § 686.12;
(ii) Inform the grant recipient of the opportunity to request a suspension of the eight-year period for completion of the service obligation and the conditions under which a suspension may be granted in accordance with § 686.41;
(iii) Provide the grant recipient with information about how to identify low-income schools and documented high-need fields;
(iv) Inform the grant recipient that, in order for the teaching to count towards the recipient's service obligation, the high-need field in which he or she has prepared to teach must be -
(A) One of the six high-need fields listed in § 686.2; or
(B) A high-need field listed in the Nationwide List at the time and for the State in which the grant recipient begins teaching in that field.
(v) Explain that the grant recipient will be required to submit to the Secretary each year written documentation of his or her status as a highly-qualified teacher in a high-need field at a low-income school or of his or her intent to complete the four-year service obligation until the date that the service obligation has been met or the date that the grant becomes a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, whichever occurs first;
(vi) Explain the circumstances, as described in § 686.43, under which a TEACH Grant will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan;
(vii) Emphasize that once a TEACH Grant is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan it cannot be reconverted to a grant;
(viii) Inform the grant recipient of the average anticipated monthly repayment amount based on a range of student loan indebtedness if the TEACH Grants convert to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan;
(ix) Review for the grant recipient available repayment options if the TEACH Grant converts to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, including the standard repayment, extended repayment, graduated repayment, income-contingent and income-based repayment plans, and loan consolidation;
(x) Suggest debt-management strategies to the grant recipient that would facilitate repayment if the TEACH Grant converts to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan;
(xi) Explain to the grant recipient how to contact the Secretary;
(xii) Describe the likely consequences of loan default, including adverse credit reports, garnishment of wages, Federal offset, and litigation;
(xiii) Review for the grant recipient the conditions under which he or she may defer or forbear repayment, obtain a full or partial discharge, or receive teacher loan forgiveness if the TEACH Grant converts to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan;
(xiv) Review for the grant recipient information on the availability of the Department's Student Loan Ombudsman's office; and
(xv) Inform the grant recipient of the availability of title IV loan information in the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
(5) If exit counseling is conducted through interactive electronic means, an institution must take reasonable steps to ensure that each grant recipient receives the counseling materials and participates in and completes the exit counseling.
(d) Compliance. The institution must maintain documentation substantiating the institution's compliance with this section for each TEACH Grant recipient.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070g, et seq.)