Introduction
The Campus-Based Programs include the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS), the Federal Supplemental Educational Grant Program (FSEOG), and the Federal Perkins Loan Program (Perkins Loans). This volume provides the information that schools need to administer those programs.
Throughout the Federal Student Aid Handbook we use “college,” “school,” and “institution” interchangeably unless a more specific use is given. “You” refers to the primary audience of the Handbook: financial aid administrators at colleges. “We” indicates the U.S. Department of Education (the Department, ED), and “Federal Student Aid,” “FSA Programs,” and “Title IV aid” are synonymous terms for the financial aid offered by the Department. Throughout the year, the Department of Education (The Department) provides updates for schools in the form of Dear Colleague Letters (DCLs). These and other releases, such as Federal Register notices and electronic announcements, contain system updates and technical guidance, and are available on the FSA Partner Connect website (fsapartners.ed.gov). The FSA Handbook does not cover the operation of software. For schools using software provided by the Department, there are technical references on FSA Partner Connect that explain how the software operates. Schools using third-party software should consult the vendor’s reference materials for technical guidance.
Below, we provide a summary of the significant changes and clarifications presented in greater detail in the chapters that follow. Alone the text herein does not provide schools with the guidance needed to satisfactorily administer the Title IV HEA programs. For more complete guidance, you should refer to the text in the chapters cited, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and the Higher Education Act (HEA) as amended.
Throughout Volume 6, we have amended the format and style to reduce the number of sidebars. The sidebar text has not disappeared, however; it has been incorporated into the body text of the chapter. The Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website has been replaced by the Knowledge Center. Hyperlinks to documents on IFAP throughout Volume 6 have been updated to links to the same documents, now hosted on the Knowledge Center.
Recent Changes
Here are some of the significant changes to Volume 6 for 2023-2024:
Chapter 1: Campus-Based Programs Common Elements
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Incorporated material from Volume 1, Chapter 5 on Campus-Based programs requirements and eligibility for religious orders
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Added and updated hyperlinks throughout chapter for regulatory citations and other references
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Updated FISAP process deadline dates
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Updated FISAP mailing addresses for manual signature
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FSEOG Emergency Aid Grants section revised with sunsetting guidance
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FWS CARES Act temporary transfer authority sunsetting described
Chapter 2: The Federal Work-Study Program
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Incoporated FWS guidance from Volume 1, Chapter 5
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Added and updated hyperlinks throughout chapter for regulatory citations and other references
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Updated guidance on pandemic-related waiver of FWS Community Service requirement
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Incorporated guidance on various aspects of awarding FWS from Volume 3, Chapter 6
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Updated guidance on CARES Act FWS flexibilities
Chapter 3: Participating in the Perkins Loan Program
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The new G6 system (which will replace the G5 system) will be implemented during the 2023-24 award year, further details to come later in the year
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Updated guidance on calculating distribution of assets and returning funds to the Department
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Added and updated hyperlinks throughout chapter for regulatory citations and other references
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Guidance on assigning Perkins Loans to the Department moved to Chapter 5 of Volume 6
Chapter 4: Perkins Repayment Plans, Forbearance, Deferment, Discharge, and Cancellation
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Added and updated hyperlinks throughout chapter for regulatory citations and other references
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Updated numbers for low-income individual definition (used to determined potential eligibility for extension of Perkins repayment period)
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Updated and expanded guidance on Perkins discharges for veterans and non-veterans
Chapter 5: Perkins Loan Billing, Collection, and Default
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Added and updated hyperlinks throughout chapter for regulatory citations and other references
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Updated DRAP program guidance
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Incorporated Perkins assignment guidance moved from Chapter 3
Chapter 6: The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program
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Chapter 6 is a new chapter added for 2023-24. It incorporates FSEOG guidance from Volume 6 and Volume 1, Chapter 5.
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Added and updated hyperlinks throughout for regulatory citations and other references
Comments? Questions?
We appreciate any comments that you have on Volume 6. We revise the text based on questions and feedback from the financial aid community, so please reach out to us about how to improve the Handbook through the “Contact Customer Support” feature in our Partner Connect’s Help Center, clicking on “FSA Handbook” under the Topic section.