DCLPublicationDate: 3/1/97 DCLID: CB-97-2 AwardYear: Summary: Information regarding your institution's final authorization letter for funding under the campus-based programs for the 1997-98 award year. MARCH 1997 CB-97-2 SUMMARY: Information regarding your institution's final authorization letter for funding under the campus-based programs for the 1997-98 award year. REFERENCE: The Student Financial Aid Handbook, Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8. Dear Financial Aid Administrator: Enclosed is your institution's final authorization letter for the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS) and/or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) programs for the award year July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998. We have also included the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Fiscal Officer copies and ask that you disseminate these documents to the appropriate offices. The federal funds available for the 1997-98 award year are as follows: Program Amount FWS $ 830,000,000 FSEOG $ 583,407,000 Federal Perkins Loan $ 158,000,000 Final 1997-98 funding levels have been determined in accordance with procedures contained in the: 1. Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); and 2. Regulations for the campus-based programs (34 CFR Part 674, 34 CFR Part 675, and 34 CFR Part 676). A copy of the final funding worksheet is provided for each program which shows the specific steps used to calculate the enclosed allocations. For a more detailed explanation of the procedures used, refer to the worksheet explanations booklet which accompanied the tentative 1997-98 funding levels sent to you in February. Allocation Reduction Due to Underutilization The HEA requires that if an institution returned more than 10 percent of its Federal Perkins Loan, FWS, or FSEOG program allocation for an award year (including funds returned as unexpended during our mid-year reallocation process and funds returned in the FISAP year-end expenditure report), the institution's allocation for that program will be reduced in the succeeding award year by the amount unexpended. The HEA authorized the Secretary to waive this reduction for an institution if enforcing the reduction would be contrary to the interest of the program. We advised all institutions of the waiver procedures and February 14 submission deadline in the Dear Financial Aid Administrator letter (SYS-97-1) that accompanied your institution's notification of 1997-98 tentative funding levels, and in the closing date notice published in the Federal Register on January 13, 1997. We have reviewed all waiver requests received and have mailed a separate letter to those institutions showing the Department's decision regarding their requests. Approved waivers are reflected by an increased authorization for that program in the enclosed funding worksheets and final authorization letter. There is a line item on each funding worksheet to reflect the increased authorizations for some institutions resulting from our redistribution of the national total of underutilization reductions for those institutions that either did not submit a waiver request or received a waiver denial. Federal funds for these programs will be posted into your institution's grantee account in the Department's Payment Management System (ED PMS) by July 1, 1997. Payments are to be withdrawn from your grantee account according to the procedures specified in your ED PMS Recipient's Guide. Of the $830,000,000 appropriated for the 1997-98 Federal Work- Study Program, $1,500,000 has been earmarked for Work College participation. An additional $13,000,000 will be allocated to institutions that graduate or transfer 50% or more of their Pell Grant recipients, as provided for in Section 442(a)(4) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. More information about this supplemental FWS allocation will be forwarded to institutions in the near future. Please note that $815,500,000 of the 1997-98 FWS appropriation has been allocated according to the standard procedure outlined in the final funding worksheet. If your institution participates in the Federal Perkins Loan Program, the level of expenditure shown in the enclosed letter represents the maximum amount the institution is authorized to expend from its loan fund for the 1997-98 award year. If your institution wants to request an increase in its approved level of expenditure for the 1997-98 award year, you may request a higher authorized level of expenditure by writing to the Area Case Director at the regional office which serves your state. An action to increase the authorized level of expenditure will not result in any increase to the Federal capital contribution allocation. If you have any questions regarding the enclosed 1997-98 funding levels, please direct them to the appropriate Campus-Based Programs Financial Management Specialist identified in the attached listing. Sincerely, Michele Selvage, Director Institutional Financial Management Division Enclosures INSTITUTIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION CAMPUS-BASED PROGRAMS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS Mrs. C. Franklin-Jones (202) 708-9183 AL, AK, AZ, CO, CT, DE, GA KY, RI, VT alternate - Carolyn Short Mrs. Rhonda Herbert (202) 708-9191 AR, DC, HI, TN, TX, VA, PI, GU alternate - Jim Porter Mr. Joseph Morris (202) 708-8745 ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, MO alternate - Alice Payne Ms. Dinah Nelson (202) 708-8759 FL, MS, OH, PA alternate - Vicki Roberson Mrs. Alice Payne (202) 708-9754 CA, SC alternate - Joseph Morris Mr. Jim Porter (202) 708-7752 NC, ND, OK, OR, SD, WA, WV, WI, WY alternate - Rhonda Herbert Ms. Vicki Roberson (202) 708-7747 LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT alternate - Dinah Nelson Ms. Carolyn Short (202) 708-9184 NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PR, UT, VI alternate - C. Franklin-Jones Financial Management Specialist Fax (202) 260-0522 (202) 401-0387 If ultimately you are unable to reach your Financial Management Specialist at the above telephone number, you may call the alternate identified below the name of your Financial Management Specialist or call (202) 708-7741. |