Overview
A Scheduled Academic Year (SAY) Program uses standard academic terms (semesters, trimesters, or quarters) or it has nonstandard terms of substantially equal length (a program is considered to have substantially equal terms if no term in the program is more than two weeks of instructional time longer than any other term in the program). If using substantially equal nonstandard terms, those terms (including summer) must each be at least nine weeks in length. An additional term, such as a Summer term, can be included as an optional “header” (attached before the start of the SAY) or "trailer” (attached at the end of the SAY) extension to the SAY if the school has established a policy to define this treatment.
Different academic programs at an institution may have different academic year definitions, but the same academic year definition (such as 2 semesters or 3 quarters) must be used for all Title IV programs for students or learners in the same academic program. If using substantially equal nonstandard terms, those terms (including any optional summer term) must each be at least nine weeks in length.
A Direct Loan's Academic Year length (number of terms for awarding) is the same as the Pell academic year. However, the loan period can be extended to include the Summer Header or Trailer term if there is registration for that optional term, and Pell can be awarded for the additional term using the same Pell formula in place for the other terms in the SAY. All Direct Loans are scheduled evenly over the total number of eligible terms with half-time or greater registration in the loan period.
Registration in Summer Header Example: If the SAY program consists of 3 scheduled terms plus an optional fourth Summer 'header' term, and the student is registered for half-time or greater enrollment in all four terms in the SAY, the Direct Loan amount will be divided by 4 (the number of terms in the SAY plus the optional Summer term).
No Registration in Summer Header Example: If the SAY program consists of 3 scheduled terms plus an optional fourth Summer 'header' term, and the student is registered with half-time enrollment in all three scheduled terms but is not registered at least half-time for the Summer term, the Direct Loan amount will be divided by 3 (the number of terms in the scheduled SAY).
Pell awarding and disbursement for a SAY program will typically use one of the following Pell formulas: Pell Formula 1 (for standard terms with at least 30 weeks of instructional time in fall through spring terms) or Pell Formula 3 (any term-based program may use this formula for Pell calculations).
Pell Formula 1 Example: If the SAY program's academic year definition consists of 3 terms with an optional fourth Summer 'header', the annual scheduled Pell amount will be divided by 3 (the number of terms in the scheduled SAY) to get the amount for each term. If a student also has enrollment for the optional header term, a fourth term may still be eligible for Year-Round Pell from the same FAY using the same calculation (1/3 of the scheduled Pell award for the appropriate enrollment status). See Year Round Pell (YRP or 150% Pell).
Configuration
Program Type and Academic Year Definition
The Program Type and Academic Year are defined at the program level. Both are configurable on Program Setup Data Elements within Regent Award. The Academic Calendar Type should be set to "SAY - Federal Award Year Based" to indicate a program as a SAY program. The Academic Period Type determines if the program uses standard term semesters, trimesters, 3 quarters or four quarters. Note: A four-quarter SAY program (configuration setting Academic Period Type of "Quarter4") would not use an optional header or trailer terms. The Academic Year length, in units and weeks, includes all regular, scheduled terms in the SAY (does not include the optional header or trailer) and a SAY should be a minimum length of 24-semester credits and 30 weeks (or 36 quarter credits and 30 weeks) for undergraduate programs. The number of credits in a SAY can be defined separately by the institution for graduate study. The defined Academic Year configuration is used in the packaging process to establish the length of the SAY and for proration purposes.
Summer Header and Trailer Configuration
Regent Award controls optional header and trailer terms using configuration settings in Term Setup Data Elements. A "header" occurs before the start of the scheduled AY dates. A "trailer" occurs after the SAY AY dates. The SAY will only include an optional header/trailer term if the term's start and end dates contain at least one day within the SAY's FAY. For example, if an optional term starts July 5th the term may only be a SAY "header" term (before the start of the regular SAY Academic Year).
Is Header?
The 'Is Header?' configuration is available in Term Setup Data Elements and must be set to 'Yes' to define a term as an optional 'header' to the SAY within Regent Award.
If the "Is Header?" field is set to ‘Yes’, Regent Award will assume this term is an optional header term to the SAY. If the ‘Use for anticipation?’ configuration is also set to ‘Yes’, the term will only be included in the SAY until the term's configured ‘Begin Actual Date’ is reached. When a student is packaged on or after the Begin Actual date, if the student has no Actual enrollment in the optional header term, the optional term will no longer be included in the SAY.
Completes SAY?
Optional trailer terms are not marked as a Trailer in Term Setup Data Elements. Instead, schools may identify an optional Trailer term by configuring the term immediately prior to the Trailer term as the term that ends the SAY.
The 'Completes SAY?' configuration is available in Term Setup Data Elements and must be set to 'Yes' for the last non-optional term in the SAY. Regent will then define a subsequent term in the same FAY as an optional 'trailer' to the SAY within Regent Award.
If the "Completes SAY?" field is set to ‘Yes’, Regent Award will assume the configured term is a non-optional term that ends the regularly scheduled SAY dates, and a subsequent term within the FAY would be an optional trailer term. On the other hand, if "Completes SAY?" is set to ‘No’, and the ‘Use for anticipation?’ configuration is also set to ‘No,’ the term will only be included in the SAY until the ‘Begin Actual Date’ at which point if no Actual enrollment is received, the optional term will no longer be included in the SAY.
Use Cases
Use Case 1: SAY Optional Header Term is set to Anticipate
Preconditions:
SAY (36 wks; 3-terms): Fall, Winter, Spring with an optional Summer Header
Program Setup:
Academic Calendar Type = SAY - Federal Award Year Based
Academic Period Type = Standard Term Quarter
Academic Year Units = 36 and Weeks = 36
Term Setup:
Terms are configured for Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, etc.
Summer (optional Header)
Is Header = ‘Yes’ and Use for anticipation = ‘Yes’
Summer term is configured with the 'Begin Actual Date' = 10 days after the term start date
Fall and Winter terms within the SAY are both marked as Use for anticipation = 'Yes'
Spring – Use for anticipation = ‘Yes’ and Completes SAY = ‘Yes’
Basic Flow:
The student is sent on the SBL with the programStartDate = Summer term start date and does not have any registered courses.
The student is Batch Packaged or MAP'd.
The Academic Plan is created with the Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring terms included in the SAY.
The student does not register for any courses by the Begin Actual Date configured for the Summer term.
The student is packaged on or after the Summer term's Begin Actual date.
Post-Conditions:
The Academic Plan is repackaged with the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms in the SAY (no longer includes Summer).
Both Pell and Direct Loans are calculated as 1/3 of the full award each term (Fall, Winter, and Spring only).
Alternative Flow:
The student is sent on the SBL with the programStartDate during the Summer term and does have registered courses in Summer → the student is packaged → the Academic Plan is created with the Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring terms all included in the same SAY → Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual award each term (Summer, Fall, Winter, and additional 1/3 of the annual award as 150%-YRP in the Spring). Loans are at 1/4 of the total-AY amount each term (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring). Loan period contains Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring.
The student is sent on the SBL with the programStartDate during the Fall term, and no Summer enrollment → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms in the SAY (AY starts with Fall, does not include Summer). Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual award each term (Fall, Winter, Spring). Loans are at 1/3 of the total-AY amount each term (Fall, Winter, Spring). The loan period contains Fall, Winter, Spring.
The student is sent on the SBL with the programStartDate during the Winter term → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms in the SAY (AY starts with Fall, does not include Summer). Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual award each enrolled term (Winter, Spring). Loans are in each enrolled term (Winter, Spring only), with amounts dependent on the Fund Setup configuration for "Award Full Eligibility for Eligible Periods Only" (see Fund Setup Data Elements.) Loan period includes Fall, Winter, Spring.
The student is sent on the SBL with the programStartDate during the Spring term → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms in the SAY (AY starts with Fall, does not include Summer). Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual award each enrolled term (Spring only). Loans are in the enrolled term (Spring only), with amounts dependent on the Fund Setup configuration for "Award Full Eligibility for Eligible Periods Only" (see Fund Setup Data Elements.) Loan period includes Fall, Winter, Spring.
Use Case 2: SAY Optional Trailer Term is set to Anticipate
Preconditions:
SAY (36 wks; 3-terms): Fall, Winter, Spring with an optional Summer Trailer
Program Setup:
Academic Calendar Type = SAY - Federal Award Year Based
Academic Period Type = Standard Term Quarter
Academic Year Units = 36 and Weeks = 36
Term Setup:
Fall and Winter terms within the SAY are also marked as Use for anticipation = 'Yes'
Spring – Use for anticipation = ‘Yes’ and Completes SAY = ‘Yes’,
Summer (optional Trailer)
Use for anticipation = ‘Yes’ and “Is Header?” is not ‘Yes’
'Begin Actual Date' = 10 days after the Summer term's start date
Basic Flow:
The student is sent on the SBL with the programStartDate = Fall term start date and does not have any registered courses.
The student is packaged before the Fall term's Begin Actual date
The Academic Plan is created with the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms included in the SAY.
Pell is calculated at 1/3 of the normal annual Pell award in Fall, Winter, Spring, and 1/3 of the scheduled annual amount (150%/YRP) in the Summer
Loan amounts are calculated at 1/4 of the AY amount in each term (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)
Loan period contains Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
The student does not register for Summer courses by the Begin Actual Date configured for the Summer term.
The student is packaged on or after the Summer term's Begin Actual date.
Post-Conditions:
Per-term Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual Pell award each enrolled non-optional term (Fall, Winter, and Spring only).
Loans are awarded as 1/4 in each enrolled term (Fall, Winter, Spring only). Note: The remaining 1/4 of loan eligibility could not be awarded retroactively, due to required GEN13-13 truncation of the loan period to end with the Spring term.
Loan AY dates include Fall, Winter, Spring only.
Alternative Flows:
The student is sent on the SBL where the programStartDate is during the Winter term before the Summer Begin Actual date → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms in the SAY. Per-term Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual Pell award each enrolled non-optional term (Winter and Spring only) and the additional remaining 1/3 of the regular Pell award (not YRP) in the Summer term. Loans are awarded in each enrolled term (Winter, Spring, Summer), with the loan amount depending on the Fund Setup configuration for "Award Full Eligibility for Eligible Periods Only." Loan AY dates include Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.
The student is sent on the SBL where the programStartDate is during the Spring term before the Summer Begin Actual date → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms in the SAY. Per-term Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual Pell regular award each enrolled term (Spring and Summer, not YRP). Loans are awarded in each enrolled term only (Spring and Summer), with the loan amount depending on the Fund Setup configuration for "Award Full Eligibility for Eligible Periods Only." Loan AY dates include Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.
The student is sent on the SBL where the programStartDate is during the Summer term before the Summer Begin Actual date → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms in the SAY. Per-term Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual Pell regular award for the enrolled term (Summer only, not YRP). Loans are awarded in the single anticipated term (Summer only), with the loan amount depending on the Fund Setup configuration for "Award Full Eligibility for Eligible Periods Only." Loan AY dates include Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.
The student is sent on the SBL where the programStartDate is during the Summer term and Summer enrollment, after the Summer Begin Actual date → The Academic Plan is initially created with the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms in the SAY. Per-term Pell is calculated as 1/3 of the annual Pell regular award for the enrolled term (Summer only, not YRP). Loans are awarded in the single enrolled term (Summer only), with the loan amount depending on the Fund Setup configuration for "Award Full Eligibility for Eligible Periods Only." Loan AY dates include Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.
The student is sent on the SBL where the programStartDate is during the Summer term but without any actual Summer registration, after the Summer Begin Actual date → The Academic Plan is created starting with the next SAY's anticipated term (e.g., Fall of the next SAY). No awards are created for the non-enrolled Summer term.
ED Guidance
"For schools that track annual loan limits using a Scheduled Academic Year, it is very important that schools only include a summer term in a Direct Loan’s academic year if: (1) the student actually is receiving loan funds for the summer; or (2) the summer term is a 'required' term at the school. "[December 20, 2013; IFAP FAQ: https://ifap.ed.gov/150PercentDirectSubsidizedLoanLimitInfo/FAQ.html#SUP-Q5].
"A summer term that is treated as header or trailer to a scheduled academic year must not be included in the academic year dates unless the student will actually be receiving a Direct Loan for the summer." [GEN13-13]
Although a school may have different academic years for different programs, it must use the same academic year definition for all FSA awards for students enrolled in a particular program, and for all other FSA program purposes. (2019-2020 FSAH, page 3-6).