FAME has received additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) related to a student’s maximum time frame (MTF) of eligibility in an eligible program? The new guidance clarifies that students in a clock-hour program who withdraw from school and return to the same program after 180 days with no transfer hours (i.e., no prior hours earned accepted into the new enrollment) will be treated as a new student, similar to a new student in a new program. In other words, a student’s MTF will be based on the hours in the program the student is returning to, regardless of any previous hours completed prior to the withdrawal (greater than 180 days earlier).
An institution’s determination that a student has no transfer hours accepted into the program the student is returning to after 180 days should be based on the student’s past performance, and should be well documented. An institution may utilize this new guidance, or adopt a stricter policy.
For students who return to the same program after 180 days with transfer hours are to be processed according to the regulations applicable to a transfer student.
This material is presented for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered to be giving legal advice.
