Student Financial Services

Student Financial Services

Title IV Loans Code of Conduct

The Higher Education Opportunity Act conditions the eligibility of educational institutions to participate in Title IV programs on the development of and compliance with a code of conduct prohibiting conflicts of interest for its financial aid personnel [HEOA § 487(a)(25)]. Frank Phillips College (FPC) officers, employees and agents are required to comply with this code of conduct.

1. Neither FPC as an institution nor any individual officer, employee or agent shall enter into any revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender.
2. No officer or employee of FPC who is employed in the financial aid office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or any of their family members, shall solicit or accept any gift from a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans. For purposes of this prohibition, the term “gift” means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, or other item having a monetary value of more than a de minimums amount; includes a gift of services, transportation, lodging, or meals, whether provided in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred. The following are not considered gifts:
   • Standard material, activities, or programs related to a loan, default aversion, default prevention, or financial literacy, such as a brochure, a workshop, or training.
   • Food, refreshments, training, or informational material furnished to an officer or employee of an institution, or to an agent, as an integral part of a training session that is designed to improve the service of a lender, guarantor, or servicer of education loans to the institution, if such training contributes to the professional development of the officer, employee, or agent.
   • Favorable terms, conditions, and borrower benefits on an education loan provided to a student employed by the institution if such terms, conditions, or benefits are comparable to those provided to all students of the institution.
   • Entrance and exit counseling services provided to borrowers to meet the institution’s responsibilities for entrance and exit counseling as required by the HEA as long as the institution’s staff are in control of the counseling and specific lender’s products and services are not promoted.
   • Philanthropic contributions to an institution from a lender, servicer, or guarantor of education loans that are unrelated to education loans or any contribution from any lender, guarantor, or servicer that is not made in exchange for any advantage related to education loans.
   • State education grants, scholarships, or financial aid funds administered by or on behalf of a State.
3. An officer or employee of FPC who is employed in the financial aid office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or an agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, shall not accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment, or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
4. FPC shall not:
   • for any first-time borrower, assign, through award packaging or other methods, the borrower’s loan to a particular lender; or
   • refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.
5. FPC shall not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds to be used for private education loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promises regarding providing the lender with:
   • a specified number of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under Title IV;
   • a specified loan volume of such loans; or
   • a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.
6. FPC shall not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.
7. Any employee who is employed in the financial aid office, or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans or other student financial aid, and who serves on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, shall be prohibited from receiving anything of value from the lender, guarantor, or group of lenders or guarantors, except that the employee may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in serving on such advisory board, commission, or group.

 2026-27 Disbursement and Stipend Schedule

Student financial aid (scholarships, grants and loans) is posted on the date received during the term (no earlier than the first day of class).  After the student has received their financial aid, any credit on the student's account is provided to the student as a stipend.  Stipend dates are outlined below.

For stipend information or to set up automatic deposit, please contact the Business Office on the 2nd floor of the Library (806) 457-4200.

Term and Stipend Date

Fall 2026 - September 17, 2026

Fall 2026 First 8-week - September 17, 2026

Fall 2026 Second 8-week - October 29, 2026               

Spring 2027 - February 11, 2027

Spring 2027 First 8-week - February 11, 2027

Spring 2027 Second 8-week - April 1, 2027               

Summer 2027 Long - June 17, 2027

Summer 1 2027 - June 17, 2027

Summer 2 2027 - July 22, 2027

Frank Phillips College makes every effort to maintain the published disbursement schedule; however, it is subject to change.        

*Post Date: The date student financial aid is applied to the student's account for the term.

*Stipend Date: The date a student's stipend is processed (EFT or mailed check) if student has a credit balance on their account ledger. Stipends are either direct deposited or mailed to the student’s address.

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law, resulting in significant changes to federal student aid programs. An overview of the changes and their effective dates is provided below.  Last Updated: July 28, 2026

Loan Reductions for Less-Than-Full-Time Students Effective for the 2026-27 Award Year

Federal student loan amounts must be reduced based on the number of credits a student attends. If a student does not attend full-time, they are not eligible for the full annual loan limit. Loan amounts will be reduced in direct proportion to the percent of full-time status the student is enrolled in (i.e., if a student attends half-time, they can only receive half of the annual loan amount).  Half-time enrollment is still required for all federal student loans.

New Federal Student Loan Limits – Effective for New Borrowers after July 1, 2026

Undergraduate loan limits – annual and aggregate – remain the same. More information on loan limits by grade level and dependency status is available Loan Amount Limits.

Federal Pell Grant Ineligibility Due to Receipt of Non-Federal Assistance - Effective July 1, 2026

Students whose entire cost of attendance is covered by grants or scholarships from non-federal sources may be ineligible for a Pell Grant, even if they are otherwise eligible for the program. The eligibility will be determined by Student Financial Services at the timing of disbursement.

Changes to Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans - Effective July 1, 2026

Borrowers with new loans made on/after July 1, 2026, can be repaid only using the new plans, and all loans must be on the same plan. Current borrowers with no new loans may continue in an existing plan or switch to one of the new plans.

Return of Title IV Funds

Official and Unofficial Withdrawals

Policy

• The Return of Title IV Funds Official and Unofficial Withdrawals Policy applies to all programs at Frank Phillips College.
• Beginning May 11, 2023, there are no longer flexibilities for relief for students who withdrew due to COVID-19. Institutions may not use the Coronavirus Indicator for withdrawals from payment periods or periods of enrollment which begin after May 11.
• When a recipient of Title IV grant or loan assistance withdraws from an institution during a period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must determine the amount of Title IV assistance earned by the student as of the student’s withdrawal date.
• If the total amount of Title IV assistance earned by the student is less than the amount that was disbursed to the student or on his or her behalf as of the date of the  determination that the student withdrew, the difference must be returned to the Title IV programs and no additional disbursements may be made to the student for the period of enrollment.
• If the amount the student earned is more than the amount disbursed, the difference between the amounts must be treated as a post-withdrawal disbursement.
• Frank Phillips College is not required to take attendance. Therefore, the student’s last date of school-documented attendance (LDA) at an academically related activity may be used as the student’s withdrawal date.
  • If attendance cannot be documented, the student was never eligible for student financial aid to begin with.
  • Calendar dates prior to school holidays will be used as withdrawal date should a student withdrawal on a school holiday consisting of a five-day break.
  • For students who never attended and do not provide school-documented attendance at an academically related event, the student is treated as never attended and 100% of all funds are returned.
  • For students who unofficially withdrawal, a student earns 100% if LDA is after the completion of more than 60% of the calendar days in the payment period; otherwise, the percentage earned by the student is equal to the percentage (60% or less) of the payment period as of the students LDA – CFR 668.22(e)

• Scheduled breaks of at least five (5) consecutive days are excluded from the total number of calendar days in a period of enrollment and the number of calendar days completed in that period.
• Returns of Title IV funds are required to be deposited from or transferred to the student financial aid account, and the electronic fund transfer must be initiated to the U.S. Department of Education as soon as possible, but no later than 45 calendar days after the date the institution determines that the student withdrew.
• Summer term processing will be representative of modular programs based on the FSA Handbook
• Regardless of the last date of attendance, a R2T4 calculation must be completed and documented for each student withdrawal (official and unofficial). Student Financial Services can receive information that a student has withdrawn from several sources:
• Date student intended to withdrawal from the Registrar
• A college office notifies the Student Financial Services the student has requested a withdrawal for a specific term
• Student Financial Services is notified a student has withdrawn

• If a student withdraws during a term, all aid for upcoming terms in the aid period is cancelled even if funds have already been disbursed. The student will need to contact Student Financial Services to have aid re-offered. Reinstatement of aid is subject to availability of funds at the time requested.

• For students with a consortium agreement, courses taken at a home and host institution encompass all courses enrolled for a period of enrollment.
• The amount of earned Title IV grant or loan assistance is calculated by determining the percentage of Title IV grant or loan assistance that the student has earned and applying that percentage to the total amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance that was or could have been disbursed to the student for the payment period or period of enrollment as of the student’s withdrawal date.
  • A student earns 100 percent of student financial aid if his or her withdrawal date is after the completion of 60 percent of the period of enrollment.
  • The unearned amount of Title IV assistance to be returned is calculated by subtracting the amount of Title IV assistance the student earned from the amount of Title IV assistance that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution’s determination that the student withdrew.

• • Unearned funds are returned in the following order: Code of Federal Regulations / Title 34 - Education / Vol. 3 / 2012-07-01522
    • Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans
    • Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford loans
    • Remaining Funds
    • If unearned funds remain to be returned after repayment of all outstanding loan amounts, return of funds is required in the following order:

• • • • Federal Pell Grants
      • Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grants
      • FSEOG

• Institutional charges are used in calculating the amount for the institution and the student to each return.
  • “Institutional charges” include tuition, fees, housing, and meals (if the student contracts with the institution for the housing and meals) and other educationally related expenses assessed by the institution.
  • If a student drops a course(s) prior to census and receives a 100% refund for the course(s), institutional charges will be calculated as of the date the course(s) were dropped.
  • For students with a consortium agreement, institutional charges for both the home school and host school will be used in calculating the amount for the institution and the student to return.

• Exit counseling requirements are sent to student borrower which includes a PDF link - https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/exit-counseling.pdf.
• College policy states departments are only allowed to use FPC Email address for email communication. 

• Frank Phillips College exercised early implementation and the conditions for such related to the final rule effective July 1, 2021. (Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 668)
• Frank Phillips College exercised early implementation for R2T4 regulations related to the final rule effective July 1, 2026, in which schools are exempt from performing an R2T4 calculation if students never began attendance, return all Title IV aid, refund institutional charges for the payment period or period of enrollment and write off any balance.

R2TIV Calculation Calendar

Prior to the beginning of academic year, Student Financial Services will set the term dates on the COD Online R2T4 calculation calendar for FPC.  The dates used in the R2T4 calculation will be determined by referencing the published academic calendar.

• Utilize the published academic calendars
  • The payment period start date is the first class day for each term.
  • The payment period end date is the last day of finals for each term.
• Any scheduled breaks of five (5) or more days during a respective term must be entered on the term calendar in the R2T4 software
• In determining the 60% dates, the last date of attendance for the term must be greater than 60%.  Always round the partial day up to the next date.

Example:

• 101 days in the term.  101*.60 = 60.5 is the 60% date.  Students would have had to attend at least 61 days to be past the 60% point of the term.

Institutional Charges

• The items to be included in the Institutional Charges for the period of enrollment are:
  • Tuition and fee charges (based on official enrollment for term and hours of enrollment that aid was disbursed) include:
    • Tuition
    • Mandatory Fees
    • Course Fees
    • Special Instruction Fees
    • Do not include any other fees (i.e., SHS Physician Fees, Parking Permits, Library Fines, etc.)
    • If the student receives a waiver for part or all of the fees in the respective term, the tuition and fee charges would be before any waivers.
  • If the student resides on campus, the actual Residence, Meal and Tax charges assessed should be included in Institutional Charges.
• Institutional Charges Exclusions: (Review list at the beginning of each aid year and document – add to operations calendar.)
  • Deferred initial deposit charge
  • Parking charges
  • Orientation fees
  • Late payment charge
  • Student refunds
  • Meal plans (if student does not live on campus)
  • Commuter tax
  • Commuter Ops fee
  • ID Card Replacement Fee
  • Emergency Payment Plan Fee
  • Class Ring Savings Plan
  • Book Loans
  • Housing Lock change
  • Housing Damage Fee
  • Student Insurance Premiums
  • Application fees
  • Property Damage Fees
  • Non-Title IV eligible course
    • If a charge may not be included in a student’s COA, it may not be covered with Title IV aid (PADR and TSI)

Unofficial Withdrawals

• Unofficial withdrawals are administered to students who earn all Fs or who did not successfully complete any of their courses in a given semester.

• If a student who began attendance, and has not officially withdrawn, fails to earn a passing grade in at least one course offered over an entire period (semester), the institution must assume, for Title IV purposes, the student has unofficially withdrawn, unless the institution can document the student completed the period.
  • A student begins earning Title IV funds on his or her first day of attendance.

• If a student did not begin the official withdrawal process or provide notification of his or her intent to withdraw, the date of the institution’s determination that the student withdrew would be the date that the school becomes aware that the student ceased attendance. (34 CFR 668.22(l)(2)

• All courses taken for a grade are reviewed for academic activity
• For purposes of determining the last day during the period of enrollment, the last date of finals is utilized.
• An institution must determine the withdrawal date for a student who withdraws without providing notification to the institution no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the earlier of the period of enrollment – last date of finals.

• For each semester, prepare the following timeline:
  • Last date of classes
  • Last date of finals
  • Last date grades due to Registrar
  • All Fs administered
  • Last date students could submit paperwork (must be within 30 calendar days of the date the institution determined that the student withdrew). 
    • College must give students 14 calendar days to turn in documents.
  • Last date all funds have to be returned.
    • College has 45 calendar days from the date the institution determined that the student withdrew to return any funds.
  • On date All Fs are administered, paper letters as well as electronic letters are sent to students requesting information to be provided showing dated documentation from the semester in question showing course attendance through at least 60% of the semester.  If a student completed the term, completed their final exam or project, or completed equivalent of final, the last date of the term.
  • Examples of appropriate documentation include copies of syllabi and dated exams, graded papers, or letter, fax, or email from professor to individual student.
  • All withdrawals require a documented return calculation.
• Documentation showing attendance/academic engagement in a course must be received within 30 calendar days of the date of finals for a given term.  The school, not the student, must document the student’s active participation in an instructional activity related to the student’s course of study.
  • Academic engagement activities include but are not limited to:
    • Attending a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students;
    • Submitting an academic assignment;
    • Taking an assessment or an exam;
    • Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction;
    • Participating in a study group, group project, or online discussion that is assigned by the institution; or
    • Interacting with an instructor about academic matters.
  • Academic engagement does not include, for example:
    • Living in institutional housing;
    • Participating in the institution’s meal plan;
    • Logging into an online class or tutorial WITHOUT active participation; or
    • Participating in academic counseling or advisement.
• If documentation is not received by the printed deadline (30 calendar days), the last date of attendance/academic engagement activity entered by the instructor/professor under Course Attendance in Anthology for all enrolled courses that term will be used in the R2TIV calculation to determine the amount of federal financial aid to be returned for the respective fund. 

• • Exit counseling hold put on student

FINANCIAL AID DISPLACEMENT

Frank Phillips College Requirements TEC Section 56.0094(c)

How to Apply for Gift Aid at Frank Phillips College

In general, the eligibility requirements listed below are the same for all programs. A student must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
• Be a high school graduate or have a GED certificate.
• Show documented financial need.
• Be enrolled in an eligible program offered by Frank Phillips College.
• Be working toward a degree or certificate.
• Be maintaining satisfactory progress and good standing in your course of study.
• Be enrolled or plan to enroll in at least one semester credit hour for Federal Pell Grant eligibility and at least six semester credit hours for Federal Direct Loan eligibility.
• Not be in default on a federal student loan.

U.S. Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens

Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online: FAFSA Application. 

Texas Residents who are not Eligible to Apply for Federal Financial Aid

To determine eligibility for applicants who do not qualify for federal aid, visit the Texas Application for State Financial Aid.

Timeline for Financial Aid Processes

• The state priority date is January 15th of the application year.
• The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on June 30th of the application year.
• Once the application is received and is complete, it will take approximately 5-10 business days for your FAFSA application to be processed into the system.

Recommendations for Maximizing Gift Aid Awards

• Apply Early - Submit your FAFSA as soon as possible to be considered for limited funds, such as state and college-specific scholarships.
• Financial aid eligibility is determined with the assumption of your attendance at Frank Phillips College for the entire period for which financial aid is offered.
• Enrollment status for financial aid purposes may or may not match enrollment status as defined by the Registrar. Examples of this may include previously passed coursework being repeated or courses that do not count towards your degree plan/program of study.
• Most types of financial aid require at least half-time attendance in a degree-seeking program.
  Cost of attendance used to determine your financial aid eligibility assumes full-time enrollment for the fall and spring semesters.
• Federal regulations specify that a student may receive federal aid for only one repetition of a previously passed (grade of “D” or higher) course. Evaluation of federal financial aid eligibility for repeated courses is conducted each semester.
• Withdrawing from Frank Phillips College after the semester begins may result in a requirement to repay financial aid funds to the college.
• Earning a grade of “F” in all registered courses in a semester may result in a requirement to repay financial aid funds to the college.

Recommendations for Prospective Students to Ensure Gift Aid will not be Reduced

• Be informed about the institution before enrolling.
• Complete all forms accurately and submit them on time.
• Read and understand forms they are asked to sign.
• Know and comply with deadlines.
• Report all changes in address, telephone number, name, grants, scholarships, and school status to the Student Financial Services Office.
• Accept responsibility for all signed agreements.

Contact Information for Students Regarding Gift Aid:  SFS@fpctx.edu

Financial Aid Displacement Advisory Requirements TEC Section 56.0094(b)

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Financial Aid Displacement Advisory

Verification/File Review

Policy and Procedure

Purpose

Frank Phillips College has processes in place to ensure financial aid applicants meet all the required student and program eligibility requirements for the financial aid they are offered.

Verification is the process schools use to review a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for accuracy. This is done by collecting and comparing documents used to complete the FAFSA. The federal government selects applicants for the verification process.

File Review is the process schools use to confirm eligibility for aid based on database matches, reject and C-Codes, and other comment codes, edits, or flags which affect a student’s eligibility for Title IV Aid. The financial aid administrator also reviews a student’s file for need analysis data elements not included in the federally required verification process, but designated as necessary verification data elements by the school. Schools must also review subsequent Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) for changes that may affect the applicant’s aid eligibility.

The process of verification is separate from the requirement to resolve conflicting information. Discrepancies in a student's aid application or eligibility must be resolved before aid can be disbursed, regardless of existing verification policies.  The process of verification is also separate from the requirement to document certain application items.  For example, any FAFSA information the financial aid administrator believes to be inaccurate or to be conflicting information in addition to resolution should be documented.

Schools must verify all FAFSAs selected by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS).   Frank Phillips College reserves the right to verify any FAFSA not selected by FPS for verification.  Refer any instance of suspected fraud or criminal conduct by an applicant to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Education or to the state or local authorities.

Assistant Inspector General for Investigations
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-1500

Phone:  800-647-8733

Online Complaints: https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/

Each award year, the Secretary will publish in the Federal Register a notice announcing the FAFSA Information that an institution will be required to verify.

Only applications selected by FPS of students who will receive or who have received subsidized student financial assistance (Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study and Federal Direct Subsidized Loan) will be verified.

Policy

Federal Verification Requirements and Exclusions
Applicants who must be verified include the following:

• Applicants who go through a federally approved need analysis system and are selected by the edits
• Applicants for whom the institution has inconsistent data and/or who are selected by institutional criteria
  • Verification Exclusions
• Deceased applicants (regardless of conflicting data)
• Non-Title IV recipients
• Applicant verified at another school
  • The student completed verification for the current award year at another school before transferring. The FAFSA data must be the same as it was at the previous school, and we must get a letter from that school stating that it verified the student’s application and must provide the transaction number of the pertinent valid
• Post enrollment
  • The student was selected for verification after ceasing to be enrolled at your school and all (including late) disbursements were
• The applicant is eligible to receive only unsubsidized student financial assistance
  • However, students selected for V4 or V5 should complete verification
• For all dependent students
  • Parents’ address is unknown and cannot be obtained by the student
  • Parents are deceased or physically incapacitated
  • Parents reside in a country other than the United States and cannot be contacted by normal means
• For all independent students
  • Spouse’s address is unknown and cannot be obtained by student
  • Spouse is deceased or physically incapacitated
  • Spouse resides in a country other than the United States and cannot be contacted by normal means

Except in the case of the student’s death, none of the exemptions excuse Frank Phillips College from the requirement to resolve conflicting information.

Selection of Applications to be Verified
Only applications selected by FPS of students who will receive or who have received subsidized student financial assistance (Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study and Federal Direct Subsidized Loan) will be verified.

Verification is not required for students who are only eligible for unsubsidized student financial assistance (TEACH Grant, IASG, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and Federal Direct PLUS Loan programs).

Completion of Verification Prior to Professional Judgment Adjustment (34 CFR 68.53)

• Verification must be completed for an application prior to exercising professional judgment authority to calculate a student’s SAI.
• A professional judgment does not require the school to verify an application not selected for verification.

Conflicting Information
Frank Phillips College has adequate internal systems to identify conflicting information that affects a student’s eligibility, such as information from the admissions office as to whether the student has a high school diploma or information from other offices regarding academic progress enrollment status. The school resolves all conflicting information, except when the student dies during the award year or when he or she is no longer enrolled and will not re-enroll. If the student later enrolls, the College is again obligated to resolve conflicting information.

Frank Phillips College does not disburse aid until conflicting information is resolved.  Conflicting information includes, but is not limited to:

• Discrepancies between the wages reported on the ISIR versus wages on the Tax Return Transcript.
• Marital status conflicts between tax documents and the marital status reported on the FAFSA.
• Household size conflicts where individuals appear to be omitted from the household based on data reported on the FAFSA, such as reporting the student is married or has dependent children but omits a spouse or children from the worksheet.
• Tax filing discrepancies and errors in the tax filing status or exemptions claimed.
• High school listed on FAFSA does not match high school reported to Admissions Office.
• Last name on FAFSA does not match last name on government issued ID.

Subsequent ISIRs
Frank Phillips College reviews all subsequent transactions for a student for the entire processing year even on verified transactions. An exception to this requirement is if a later transaction comes in after the student is no longer enrolled at the institution.

Verification Tolerance and Corrections 
For subsidized programs (Pell, SEOG, FWS, Sub loan, Perkins) all changes resulting from verification must be submitted to FPS if change is to: any non-dollar item or a single dollar item of $25 or more. If required to submit one change, must submit all changes.

Verification after Enrollment Ends 
If corrections increase the amount of a student’s Pell Grant and valid ISIR is received after the student is no longer enrolled, but before the annual Federal Register deadline, the school must pay the student the higher award amount (no longer limited to the lesser Pell).

Marital Status Changes
Frank Phillips College may elect to update a FAFSA due to a change in the applicant's marital status if the update more accurately reflects the applicant’s ability to pay and the student is selected for verification or marital status change results in dependency status change.

Homeless Youth Determination
A student is eligible for homeless youth status if he/she meets the homeless definition and was determined to be homeless by his/her high school or school district homeless liaison, the director of a runaway or homeless youth center, or HUD.  Students who meet this criteria are independent. *Supporting documentation may be required by the school.

To be considered an unaccompanied homeless youth on the FAFSA^® form, an individual must be a youth who is (1) unaccompanied and homeless or (2) unaccompanied, self-supporting, and at risk of being homeless. Outlined below are some initial terms that support a homeless youth determination, as defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento) (42 U.S.C. 11434a). Note that the last two definitions do not appear in McKinney-Vento. Also, institutions should refer to Chapter 5, “Special Cases,” of the Application and Verification Guide in the Federal Student Aid Handbook for additional components of the definition for homeless children and youths.

• Unaccompanied—when a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian
• Homeless—lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing
• At risk of being homeless—when a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate, for example, a student who is being evicted or has been asked to leave their current residence and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing
• Self-supporting—when a student pays for his or her own living expenses, which includes paying for fixed, regular, and adequate housing

Regardless of their age, applicants who are unaccompanied and homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, qualify for a homeless youth determination and will be considered independent students on the FAFSA^® form.

Acceptable Documentation and Forms 
The Secretary publishes in the Federal Register a notice announcing the FAFSA information that an institution and an applicant may be required to verify, as well as the acceptable documentation for verifying FAFSA information each year.

Discrepant Tax Data
Financial aid administrators do not need to be tax experts, yet there are some issues that even a layperson with basic tax law information can evaluate. Because conflicting data often involve such information, FAAs must have a fundamental understanding of relevant tax issues that can considerably affect the need analysis. Financial Aid staff  are obligated to know (1) whether a person was required to file a tax return and (2) what the correct filing status for a person should be. The IRS’s online Interactive Tax Assistant is a useful tool that can help with these and other issues by walking the user through a series of questions.

IRS Publication 17 is a useful resource.

For example, an FAA who notices that a dependent student’s parents, who are married and live together, have each filed as head of household (which offers a greater tax deduction than filing as single or married) must ask if that is the right status. Publication 17 explains the criteria a person must meet to file as head of household. Resolution of the conflict could be the parents refiling and submitting a copy of the amended return or a reasonable explanation of why there really is no conflict under IRS rules.

Marital and Tax Filing Status
Certain comment codes indicate a possible error when the filing status and marital status do not match. This is not considered to be conflicting information subject to the resolution requirements of 34 CFR 668.16(f), but staff are encouraged to review the application for mistakes when these comments appear. Note that the FAFSA’s use of prior-prior year tax data can increase the number of these comment codes. For additional information, (Verification) Subject: Resolving Marital Status and Tax Filing Status Inconsistencies

Rejected ISIRs, C Codes and ISIR Comment Codes
Frank Phillips College monitors rejected ISIRs, C Codes, and ISIR Comment Codes.

• C Codes occur when the applicant may have a situation that requires some type of confirmation or documentation before processing can continue.  If the FPS was unable to make a satisfactory match with available resources, a "C" will appear by the student's SAI on the FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS).  A comment explaining the flag (C) will be in Section I of the FSS.

If an ISIR contains a C Code, the C Code and message are indicated on the student’s record in Anthology.  If a C Code appears after a student has been packaged, the C Code holds up disbursement of financial aid until it is resolved.

Pell Grant
Pay Pell on the correct SAI after verification.  If corrections increase the amount of a student’s Federal Pell Grant and a valid ISIR/FSS is received after the student is no longer enrolled by the annual Federal Register deadline, the school must pay the student the higher award amount.

Interim Disbursements and Loan Certification Prior to Completion of Verification
It is the policy of the Student Financial Services at Frank Phillips College not to disburse any monies or certify any loans until verification has been completed.

Processing Required Corrections
If it is determined through the process of verification that the application must be reprocessed, corrections will be made through FPS. Once the corrected ISIR has been received, eligibility for aid will be determined and aid awarded accordingly.

Student Initiated Corrections
Any student-initiated corrections after the original ISIR is received (even if selected for verification), will have to be self-identified by the student. *Student initiated corrections are not automatically loaded by the school.

Verification Tracking Groups and Information Required to be Verified
Students who are selected for verification are placed in one of the following groups to determine which FAFSA information must be verified.

**The Identity/Statement of Educational must be signed IN PERSON in front of an Institution Official or in front of a Notary Public. (See published COVID exceptions)

Changing Tracking Groups

• A student may move from tracking group V1 or V4 to group V5 based on corrections made to his or her FPS record.
• If verification was already completed for the V1 or V4 group, the students is only required to verify the V5 information not already verified.
• If verification was not completed for the V1 or V5 group, all V5 information will need to be verified.
• No disbursements may be made until the V5 verification is satisfactorily completed. 

Reporting Results for Groups V4 and V5
The policy and procedure associated with reporting results for Groups V4 and V5, Reporting Verification Results Using FAA Access to FPS Online, is located in the following shared folder:  I:\Policies and Procedures\Reporting Verification Results Using FAA Access to FPS Online

Verification Deadlines
Applicants selected for verification will be required to submit documentation to Student Financial Services in support of the data supplied by the FAFSA and required by the Department of Education as published in the Federal Register for each academic year.

The financial aid office will notify selected applicants of the documentation needed to complete the verification process via the applicant’s official FPC Email as well as through the Plainsmen Portal.

All information required to complete the verification process or to resolve conflicting data must be submitted by the applicant’s last day of attendance for the award year being verified.  If all information is not received by this deadline, the applicant forfeits all rights to any aid for which the applicant would be otherwise eligible for the award year.

Applicant Correction and Notification Procedures
Student Financial Services will electronically submit to the FAFSA Processor (FPS) corrections to FAFSA data resulting from verification.  FPS will then send notification of these changes to the applicant as notification of these corrections. Applicant will be notified of award changes resulting from verification by the receipt of an updated award notification from the financial aid office via the applicant’s FPC Email as well as through the Plainsmen Portal.

Overpayments, Fraud, and Abuse
If corrections resulting from the verification process decrease an applicant’s award and create an overpayment situation, Student Financial Services will adjust the award accordingly, and the Business Office will send notification of this situation to the applicant and attempt to collect the overpayment.  Award amounts are returned to the Department of Education by the Student Financial Services and the student is billed by the Business Office.

Student Financial Services will report to the Office of Inspector General (1-800-MIS-USED or https://oig.ed.gov/oig-hotline) all instances of suspected fraud where a financial aid applicant, employee, or other individual has misreported and/or altered documentation for the purpose of increasing aid eligibility or fraudulently obtaining federal funds.

Voter registration forms and information is provided to students annually in conjunction with Constitution Day and administered by the Frank Phillips College Student Government Association.  General election information and voter information is available through Hutchinson County Election Information.