{"data":{"id":"us/34-cfr-690.2","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"34 CFR 690.2","heading":"Definitions.","body":"(a) The following definitions are contained in the regulations for Institutional Eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 34 CFR part 600:\nAward year\nClock hour\nCorrespondence course\nCredit hour\nSecretary\nState\n(b) The following definitions are contained in subpart A of the Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668:\nAcademic year\nDependent student\nEligible program\nEnrolled\nExpected family contribution\nFederal Pell Grant Program\nFederal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program\nFederal Work-Study Program\nFull-time student\nHalf-time student\nHEA\nIndependent student\nInstitutional student information record (ISIR)\nParent\nPayment period\nStudent aid report (SAR)\nTeacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program\nTEACH Grant\nThree-quarter-time student\nUndergraduate student\nValid institutional student information record (valid ISIR)\nValid student aid report (valid SAR)\nWilliam D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program\n(c) Other terms used in this part are:\nAnnual award: The Federal Pell Grant award amount a full-time student would receive under the Payment Schedule for a full academic year in an award year, and the amount a three-quarter-time, half-time, and less-than-half-time student would receive under the appropriate Disbursement Schedule for being enrolled in that enrollment status for a full academic year in an award year.\nCentral processor: An organization under contract with the Secretary that calculates an applicant's expected family contribution based on the applicant's application information, transmits an ISIR to each institution designated by the applicant, and submits reports to the Secretary on the correctness of its computations of the expected family contribution amounts and the accuracy of the answers to questions on application forms for the previous award year cycle.\nDisbursement Schedule: A table showing the annual awards that three-quarter, half-time, and less-than-half-time students at term-based institutions using credit hours would receive for an academic year. This table is published annually by the Secretary and is based on—\n(1) A student's expected family contribution, as determined in accordance with title IV, part F of the HEA; and\n(2) A student's attendance costs as defined in title IV, part F of the HEA.\n(3) The amount of funds available for making Federal Pell Grants.\nElectronic Data Exchange: An electronic exchange system between the central processor and an institution under which—\n(1) A student is able to transmit his or her application information to the central processor through his or her institution and an ISIR is transmitted back to the institution;\n(2) A student through his or her institution is able to transmit any changes in application information to the central processor; and\n(3) An institution is able to receive an ISIR from the central processor for a student.\nEligible student: An eligible student as described in 34 CFR part 668, subpart C.\nEligible workforce program: A program as defined under § 690.92.\nEnrollment status: Full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time depending on a student's credit-hour work load per academic term at an institution using semesters, trimesters, quarters, or other academic terms and measuring progress by credit hours.\nInstitution of higher education (Institution). An institution of higher education, or a proprietary institution of higher education, or a postsecondary vocational institution as defined in 34 CFR part 600.\nPayment Data: An electronic record that is provided to the Secretary by an institution showing student disbursement information.\nPayment Schedule: A table showing a full-time student's Scheduled Federal Pell Grant for an academic year. This table, published annually by the Secretary, is based on—\n(1) The student's EFC; and\n(2) The student's cost of attendance as defined in part F of title IV of the HEA.\nScheduled Federal Pell Grant: The amount of a Federal Pell Grant which would be paid to a full-time student for a full academic year.","path":["Title 34—Education","Subtitle B—Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education","CHAPTER VI—OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION","PART 690—FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM","Subpart A—Scope, Purpose and General Definitions"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-34.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:40Z","sha256":"d0d36c52a5fcf15499f3e9175faf0811b31dac8a29f7615e09546837bcfdb2ff","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/34-cfr-690.1","next":"us/34-cfr-690.3-690.4"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}