For Students Receiving Financial Assistance From IDEA Training Grants For Master’s Level Training
I. Background/Purpose of IDEA Personnel Preparation
Grants and Scholarships
Personnel training grants awarded under the IDEA are intended to increase the number and quality of personnel available:
· to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities;
· to provide early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and
· to serve in leadership positions in special education, related services, or early intervention services.
Shortages in school districts and community agencies across the country of qualified personnel who can address the educational and developmental needs of children with disabilities are well documented. In the past, however, some individuals who received financial support through IDEA in order to obtain degrees or other types of certification subsequently entered careers in which they did not serve children with disabilities under IDEA.
20 U.S.C. § 1473 (adopted as part of the IDEA Amendments of 1997) requires individuals who receive scholarships under IDEA personnel training projects to work in the field of special education for a period of time in return for the financial support provided by the federal government for their education. Scholarship recipients who choose not to enter the special education, related service, or early intervention fields are obligated to pay back their scholarship so that IDEA personnel training monies may be preserved for the purpose of increasing the availability of individuals qualified to provide services under IDEA.
Information in the remainder of this document gives an overview of the responsibilities of students who receive this scholarship support and procedures the CUA Department of Education uses to administer IDEA student scholarships, in conformance with federal regulations (34 CFR §304.1 to 304.32). The information presented below is organized into three time periods:
· Before students receive IDEA financial assistance
· During students’ academic program
· At and after program completion
II. Before Students Receive IDEA Assistance
Students who will be awarded financial assistance under IDEA must first take several actions. Further, the CUA Department of Education, working with the students, will take certain steps required by the federal government before IDEA grant resources can be allocated to a student.
Meet Minimum Admission Requirements. Students applying to the CUA Department of Education must meet the minimum admission requirements to be accepted into the program. This includes obtaining a score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) established by CUA as a minimum acceptable score for admission as a candidate for a Master’s degree, as well as meeting the other admissions requirements set forth in the CUA Graduate Studies Announcements.
Student Enrollment. Student must be enrolled at The Catholic University of America in a course of study leading to a degree, certificate, endorsement, or license related to special education, related services, or early intervention, and must receive his/her training at the CUA Department of Education.
Limits on Scholarship Assistance. The amount of financial assistance a student receives is limited to an amount no greater than the cost of attendance at The Catholic University of America minus any federal grant aid the student receives under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The cost of attendance is determined by the University each year according to guidelines issued by the US Department of Education, and includes such expenses as tuition and fees, books, housing and food, and personal expenses. The actual amount of IDEA assistance will be determined by the Project Director of the IDEA grant that funds the scholarship, subject to University and grant guidelines.
Student Citizenship/Residency. Students receiving IDEA scholarship support must meet requirements for US citizenship, permanent residency, or intent to become a citizen or permanent resident. These guidelines are similar to those used by other federal student financial aid programs.
Obligations to Other Sources of Financial Aid. Students may not accept payment of educational allowances (for educational costs) from any other entity if that allowance conflicts with the student’s obligation under the IDEA scholarship. Such conflicts may arise when students with IDEA scholarships also receive financial assistance under some private scholarship arrangements or from certain federal student financial aid programs that impose post-training employment requirements on recipients. An example of a federally-funded scholarship that might conflict with requirements for the IDEA scholarship is an ROTC scholarship that requires the recipient to serve for at least four years in a branch of the US military after program completion. The CUA Department of Education believes that most students will not encounter conflicts when receiving financial assistance from IDEA and another source.
Eligibility for Federal Assistance. Students must complete a standard federal form, ‘Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance’ (ED Form 80-0016, which can be accessed online. )
This form requires the student to answer questions regarding current debts owed to the federal government and convictions for previous drug offenses. Completion of this form is standard for all students who receive assistance from any federal student financial aid program.
Written Agreement Concerning Service Obligation. Students must enter into a written agreement with CUA, (Service Obligation Agreement) prior to accepting an IDEA scholarship that, as a condition of receiving IDEA financial assistance, they will satisfy the required Service Obligation following completion of their course of study or, instead, will repay the federal government through cash payment.
III. During the Academic Program
Satisfactory Academic Progress. To continue receiving IDEA scholarship support, students must meet applicable written program, Department of Education, and CUA standards for maintaining satisfactory progress in their course of study. Failure to make satisfactory progress results in termination of scholarship support. Students who receive two grades of “C” for courses taken as part of their degree program are subject to dismissal from the program and will be dismissed if a third “C” is obtained.
IV.At and After Program Completion
Exit Certification. At the time a student exits from or completes the program, he/she is required to sign an Exit Certification that identifies:
· The number of years the student needs to work to satisfy the IDEA Service Obligation.
· The total amount of the scholarship assistance received subject to the Service Obligation.
· The time period during which the student must satisfy the Service Obligation.
· All other obligations the student has after exiting the program, including supplying information to the CUA Department of Education for use in determining student progress in satisfying the service obligation. Students will be required to update the CUA Department of Education in writing at least annually, until they satisfy their Service Obligation, with information about their jobs, where they are employed, and the student’s address, telephone number, and e-mail.
Service Obligation. Students who receive scholarship support for training at Master’s level agree to work on a full-time basis (or full-time equivalent basis) for two years for each academic year for which they received IDEA scholarship assistance, or to repay the scholarship to the federal government, plus interest and collection fees. The scholarship recipients’ work must be the provision of special education or related services to individuals with disabilities or early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. In providing such service:
· A majority of the persons the scholar serves must be persons with disabilities; OR
· A majority of the scholar’s time must be spent providing special education, related services or early intervention services.
· Work in a regular education classroom setting will be considered to meet the service obligation if the individual’s primary purpose for being in the classroom is to provide IDEA services to children with disabilities.
The Service Obligation must be completed within a period ending not more than the sum of the number of years required to satisfy the Service Obligation plus three additional years. Under limited circumstances, scholars may be granted a deferral of or exception to the Service Obligation by the CUA Department of Education, based on US Department of Education regulations and in accord with procedures developed by the CUA Department of Education and the Office of Student Accounts.
The Service Obligation for a part-time scholar is based on the accumulated academic years of training for which the scholarship is received. For example, a student completing the CUA program in 18 months on a part time basis (full time would take one year to finish the program) will graduate with a two year Service Obligation.
Deferrals and Exceptions of Service Obligation. Under very limited circumstances, a student who receives IDEA scholarship assistance may be granted a deferral or exception to the Service Obligation. Students who seek a deferral or exception must make a request in writing to the College of Education.
A deferral of the Service Obligation may be granted during the time the individual:
· Is engaging in a full-time course of study at an institution of higher education;
· Is serving, not in excess of three years, on active duty as a member of the armed services of the United States;
· Is serving as a volunteer under the Peace Corps Act;
· Is serving as a full-time volunteer under Title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973;
· Has a disability which prevents the individual from working, for a period not to exceed three years; or
· Is unable to secure employment as required by the agreement by reason of the care he or she is providing to a disabled family member, for a period not to exceed 12 months.
An exception may be granted, in whole or part, if the student:
· Is unable to continue the course of study or perform the Service Obligation because of a disability that is expected to continue indefinitely; or
· Has died.
Repayment. A student who does not satisfy the Service Obligation and does not receive an exception from the CUA Department of Education must repay the federal government for all or part of the scholarship assistance he/she received. The amount of the scholarship that has not been retired through eligible service will constitute a debt to the United States. This debt, plus interest, will be collected by the US Secretary of Education. The student may also be assessed for the cost of debt collection.
A student enters ‘repayment status’ on the first day of the first calendar month after the earliest of the following dates, as applicable:
· The date the student informs the CUA Department of Education that he or she does not plan to fulfill the Service Obligation under the written scholarship agreement as described in the Exit Certification;
· Any date when the student’s failure to begin or maintain employment makes it impossible for that individual to complete the Service Obligation within the number of years required; or
· Any date on which the student discontinues enrollment in the course of study stipulated in the written scholarship agreement.
Student Reporting to the University. After completing or leaving their program, students who have a Service Obligation will report information at least annually to the CUA Department of Education on their job, employer, address (including e-mail address) and phone number. Students agree to this reporting responsibility in the Written Agreement and the Exit Certification.
Record Keeping by the University. The CUA Department of Education will maintain information about each student who has received IDEA scholarship assistance for a period of time equal to the time required to fulfill the Service Obligation as stipulated in the Exit Certification. This period of required record keeping will be extended in those cases where deferrals have been granted.
CUA Reporting to the Federal Government. The Catholic University of America is required to report certain information to the federal government about students who receive IDEA scholarship assistance.
· The CUA Department of Education notifies the US Secretary of Education if a student fails to fulfill or chooses not to fulfill the Service Obligation, or if a student will not be able to fulfill the obligation within the required period of time.
· The CUA Department of Education provides information requested by the Secretary about scholarship recipients, including records on students’ progress towards completion of their program of study and towards satisfying their Service Obligation.
References/Information Sources
· The Law The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1473, online. This link takes you to the section of IDEA that addresses personnel preparation to improve services and results for children with disabilities.
· The Regulations The IDEA final regulations governing student scholarships provided under IDEA training grants online .
For further information contact the Project Director of the grant (Professor Thomas Long at Long@cua.edu,) or Jean Harrington Felter (09harrington@cua.edu) at the CUA Department of Education- Special Education Program (Room 221 O’Boyle) at 202-319-5887.
These materials are provided by the Office of General Counsel, The Catholic University of America, in conjunction with the CUA Department of Education. We are especially grateful to Ms. Linda Lewis, College of Education, University of Oregon, for permission to use her materials, on which this guidance is primarily based. Ms. Lewis can be reached at lmlewis@oregon.uoregon.edu .
created : April 27, 2001
links updated 7/3/08 rab
Last Revised 03-Jul-08 04:14 PM.
