73 FR 104 pgs. 30904-30908 - Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, National Science and Mathematics Access To Retain Talent Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs

Type: NOTICEVolume: 73Number: 104Pages: 30904 - 30908
FR document: [FR Doc. E8-11953 Filed 5-28-08; 8:45 am]
Agency: Education Department
Official PDF Version:  PDF Version

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, National Science and Mathematics Access To Retain Talent Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs

AGENCY:

Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education.

ACTION:

Notice of revision of the Federal Need Analysis Methodology for the 2009-2010 award year.

SUMMARY:

The Secretary announces the annual updates to the tables that will be used in the statutory "Federal Need Analysis Methodology" to determine a student's expected family contribution (EFC) for award year 2009-2010 for the student financial aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). An EFC is the amount a student and his or her family may reasonably be expected to contribute toward the student's postsecondary educational costs for purposes of determining financial aid eligibility. The Title IV programs include the Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs (Title IV, HEA Programs).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Marya Dennis, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Education, Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 377-3385.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape or compact disk) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Part F of Title IV of the HEA specifies the criteria, data elements, calculations, and tables used in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology EFC calculations.

Section 478 of Part F of Title IV of the HEA requires the Secretary to adjust four of the tables-the Income Protection Allowance, the Adjusted Net Worth of a Business or Farm, the Education Savings and Asset Protection Allowance, and the Assessment Schedules and Rates-each award year to adjust for general price inflation. The changes are based, in general, upon increases in the Consumer Price Index.

For award year 2009-2010 the Secretary is charged with updating the income protection allowance for parents of dependent students, adjusted net worth of a business or farm, and the assessment schedules and rates to account for inflation that took place between December 2007 and December 2008. However, because the Secretary must publish these tables before December 2008, the increases in the tables must be based upon a percentage equal to the estimated percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for 2008. The Secretary estimates that the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the period December 2007 through December 2008 will be 1.7 percent. Additionally, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA, Pub. L. 110-84) modified the updating procedure for the income protection allowance for dependent students and the income protection allowance tables for both independent students with dependents other than a spouse and independent students without dependents other than a spouse. CCRAA established new 2009-2010 award year values for these income protection allowances. The updated tables are in sections 1, 2, and 4 of this notice.

The Secretary must also revise, for each award year, the education savings and asset protection allowances as provided for in section 478(d) of the HEA. The Education Savings and Asset Protection Allowance table for award year 2009-2010 has been updated in section 3 of this notice. Section 478(h) of the HEA also requires the Secretary to increase the amount specified for the Employment Expense Allowance, adjusted for inflation. This calculation is based upon increases in the Bureau of Labor Statistics budget of the marginal costs for a two-worker family compared to a one-worker family for food away from home, apparel, transportation, and household furnishings and operations. The Employment Expense Allowance table for award year 2009-2010 has been updated in section 5 of this notice.

The HEA provides for the following annual updates:

1. Income Protection Allowance . This allowance is the amount of living expenses associated with the maintenance of an individual or family that may be offset against the family's income. It varies by family size. The income protection allowance for the dependent student is $3,750. The income protection allowances for parents of dependent students for award year 2009-2010 are:

Family size Parents of dependent students Number in college 1 2 3 4 5
2 $15,840 $13,130
3 19,730 17,030 $14,320
4 24,370 21,660 18,960 $16,250
5 28,750 26,040 23,340 20,630 $17,940
6 33,630 30,920 28,220 25,510 22,820

For each additional family member, add $3,800.

For each additional college student, subtract $2,700.

The income protection allowances for independent students with dependents other than a spouse for award year 2009-10 are:

Family size Independent students with dependents other than a spouse Number in college 1 2 3 4 5
2 $17,720 $14,690
3 22,060 19,050 $16,020
4 27,250 24,220 21,210 $18,170
5 32,150 29,120 26,100 23,070 $20,060
6 37,600 34,570 31,570 28,520 25,520

For each additional family member, add $4,240.

For each additional college student, subtract $3,020.

The income protection allowances for single independent students and independent students without dependents other than a spouse for award year 2009-10 are:

Marital status Number in college IPA
Single 1 $7,000
Married 2 7,000
Married 1 11,220

2. Adjusted Net Worth (NW) of a Business or Farm. A portion of the full net value of a business or farm is excluded from the calculation of an expected contribution because-(1) the income produced from these assets is already assessed in another part of the formula; and (2) the formula protects a portion of the value of the assets. The portion of these assets included in the contribution calculation is computed according to the following schedule. This schedule is used for parents of dependent students, independent students without dependents other than a spouse, and independent students with dependents other than a spouse.

If the net worth of a business or farm is- Then the adjusted net worth is-
Less than $1 $0
$1 to $115,000 $0 + 40% of NW
$115,001 to $340,000 $46,000 + 50% of NW over $115,000
$340,001 to $565,000 $158,500 + 60% of NW over $340,000
$565,001 or more $293,500 + 100% of NW over $565,000

3. Education Savings and Asset Protection Allowance . This allowance protects a portion of net worth (assets less debts) from being considered available for postsecondary educational expenses. There are three asset protection allowance tables-one for parents of dependent students, one for independent students without dependents other than a spouse, and one for independent students with dependents other than a spouse.

If the age of the older parent is And they are Married Single
Then the education savings and asset protection allowance is-
25 or less 0 0
26 2,900 1,200
27 5,800 2,400
28 8,700 3,600
29 11,600 4,800
30 14,500 6,000
31 17,400 7,200
32 20,300 8,400
33 23,100 9,500
34 26,000 10,700
35 28,900 11,900
36 31,800 13,100
37 34,700 14,300
38 37,600 15,500
39 40,500 16,700
40 43,400 17,900
41 44,200 18,200
42 45,300 18,600
43 46,400 19,100
44 47,600 19,500
45 48,700 19,900
46 49,900 20,400
47 51,200 20,900
48 52,400 21,400
49 53,700 21,900
50 55,300 22,400
51 56,700 22,900
52 58,000 23,500
53 59,800 24,000
54 61,200 24,600
55 63,000 25,300
56 64,900 25,900
57 66,400 26,500
58 68,300 27,200
59 70,300 27,900
60 72,300 28,700
61 74,400 29,500
62 76,600 30,300
63 79,100 31,100
64 81,300 32,000
65 or older 84,000 32,800

If the age of the student is And they are Married Single
Then the education savings and asset protection allowance is-
25 or less 0 0
26 2,900 1,200
27 5,800 2,400
28 8,700 3,600
29 11,600 4,800
30 14,500 6,000
31 17,400 7,200
32 20,300 8,400
33 23,100 9,500
34 26,000 10,700
35 28,900 11,900
36 31,800 13,100
37 34,700 14,300
38 37,600 15,500
39 40,500 16,700
40 43,400 17,900
41 44,200 18,200
42 45,300 18,600
43 46,400 19,100
44 47,600 19,500
45 48,700 19,900
46 49,900 20,400
47 51,200 20,900
48 52,400 21,400
49 53,700 21,900
50 55,300 22,400
51 56,700 22,900
52 58,000 23,500
53 59,800 24,000
54 61,200 24,600
55 63,000 25,300
56 64,900 25,900
57 66,400 26,500
58 68,300 27,200
59 70,300 27,900
60 72,300 28,700
61 74,400 29,500
62 76,600 30,300
63 79,100 31,100
64 81,300 32,000
65 or older 84,000 32,800

If the age of the student is And they are Married Single
Then the education savings and asset protection allowance is-
25 or less 0 0
26 2,900 1,200
27 5,800 2,400
28 8,700 3,600
29 11,600 4,800
30 14,500 6,000
31 17,400 7,200
32 20,300 8,400
33 23,100 9,500
34 26,000 10,700
35 28,900 11,900
36 31,800 13,100
37 34,700 14,300
38 37,600 15,500
39 40,500 16,700
40 43,400 17,900
41 44,200 18,200
42 45,300 18,600
43 46,400 19,100
44 47,600 19,500
45 48,700 19,900
46 49,900 20,400
47 51,200 20,900
48 52,400 21,400
49 53,700 21,900
50 55,300 22,400
51 56,700 22,900
52 58,000 23,500
53 59,800 24,000
54 61,200 24,600
55 63,000 25,300
56 64,900 25,900
57 66,400 26,500
58 68,300 27,200
59 70,300 27,900
60 72,300 28,700
61 74,400 29,500
62 76,600 30,300
63 79,100 31,100
64 81,300 32,000
65 or older 84,000 32,800

4. Assessment Schedules and Rates. Two schedules that are subject to updates, one for parents of dependent students and one for independent students with dependents other than a spouse, are used to determine the EFC toward educational expenses from family financial resources. For dependent students, the EFC is derived from an assessment of the parents' adjusted available income (AAI). For independent students with dependents other than a spouse, the EFC is derived from an assessment of the family's AAI. The AAI represents a measure of a family's financial strength, which considers both income and assets.

The parents' contribution for a dependent student is computed according to the following schedule:

If AAI is- Then the contribution is-
Less than -$3,409 -$750
($3,409) to $14,200 22% of AAI
$14,201 to $17,800 $3,124 + 25% of AAI over $14,200
$17,801 to $21,400 $4,024 + 29% of AAI over $17,800
$21,401 to $25,000 $5,068 + 34% of AAI over $21,400
$25,001 to $28,600 $6,292 + 40% of AAI over $25,000
$28,601 or more $7,732 + 47% of AAI over $28,600

The contribution for an independent student with dependents other than a spouse is computed according to the following schedule:

If AAI is- Then the contribution is-
Less than -$3,409 -$750
($3,409) to $14,200 22% of AAI
$14,201 to $17,800 $3,124 + 25% of AAI over $14,200
$17,801 to $21,400 $4,024 + 29% of AAI over $17,800
$21,401 to $25,000 $5,068 + 34% of AAI over $21,400
$25,001 to $28,600 $6,292 + 40% of AAI over $25,000
$28,601 or more $7,732 + 47% of AAI over $28,600

5. Employment Expense Allowance. This allowance for employment-related expenses, which is used for the parents of dependent students and for married independent students, recognizes additional expenses incurred by working spouses and single-parent households. The allowance is based upon the marginal differences in costs for a two-worker family compared to a one-worker family for food away from home, apparel, transportation, and household furnishings and operations.

The employment expense allowance for parents of dependent students, married independent students without dependents other than a spouse, and independent students with dependents other than a spouse is the lesser of $3,500 or 35 percent of earned income.

6. Allowance for State and Other Taxes. The allowance for State and other taxes protects a portion of the parents' and students' income from being considered available for postsecondary educational expenses. There are four categories for State and other taxes, one each for parents of dependent students, independent students with dependents other than a spouse, dependent students, and independent students without dependents other than a spouse. Section 478(g) of the HEA directs the Secretary to update the tables for State and other taxes after reviewing the Statistics of Income file data maintained by the Internal Revenue Service.

State Parents of dependents and independents with dependents other than a spouse Under $15,000 (%) $15,000 up (%) Dependents and independents without dependents other than a spouse All (%)
Alabama 3 2 2
Alaska 2 1 0
Arizona 4 3 3
Arkansas 4 3 3
California 8 7 5
Colorado 5 4 3
Connecticut 8 7 4
Delaware 4 3 3
District of Columbia 7 6 6
Florida 3 2 1
Georgia 5 4 4
Hawaii 5 4 4
Idaho 5 4 3
Illinois 5 4 2
Indiana 4 3 3
Iowa 5 4 3
Kansas 5 4 3
Kentucky 5 4 4
Louisiana 3 2 2
Maine 6 5 4
Maryland 8 7 5
Massachusetts 7 6 4
Michigan 5 4 3
Minnesota 6 5 4
Mississippi 3 2 2
Missouri 5 4 3
Montana 5 4 3
Nebraska 5 4 3
Nevada 3 2 1
New Hampshire 5 4 1
New Jersey 9 8 4
New Mexico 3 2 3
New York 9 8 6
North Carolina 6 5 4
North Dakota 3 2 1
Ohio 6 5 4
Oklahoma 4 3 3
Oregon 7 6 5
Pennsylvania 6 5 3
Rhode Island 7 6 4
South Carolina 5 4 3
South Dakota 2 1 1
Tennessee 2 1 1
Texas 3 2 1
Utah 5 4 4
Vermont 5 4 3
Virginia 6 5 4
Washington 4 3 1
West Virginia 3 2 2
Wisconsin 7 6 4
Wyoming 2 1 1
Other 3 2 2

You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register , in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

Note:

The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register . Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: 84.007 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant; 84.032 Federal Family Education Loan Program; 84.033 Federal Work-Study Program; 84.038 Federal Perkins Loan Program; 84.063 Federal Pell Grant Program; 84.268 William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program; 84.375 Academic Competitiveness Grant; 84.376 National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant)

Program Authority:

20 U.S.C. 1087rr.

Dated: May 22, 2008.

Lawrence A. Warder,

Acting Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.

[FR Doc. E8-11953 Filed 5-28-08; 8:45 am]

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