DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY  
HIGHER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE AUTHORITY  
MICHIGAN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANT PROGRAM  
(By authority conferred on the Michigan higher education assistance authority by  
section 9 of Act No. 273 of the Public Acts of 1986, being S390.1409 of the Michigan  
Compiled Laws)  
R 390.1721 Definitions.  
Rule 1. (1) As used in these rules:  
(a) "Act" means Act No. 273 of the Public Acts of 1986, being S390.1401  
et seq. of the Michigan Compiled Laws.  
(b) "Application" means the period of time covered by the MEOG award at the  
school of attendance.  
(c) "Authority" means the Michigan higher education assistance authority created by  
Act No. 77 of the Public Acts of 1960, as amended, being S390.951 et seq. of the  
Michigan Compiled Laws.  
(d) "Campus-based aid" means the federal financial aid programs administered  
by the financial aid officer at a participating postsecondary school. These programs shall  
include supplemental educational opportunity grants, college work-study, and Perkins  
loans.  
(e) "Default" means failure to comply with the terms of a loan guaranteed by  
the authority so that the authority finds it necessary to reimburse the lending institution  
for the balance of the loan.  
(f) "Educational expenses" means student costs related to attendance as specified by  
the participating postsecondary school. These expenses may include tuition and fees  
charged to the student and a reasonable allowance for room and board, transportation,  
books and equipment, and incidental expenses.  
(g) "Financial need" means the positive difference found by the participating  
postsecondary school between the applicant's educational expenses and any reasonable  
family unit contribution identified consistent with current need analysis review  
procedures approved for use with campus-based title IV federal student aid programs  
as provided for under the federal higher education act. Other sources of student aid to  
be received by the applicant for the award period in question shall be  
included by the school in the computation of financial need.  
(h) "Full-time study" means enrollment for 12 or more semester credit hours or its  
equivalent in trimester or quarter hours or the equivalent of 24 semester hours or 36  
quarter hours per academic year for institutions using credit hours to measure progress,  
but not using semester, trimester, or quarter hours. Full-time study during the summer  
session following the regular academic year means enrollment for the number of  
credit hours defined as full-time by the postsecondary school. Enrollment status shall be  
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determined as of a uniform date established each enrollment period by the  
postsecondary school for all MEOG recipients.  
(i) "Half-time study" means enrollment for not less than 6, but not more than 11,  
semester credit hours or term/quarter equivalent per enrollment period or for not less  
than half of the credit hours defined as full-time in subdivision (h) of this subrule.  
Enrollment status shall be determined as of a uniform date established each enrollment  
period by the school for all MEOG recipients.  
(j) "Higher education act" means title IV of the federal higher education act of  
1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. S1070 et seq.  
(k) "Incarcerated" means currently interned in a corrections facility on either a full-  
time or a part-time basis.  
(l) "Independent or self-supporting status" means current federal requirements,  
as defined in 34 C.F.R. S668.1a, as amended, have been met concerning conditions  
under which parental resources can be disregarded in the computation of a student's  
eligibility for financial aid.  
(m) "MEOG" means the Michigan educational opportunity grant program as  
established by the act.  
(n) "Parental unit" means the natural parents, adoptive parents, legal guardians,  
stepparents, or other individuals required by the postsecondary school to complete the  
financial application for title IV campus-based federal student aid for a dependent  
student.  
(o) "Pell grants" means the federal pell grant program established under the federal  
higher education act.  
(p) "Perkins loans" means the Perkins loan program established under the federal  
higher education act.  
(q) "Permanent resident" means an applicant who is classified as a permanent  
resident by the United States immigration and naturalization service for the MEOG  
program award period in question.  
(r) "Resident" means either of the following:  
(i) For a dependent student who does not meet current federal guidelines for  
independent or self-supporting status as provided for under the federal higher  
education act, it means that the student's home address formally recognized by the  
school as the basis for residency documentation has been in Michigan for a minimum of  
12 months immediately preceding the postsecondary school's MEOG award period and  
that the school does not consider the student a resident of any other state.  
(ii) For an independent student who does meet current federal guidelines for  
independent or self-supporting status as provided for under the federal higher  
education act, it means that the student involved has resided in Michigan  
continuously for a minimum of 12 months immediately preceding the postsecondary  
school's MEOG award period and that the student involved is not considered a  
resident of any other state.  
(s) "Satisfactory academic progress" means compliance with the standards  
established by the participating postsecondary school of enrollment pursuant to the  
federal higher education act regarding minimal criteria of academic progress needed to  
maintain eligibility for the federal campus-based student aid programs.  
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(t) "Student aid" means scholarship, grant, loan, or employment aid that the  
applicant might receive from any source other than the MEOG program.  
(u) "Undergraduate program of study" means courses that are applicable or  
transferrable to a baccalaureate or lower degree or certificate. A program shall be not  
less than 9 months in length.  
(v) "Year" means the full academic year, which is comprised of the academic  
year that is consistent with the fiscal year for which funds were appropriated plus the  
immediately following summer session.  
(2) Terms defined in the act have the same meanings when used in these rules.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1722 Program administration; activities.  
Rule 2. The authority shall administer the MEOG program in conjunction with  
public degree-granting Michigan colleges. Participating schools shall be responsible for  
all of the following activities:  
(a) Selecting eligible student recipients.  
(b) Awarding MEOG funds to eligible student recipients.  
(c) Reporting MEOG expenditures and related data to the authority on a timely  
basis.  
(d) Refunding unused MEOG funds promptly at the end of each fiscal year.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1723 Eligible schools.  
Rule 3. (1) Degree-granting public postsecondary institutions approved by the  
Michigan state board of education and eligible for listing in the Michigan department of  
education's publication entitled "Directory of Michigan Institutions of Higher  
Education" shall be eligible to participate in the MEOG program.  
(2) Eligible postsecondary schools shall notify the authority not later than February  
1 preceding the fiscal year of funding if they choose not to participate in the MEOG  
program.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1724 Eligible students.  
Rule 4. Participating postsecondary schools may make MEOG awards to students  
who meet all of the following criteria:  
(a) Are Michigan residents and not considered residents of any other state.  
(b) Are not currently incarcerated in a correctional facility.  
(c) Are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an undergraduate program of study  
on at least a half-time basis.  
(d) Are determined by the postsecondary school to have financial need for the  
awards.  
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(e) Are United States citizens or permanent residents.  
(f) Are not in default on a loan guaranteed by the authority. Exceptions may be made  
if a defaulted borrower has made satisfactory repayment arrangements on the  
defaulted amount of the loan as determined by the authority.  
(g) Are making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the postsecondary  
school of enrollment.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1725 MEOG award computation.  
Rule 5. (1) Postsecondary schools participating in the MEOG program shall  
make awards to eligible students consistent with all of the following provisions:  
(a) The MEOG funds awarded in combination with other student aid received  
shall not exceed the amount of financial need as determined by the school. The MEOG  
award itself shall not exceed $1,000.00 per year.  
(b) MEOG award priority shall be given to eligible students with the greatest  
financial need as determined by the school.  
(c) MEOG funds shall not be paid to any eligible student for more than a total of 10  
semesters or 15 terms of full-time study at any particular school. To monitor the  
amount of cumulative MEOG assistance provided, participating schools shall charge  
recipients with a semester or term count for each enrollment period in which MEOG  
funds are paid according to the following schedule:  
(i) Full-time enrollment at a semester school equals a 1.5 count per enrollment  
period.  
(ii) Full-time enrollment at a term school equals a 1.0 count per enrollment  
period.  
(iii) Half-time enrollment or more than half-time enrollment but less than full-time  
enrollment at a semester or term school equals a 0.5 count per enrollment period. A  
cumulative semester or term payment count of 15 or higher at any particular institution  
shall eliminate the student from the MEOG program at that institution. Each  
postsecondary school participating in the MEOG program shall maintain and monitor  
cumulative institutional records regarding individual student participation according to  
the schedule outlined in this subdivision.  
(d) Refund arrangements to the campus program account shall follow the  
institution's official refund policy. Refunds to the campus MEOG program account shall  
be made in cases where the student terminates eligibility between terms or semesters of  
the award period. Final eligibility for payment within an enrollment period shall be a  
function of the student's status on the enrollment count date established by the school.  
(e) Continued MEOG program eligibility shall be a function of the financial  
need demonstrated and the MEOG funds available at  
each participating  
postsecondary school if a recipient transfers from one institution to another.  
(f) All MEOG funds provided by the authority shall be used for student awards  
within the state fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated. This language shall not  
prevent schools from making MEOG awards consistent with an academic year cycle  
which would begin on or after August 1.  
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(g) A grant awarded to a student shall carry the MEOG program title on  
communications made to the student recipients by the postsecondary school involved.  
(2) Nothing in these rules shall preclude the campus financial aid administrator  
from exercising professional judgment and disregarding all or a portion of assets when  
deemed appropriate by the financial aid administrator in determining eligibility.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1726 MEOG campus allocations.  
Rule 6. (1) The authority shall distribute MEOG funds to participating  
postsecondary schools according to the provisions of the act.  
(2) Postsecondary schools participating in the MEOG program shall provide to  
the authority, by the stated deadline, the data necessary to implement the campus  
allocation formula.  
(3) Postsecondary schools participating in the MEOG program shall maintain a  
separate restricted account for funds and transactions pertaining to the program.  
(4) A minimal MEOG annual payment of $1,000.00 shall be made to all eligible  
postsecondary schools participating in the MEOG program.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1727 Annual report.  
Rule 7. Each participating postsecondary school shall provide an annual report in  
the format specified by the authority. It shall include all of the following information:  
(a) The number of students served.  
(b) The total payments made.  
(c) Year-end refund of unutilized funds.  
(d) Other related data needed by the authority for accounting or audit purposes.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
R 390.1728 Records; retention.  
Rule 8. (1) Participating postsecondary schools shall make all MEOG program  
records part of their permanent student financial aid office files.  
(2) Records which provide any of the following information shall be maintained:  
(a) Student eligibility.  
(b) Any award adjustments and refund calculations made.  
(c) Cumulative grants made to each participant at the school.  
(3) All MEOG program records shall be made available for audit purposes upon  
request.  
(4) All MEOG program records shall be maintained for a minimum of 5 years by  
each participating institution.  
History: 1988 AACS.  
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