1. Ready to Succeed Scholarship (RTSS) Program Overview PASFAA – Fall 2014

2. Today’s Agenda Program Background Institution Eligibility Student Eligibility Technical Requirements Student Nominations and Certifications Disbursements and Refunds Top RTSS FAQs

3. Program Background Funded by the Pennsylvania General Assembly 2014-15 = Year One $5 Million Allocation Developed by PHEAA and PDE Provides awards to high achieving, middle-income Pennsylvania students Recognizes that many middle income families may not meet traditional State Grant ‘need’ requirement Scholarship awards in combination with Pennsylvania State Grant awards

4. Institution Eligibility Approved for State Grant Program Domiciled and Headquartered in PA Principal physical location in PA as of June 30, 2014 For-profit schools = Incorporated within PA Completed Application for 2014-15 Applications for 2015-16 available in Summer 2015

5. Institution Eligibility Program of Study Requirements At least 50% Classroom Instruction Lead to a recognized Certificate, Diploma, or Degree At least 2 academic years and offered over a period of at least 15 months  2 academic years = Minimum of 60 semester credits  2 academic years = Minimum of 1,800 clock hours  15 weeks = Minimum of 60 weeks of instruction AST or ASB must have a minimum of 1,500 clock hours, 60 semester credits, or 90 quarter credits

6. Student Eligibility Eligible students must have: Completed at least 1 academic year Cumulative GPA of 3.25 Completed FAFSA and State Grant Form State Grant eligibility (excluding ‘need’)  Enrolled in an approved Program of Study  Enrolled at least half-time Total annual family income ≤ $110,000 May receive both SG and RTSS Maximum Award = $2,000 (full-time) or $1,000 (part-time) Minimum Award = $500

7. Transfer Students Mid-YearNew-Year Previous Institution(s) Institution must have been eligible Institution must have nominated transfer student Student must have maintained at least 3.25 from all previous institutions – report lowest New Institution Institution must currently be eligible Institution must accept at least 24 semester credits to maintain eligibility Award may fluctuate based on cost of attendance and State Grant eligibility Institution must currently be eligible Institution must accept at least 24 semester credits to be eligible Institution must maintain eligibility documentation (GPA)

8. Technical Requirements Transmissions Status Transmission – To: School/ From: PHEAA Certification Transmission – To: PHEAA/ From: School Disbursement Transmission* – To: School/ From: PHEAA  Equivalent list of students eligible for certification  Equivalent to disbursement roster Refund Transmission - To: PHEAA/ From: School Partner Interface OC Webconnect FG3S, FG7E, and FG59

9. Student Nominations No separate student application Mid-November: Student nomination period begins PHEAA to provide potential Student Candidate List School provides:  Grade level (2-5)  Cumulative GPA (3.00 and above)  Nomination indicator Submitted via Partner Interface or Transmissions First-come, first-served*

10. Student Nominations Nomination Steps: Identify Academic Level: Determine grade level 2 or above students from list (minimum of 24 semester credits or the equivalent) Report GPA: Provide the exact GPA for students with a 3.00 or higher and a grade level 2 and above Report Academic Level: Provide academic level for students reported for GPA (3.00 or higher + grade level 2,3,4, or 5) Nominate: Nominate candidates (3.25 GPA+ level 2 and above) Indicate: Indicate which students are excluded due to GPA or grade level (no other specific data)

11. Student Certifications Eligibility Runs Calculates award value for student and confirms eligibility Run Dates = TBD First Run = Early December Pre-Certification School certifies award value and eligibility Required before disbursement

12. Student Communication Eligibility Status Determination Made Account Access Updated Mid-year Changes Review Required PHEAA Verification Similar to State Grant Validation Income and/or Domicile reviews Account Access Updated

13. Disbursements & Refunds First disbursement = January 2015 Student-level disbursements Student-level refunds Reject N if funds are spent Reconciliation Process Similar to SGDEPP Anticipated to begin Spring 2015

14. Reporting No outcomes reporting for schools Survey RTSS Recipients Schools will be notified when survey is sent to students Schools are encouraged to remind students to complete Survey details are forthcoming

15. RTSS FAQ Q: Will there be an even distribution of funds among students/schools? A: RTSS is a student-based award. Eligible student recipients will be selected based upon a nomination process and awarded based upon the first-come, first-served criterion of the program. There is no limit to the number of student recipients at any given school. Q: What is the first-come, first-served nature of the award based upon? A: The first-come, first-served funding order of the RTSS award is based upon the date students complete their FAFSA and State Grant Form. The institution’s participation date in the RTSS Program will have no bearing on student awards.

16. RTSS FAQ Q: Is it necessary for a student to receive a State Grant award in order to receive a RTSS award? A: No. Students may receive a RTSS award without receiving a State Grant award. If a student does receive both a RTSS award and a State Grant award, the award may not exceed the RTSS maximum values. Q: How are academic levels determined? A: The institution is responsible for determining each student’s academic level beyond that of the second year. A grade level of 5 should only be used when a student is enrolled in a bona-fide five-year program.

17. RTSS FAQ Q: What are the maximum number of payments a RTSS student can receive? A: Students may receive up to three years (a 3.0 counter) of full-time RTSS awards and this may occur in conjunction with the State Grant award counter. Students that are eligible to receive up to four years of State Grant funding may also receive up to 3 years of RTSS funding. The receipt of a RTSS award does not impact State Grant eligibility. Students that have exhausted the RTSS counter, but not the State Grant counter, may still receive State Grant funds providing he/she meets the eligibility requirements. Once students exhaust the State Grant counter, they are not eligible to receive RTSS funds.

18. RTSS FAQ Q: If the student gets $2,000 in State Grant funds, can they also get $2,000 in RTSS funds? Or, if they get a $1,500 State Grant, can they only get $500 in RTSS funds? A: The maximum combined award amount for RTSS is $2,000 for a full-time student. If that student receives more than $1,500 in State Grant funds, they will not receive any RTSS funds. If, however, that full-time student only receives $1,500 in State Grant funding, he/she may be eligible to receive up to $500 in RTSS funds.

19. RTSS FAQ Q: Can a student who does not have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and/or 24 semester credits at the time the institution checks academic progress become eligible for a Spring 2015 RTSS award if they meet the minimum requirements at the end of Fall 2014? A: No. GPA and credit level are measured as snapshots of achievement and will only be reviewed at a fixed point in time—Spring or Summer 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year. As a reminder, your institution is required to check State Grant progress for the entire population of students at the same time annually, after the Spring or Summer.

20. RTSS FAQ Q: How will State Grant Distance Education Pilot Program (SGDEPP) nominations affect RTSS eligibility? Are students who are enrolled in programs of study that are structured to be more than 50% online eligible to receive a RTSS award? A: Programs of study that are structured to be more than 50% online are not State Grant eligible; therefore, students enrolled in these programs are not eligible for RTSS funding. This means that students currently eligible for the SGDEPP are not eligible to receive funds through the RTSS Program.

21. RTSS Websites School Page www.PHEAA.org/rtss Program Guidelines, FAQs, etc Student Page ‘Funding Opportunities’ Eligibility Requirements

22. Resources Updated Materials Program Guidelines Transmission Layouts Partner Interface Website  FAQs  Communications  School Lists (Student Page) Training Opportunities  Student Nominations and Certifications  Reconciliation  Refunds

23. Resources Contact State Grant and Special Programs Staff Email: rtss@pheaa.orgrtss@pheaa.org Fax: 717-720-3786 Phone: 1-800-443-0646, Option 3, Option 1 or 1-800-443-0646, Option 4 (discuss transmissions) Isaac Greene (o) 717.720.3310 (e) igreene@pheaa.org Ashley Ruth (o) 717.720.2183 (e) aruth@pheaa.org