§ 668.45 Information on completion or graduation rates.

(a)

(1) An institution annually must prepare the completion or graduation rate of its certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time undergraduate students, as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(2) An institution that determines that its mission includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution must prepare the transfer-out rate of its certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time undergraduate students, as provided in paragraph (c) of this section.

(3)

(i) An institution that offers a predominant number of its programs based on semesters, trimesters, or quarters must base its completion or graduation rate, retention rate, and, if applicable, transfer-out rate calculations, on the cohort of certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time undergraduate students who enter the institution during the fall term of each year.

(ii) An institution not covered by the provisions of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section must base its completion or graduation rate, retention rate, and, if applicable, transfer-out rate calculations, on the cohort of certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time undergraduate students who enter the institution between September 1 of one year and August 31 of the following year.

(4)

(i) An institution covered by the provisions of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section must count as an entering student a first-time undergraduate student who is enrolled as of October 15, the end of the institution's drop-add period, or another official reporting date as defined in § 668.41(a).

(ii) An institution covered by paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this section must count as an entering student a first-time undergraduate student who is enrolled for at least—

(A) 15 days, in a program of up to, and including, one year in length; or

(B) 30 days, in a program of greater than one year in length.

(5) An institution must make available its completion or graduation rate and, if applicable, transfer-out rate, no later than the July 1 immediately following the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150 percent of the normal time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the group on which the institution bases its completion or graduation rate and, if applicable, transfer-out rate calculations.

(6)

(i) Completion or graduation rate information must be disaggregated by gender, by each major racial and ethnic subgroup (as defined in IPEDS), by recipients of a Federal Pell Grant, by recipients of a Federal Family Education Loan or a Federal Direct Loan (other than an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan made under the Federal Family Education Loan Program or a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan) who did not receive a Federal Pell Grant, and by recipients of neither a Federal Pell Grant nor a Federal Family Education Loan or a Federal Direct Loan (other than an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan made under the Federal Family Education Loan Program or a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan) if the number of students in such group or with such status is sufficient to yield statistically reliable information and reporting will not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student. If such number is not sufficient for such purpose, i.e., is too small to be meaningful, then the institution shall note that the institution enrolled too few of such students to so disclose or report with confidence and confidentiality.

(ii) With respect to the requirement in paragraph (a)(6)(i) of this section to disaggregate the completion or graduation rate information by the receipt or nonreceipt of Federal student aid, students shall be considered to have received the aid in question only if they received such aid for the period specified in paragraph (a)(3) of this section.

(iii) The requirement in paragraph (a)(6)(i) of this section shall not apply to two-year, degree-granting institutions of higher education until academic year 2011–2012.

(b) In calculating the completion or graduation rate under paragraph (a)(1) of this section, an institution must count as completed or graduated—

(1) Students who have completed or graduated by the end of the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150 percent of the normal time for completion or graduation from their program has lapsed; and

(2) Students who have completed a program described in § 668.8(b)(1)(ii), or an equivalent program, by the end of the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150 percent of normal time for completion from that program has lapsed.

(c) In calculating the transfer-out rate under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, an institution must count as transfers-out students who by the end of the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150 percent of the normal time for completion or graduation from the program in which they were enrolled has lapsed, have not completed or graduated but have subsequently enrolled in any program of an eligible institution for which its program provided substantial preparation.

(d) For the purpose of calculating a completion or graduation rate and a transfer-out rate, an institution may—

(1) Exclude students who—

(i) Have left school to serve in the Armed Forces;

(ii) Have left school to serve on official church missions;

(iii) Have left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps;

(iv) Are totally and permanently disabled; or

(v) Are deceased.

(2) In cases where the students described in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) through (iii) of this section represent 20 percent or more of the certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time, undergraduate students at the institution, recalculate the completion or graduation rates of those students by adding to the 150 percent time-frame they normally have to complete or graduate, as described in paragraph (b) of this section, the time period the students were not enrolled due to their service in the Armed Forces, on official church missions, or with a recognized foreign aid service of the Federal Government.

(e)

(1) The Secretary grants a waiver of the requirements of this section dealing with completion and graduation rate data to any institution that is a member of an athletic association or conference that has voluntarily published completion or graduation rate data, or has agreed to publish data, that the Secretary determines are substantially comparable to the data required by this section.

(2) An institution that receives a waiver of the requirements of this section must still comply with the requirements of § 668.41(d)(3) and (f).

(3) An institution, or athletic association or conference applying on behalf of an institution, that seeks a waiver under paragraph (e)(1) of this section must submit a written application to the Secretary that explains why it believes the data the athletic association or conference publishes are accurate and substantially comparable to the information required by this section.

(f) In addition to calculating the completion or graduation rate required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section, an institution may, but is not required to—

(1) Calculate a completion or graduation rate for students who transfer into the institution;

(2) Calculate a completion or graduation rate for students described in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section; and

(3) Calculate a transfer-out rate as specified in paragraph (c) of this section, if the institution determines that its mission does not include providing substantial preparation for its students to enroll in another eligible institution.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845–0004)

[74 FR 55944, Oct. 29, 2009]