[Oasfaa] 2007-08 OTAG Program Awarding Information

[Joyner, Shiela]

At their meeting today the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved the OTAG Award Payment Schedule for 2007-08.  A copy of the schedule is attached for your information.  With no increase in funding for the 2007-08 award year, the EFC cutoff for awards remains 1,500, and the FAFSA receipt date cutoff for fall 2007 awards is set at 4/30/07.  Eligible students meeting these requirements are assured of payment upon the institution's submission of a successful and timely award claim.  The Award Payment Schedule reflects 4,110 as the maximum eligible EFC, which is consistent with Pell in 2007-08.  In prior years the maximum eligible EFC was based on Oklahoma's median family income data determined by HUD.  The maximum EFC primarily serves as a means to identify the total number of eligible students who could be awarded if funds were provided, and at OTAG's current level of funding this change will have no effect on which students will be awarded.

Also attached is a list of institutions that participate in the OTAG program and their flat-rate award amounts for 2007-08 (one amount for full-time undergraduates and one amount for part-time undergraduates).  The amounts shown are for the full award year, one-half of which can be paid in each the fall and spring disbursement cycles.

Important dates/deadlines that institutions and the State Regents' office must meet are listed in the attached Timelines and Procedures for 2007-08.  These have been set in an effort to maximize the efficiency of the administration of the OTAG program to best benefit students statewide and was reviewed by the OASFAA board members prior to being finalized.  All institutions are expected to adhere to the schedule, and everyone's cooperation will be appreciated.

Important Reminders:

*	Again in 2007-08, OTAG will not send award notices to students, and we are relying on institutions to include OTAG award information in their student award notices.  This procedural change was first implemented in 2005-06 at the request of the financial aid community.  Please realize that if institutions do not identify OTAG awards in their student award notices, the students have no easy way of confirming that they are receiving an award from OTAG.  We're counting on institutions to be our messengers.
*	There is no longer an award transfer process for OTAG, and students who change institutions should not contact the OTAG office to report their transfer.  Instead, the new institution needs to simply include the student in their OTAG Award Claim Form, if they find the student to be eligible for an OTAG award at their institution.  We will appreciate your assistance in making sure your staff members and other departments working directly with students are aware of this so they can respond appropriately to student inquiries.  Also, please check your websites to make sure they reflect this information as well.
*	Only undergraduate students will be considered for awards in 2007-08.
*	The OTAG statutes continue to require renewal priority for students who were awarded by the program in 1999-2000.  We will continue to identify any students who qualify as renewals and who require renewal priority in order to qualify, and we will notify any affected institutions (there was only one renewal student who required award priority in 2006-07).

OTAG Policy Reminders:

*	Otherwise eligible students are no longer limited to 10 FTUG disbursements
*	Eligibility is limited to students who have not already received their first bachelor's degree

Other than OTAG's Oklahoma residency requirement and the statutory limitations on the types of institutions that are eligible to participate in OTAG, student eligibility requirements for OTAG are the same as student eligibility requirements for Pell.  If you cannot award a student Pell funds, you cannot award them OTAG funds.
 
Confidentiality of Student Data:

*	All Award Claims, Disbursement Reports, Award Reconciliation Reports, and any other lists containing a student's identifying information (name, SSN, birth date) MUST be transmitted using the OSRHE Secure File Exchange Site.  Any e-mail messages or attachments to e-mail messages that contain confidential student data will not be accepted by our office as having been received and will be immediately deleted from our e-mail system.

More information regarding the 2007-08 OTAG program, including the availability of "work copy" Award Claim Forms will be forthcoming.   As always we appreciate your assistance in delivering OTAG funds to Oklahoma's students.  If you have questions regarding the OTAG program, please contact our office.

 <<2007_AWD_PAY_SCHED_FLAT RATE_EFC_062807.doc>> 	 <<07-08 Award Flat Rate.xls>> 	 <<2007-2008 OTAG Timelines & Procedures.doc>> 	

***********************
Shiela Joyner, Director
Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant Program
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
P. O.  Box 108850
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-8850
Internet:  sjoyner at otag.org
Voice: (405) 225-9378    Toll Free (877) 662-6231
Fax: (405) 225-9392

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