Does Early Implementation Of the New Rule On LOA and R2T4 Apply To the Revised Second Chance Pell Experiment?

No. According to guidance NASFAA received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the regulatory change in 34 CFR 668.22(d)(1)(vii) does not apply to programs that are a part of the revised Second Chance Pell Experiment. The rule is limited to eligible Prison Education Programs (PEPs), as defined under 668.236.

The Final Rule was published in the January 3, 2025, Federal Register. With early implementation permitted as of February 3, 2025, PEP students who use a Title IV-approved leave of absence (LOA) are allowed to return at a different point in their program than where they left off in cases where their studies were interrupted for circumstances beyond their control. In other words, these students are not required to be permitted to complete the coursework they began prior to the leave of absence.