Title 34

SECTION 600.32

600.32 Eligibility of additional locations.

§ 600.32 Eligibility of additional locations.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, to qualify as an eligible location, an additional location of an eligible institution must satisfy the applicable requirements of this section and §§ 600.4, 600.5, 600.6, 600.8, and 600.10.

(b) To qualify as an eligible location, an additional location is not required to satisfy the two-year requirement of §§ 600.5(a)(7) or 600.6(a)(6), unless -

(1) The location was a facility of another institution that has closed or ceased to provide educational programs for a reason other than a normal vacation period or a natural disaster that directly affects the institution or the institution's students;

(2) The applicant institution acquired, either directly from the institution that closed or ceased to provide educational programs, or through an intermediary, the assets at the location; and

(3) The institution from which the applicant institution acquired the assets of the location -

(i) Owes a liability for a violation of an HEA program requirement; and

(ii) Is not making payments in accordance with an agreement to repay that liability.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, an additional location is not required to satisfy the two-year requirement of § 600.5(a)(7) or § 600.6(a)(6) if the applicant institution and the original institution are not related parties and there is no commonality of ownership, control, or management between the institutions, as described in 34 CFR 668.188(b) and 34 CFR 668.207(b) and the applicant institution agrees -

(1) To be liable for all improperly expended or unspent title IV, HEA program funds received during the current academic year and up to one academic year prior by the institution that has closed or ceased to provide educational programs;

(2) To be liable for all unpaid refunds owed to students who received title IV, HEA program funds during the current academic year and up to one academic year prior; and

(3) To abide by the policy of the institution that has closed or ceased to provide educational programs regarding refunds of institutional charges to students in effect before the date of the acquisition of the assets of the additional location for the students who were enrolled before that date.

(d)(1) An institution that conducts a teach-out at a site of a closed institution or an institution engaged in a teach-out plan approved by the institution's agency may apply to have that site approved as an additional location if -

(i) The closed institution ceased operations, or the closing institution is engaged in an orderly teach-out plan and the Secretary has evaluated and approved that plan; and

(ii) The teach-out plan required under 34 CFR 668.14(b)(31) is approved by the closed or closing institution's accrediting agency.

(2)(i) An institution that conducts a teach-out and is approved to add an additional location described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section -

(A) Does not have to meet the requirement of § 600.5(a)(7) or § 600.6(a)(6) for the additional location described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section;

(B) Is not responsible for any liabilities of the closed or closing institution as provided under paragraph (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section if the institutions are not related parties and there is no commonality of ownership or management between the institutions, as described in 34 CFR 668.188(b) and 34 CFR 668.207(b); and

(C) Will not have the default rate of the closed institution included in the calculation of its default rate, as would otherwise be required under 34 CFR 668.184 and 34 CFR 668.203, if the institutions are not related parties and there is no commonality of ownership or management between the institutions, as described in 34 CFR 668.188(b) and 34 CFR 668.207(b).

(ii) As a condition for approving an additional location under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the Secretary may require that payments from the institution conducting the teach-out to the owners or related parties of the closed institution, are used to satisfy any liabilities owed by the closed institution.

(e) For purposes of this section, an “additional location” is a location of an institution that was not designated as an eligible location in the eligibility notification provided to an institution under § 600.21.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1088, 1099c, 1141) [59 FR 22336, Apr. 29, 1994, as amended at 74 FR 55933, Oct. 29, 2009; 84 FR 58916, Nov. 1, 2019]