34 CFR § 668.604 - Certification requirements for GE programs.

(a) Transitional certification for existing programs.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, an institution must provide to the Secretary no later than December 31, 2024, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, a certification signed by its most senior executive officer that each of its currently eligible GE programs included on its Eligibility and Certification Approval Report meets the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section. The Secretary accepts the certification as an addendum to the institution's program participation agreement with the Secretary under § 668.14.

(2) If an institution makes the certification in its program participation agreement pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section between July 1 and December 31, 2024, it is not required to provide the transitional certification under this paragraph (a).

(b) Program participation agreement certification.

As a condition of its continued participation in the title IV, HEA programs, an institution must certify in its program participation agreement with the Secretary under § 668.14 that each of its currently eligible GE programs included on its Eligibility and Certification Approval Report meets the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section. As provided under 34 CFR 600.21(a)(11)(vi), an institution must update the certification within 10 days if there are any changes in the approvals for a program, or other changes for a program that render an existing certification no longer accurate.

(c) Establishing eligibility and disbursing funds. (1) An institution establishes a GE program's eligibility for title IV, HEA program funds by updating the list of the institution's eligible programs maintained by the Department to include that program, as provided under 34 CFR 600.21(a)(11)(i). By updating the list of the institution's eligible programs, the institution affirms that the program satisfies the certification requirements in paragraph (d) of this section. Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, after the institution updates its list of eligible programs, the institution may disburse title IV, HEA program funds to students enrolled in that program.

(2) An institution may not update its list of eligible programs to include a GE program, or a GE program that is substantially similar to a failing program that the institution voluntarily discontinued or became ineligible as described in § 668.603(c), that was subject to the three-year loss of eligibility under § 668.603(c), until that three-year period expires.

(d) GE program eligibility certifications. An institution certifies for each eligible GE program included on its Eligibility and Certification Approval Report, at the time and in the form specified in this section, that such program is approved by a recognized accrediting agency or is otherwise included in the institution's accreditation by its recognized accrediting agency, or, if the institution is a public postsecondary vocational institution, the program is approved by a recognized State agency for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education in lieu of accreditation.