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FDPIR - Student Financial Assistance (Revised)

EO Guidance Document #
FNS-GD-2015-0041
FNS Document #
FD-046
Resource type
Policy Memos
Guidance Documents
DATE: August 26, 2015
MEMO POLICY: FD-046: Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) (Revised)
SUBJECT: FDPIR - Student Financial Assistance

In accordance with 20 USC 1087uu, student financial assistance received under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (Title IV) is excluded as income for the purposes of determining eligibility under FDPIR.

Programs that provide student assistance authorized under Title IV include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Federal Perkins Loan Program
  • William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program
    • Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized (Stafford) Loans
    • Direct PLUS Loans
    • Direct Consolidation Loans
  • Federal Work-Study Program
  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
  • Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

The U.S. Department of Education’s program website (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/landing.jhtml) provides useful information in reference to student assistance authorized under Title IV. Should there be questions with regard to whether reported student assistance is authorized under Title IV, and therefore excluded from income for FDPIR eligibility purposes, FDPIR Indian Tribal Organizations and state agencies may contact the appropriate FNS regional office staff, who may in turn contact the FNS national office.

Section 1087uu also excludes, as income, funds received under Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) student assistance programs. BIA provides student assistance through several education and training programs including:

  • Higher Education Grant Program
  • Indian Graduate Student Scholarship Program
  • Adult Education Program
  • Job Placement and Training Program

Indian Tribal Organizations and state agencies should contact their local BIA agency (https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices) to determine whether all or part of the funding provided under a BIA education or training program is considered “student assistance” under BIA criteria. If so, the amount of funds considered student assistance by BIA is excluded as income for FDPIR eligibility purposes.

Laura Castro
Director
Food Distribution Division

Page updated: April 07, 2023

The contents of this guidance document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.