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Experimental Sites Initiative

Federal Register notices for all experiments

Experiment Announced in the April 18, 2023 Federal Register (Experiment only open to currently participating Second Chance Pell institutions)

Click here to view the Federal Register published April 18, 2023. This FR explains the Revised Second Chance Pell experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information to assist schools. Here you will find the Electronic Announcement posted on April 18, 2023 that provides instructions for currently participating Second Chance Pell schools to apply to participate in the revised experiment (Letters of Interest due on May 18, 2023).

Experiment Announced in the August 3, 2015 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published August 3, 2015. This FR explains the Second Chance Pell experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information to assist schools. Here you will find the Electronic Announcement posted on May 20, 2019 that reopened the experiment for all Title IV institutions to apply to participate in the experiment. Here you will find the Electronic Announcement posted on July 31, 2021 that reopened the experiment for a third round of Title IV institutions to apply to participate (Letters of Interest were due on October 28, 2021).

Experiment Announced in the May 23, 2019 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published May 23, 2019. This FR explains the Federal Work-Study experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

Experiment Announced in the August 15, 2016 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published August 15, 2016. This FR explains the Loan Counseling experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

Experiment Announced in the November 18, 2015 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published November 18, 2015. This FR explains the Competency-Based Education experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

Experiment Announced in the November 3, 2015 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published November 3, 2015. This FR explains the Dual Enrollment experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

Experiment Announced in the October 15, 2015 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published October 15, 2015. This FR explains the Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships (EQUIP) experiment in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

Experiments Announced in the July 31, 2014 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published July 31, 2014. This Federal Register explains the experiments below in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

  • Prior Learning Assessment
  • Competency-Based Education
  • Limited Direct Assessment
  • Federal Work Study (FWS) for Near-Peer Counseling

Experiments Announced in the October 27, 2011 Federal Register

Click here to view the Federal Register published October 27, 2011. This Federal Register explains the experiments below in detail, including waivers, reporting requirements and more information.

  • Direct Loans - Limiting unsubsidized loan amounts
  • Pell Grant Experiment - Eligibility of students with bachelor’s degrees who enroll in vocational or career programs
  • Pell Grant Experiment - Eligibility of students enrolled in certain short-term training programs
  • Single disbursement of a one-term loan for study abroad students
  • Early disbursement for study abroad students and for students enrolled in foreign institutions
  • Unequal disbursements
  • PLUS Loans for parents of students with intellectual disabilities, and
  • Student Eligibility-Eligibility of students with intellectual disabilities who are also enrolled in high school (no participants)

Conclusion of Experiments

Experiments Concluding on June 30, 2023

  • Federal Work-Study Experiment
  • Experiments Concluding on June 30, 2022

    • Direct Loans - Limiting unsubsidized loan amounts
    • Dual Enrollment
    • Experiments Concluding on June 30, 2021

      • Loan Counseling Experiment
      • Experiments Concluding on June 30, 2020

        • Prior Learning Assessment
        • Comptency-Based Education
        • Limited Direct Assessment
        • FWS for Near-Peer Counseling
        • EQUIP (Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships)

        Experiments Concluding on June 30, 2017

        • Pell Grant Experiment - Eligibility of students with bachelor’s degrees who enroll in vocational or career programs
        • Pell Grant Experiment - Eligibility of students enrolled in certain short-term training programs

        Experiments Concluding on June 30, 2016

        • Single disbursement of a one-term loan for study abroad students
        • Early disbursement for study abroad students and for students enrolled in foreign institutions
        • Unequal disbursements
        • PLUS Loans for parents of students with intellectual disabilities
        • Student Eligibility-Eligibility of students with intellectual disabilities who are also enrolled in high school