Title III Institution Designation and FWS FSEOG Non-Federal Share Waiver

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Posted Date March 31, 2026 Author Federal Student Aid Electronic Announcement ID CB-26-06 Subject Apply by April 23, 2026, for Designation as a Title III Institution and Waiver of the Non-Federal Share Requirement for FWS and FSEOG

We provide the following information regarding the designation of Title III status for institutions and the resulting waiver of the non-federal share requirements for the Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) programs.

Campus-Based Programs Title III Non-Federal Share Requirement Waiver

Institutions participating in the FWS and FSEOG programs are normally required to provide a non-federal share under each program. Certain institutions, however, are eligible for a waiver of those requirements under 34 CFR 675.26(d) of the FWS regulations and 34 CFR 676.21(b) of the FSEOG regulations. To receive this waiver of the FWS and FSEOG non-federal share requirement, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education Institutional Service (OPE/IS) must designate the institution as an eligible institution under Section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).

If OPE/IS designates an institution as eligible for a program under Section 312 of the HEA for federal fiscal year 2026 under the process described below, that institution will receive a waiver of the requirement for the non-federal share of earned compensation paid to students under the FWS Program and of FSEOG funds awarded to students for the 2026–27 award year. Federal Student Aid (FSA) will send a notice to the financial aid administrator to indicate that it has granted the waiver of the non-federal share matching requirement.

Institutions that receive the waiver may choose to continue to provide a non-federal share and to determine the amount of that share for one or both programs.

Institutions must note that the 50% federal share limitation for FWS wages paid to students employed by a private, for-profit organization, and the 80% federal share limitation for the administration of the Job Location and Development Program are not waived under the Title III designation.

Designation as an Eligible Institution for Programs Under Section 312 of the HEA

OPE/IS uses an automated designation process by reviewing existing data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to assess eligibility for Title III programs.

Institutions must check their eligibility status by going to the “Application for Designation as an Eligible Institution” on the OPE/IS website (hepis.ed.gov/main).

Institutions that OPE/IS determines to be eligible for a Title III program automatically receive the waiver of the non-federal share requirement for the Campus-Based programs for the 2026–27 award year. No further action is required.

Institutions that are not designated as eligible for a Title III program must complete the “Application for Designation as an Eligible Institution” by the April 23, 2026, deadline stated in the Federal Register Notice if they wish to be considered for Title III eligibility and the resulting waiver of the non-federal share requirement for FWS and FSEOG.

Note: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and institutions with an active Title III grant (current throughout federal fiscal year 2026) automatically qualify for the waiver of the Campus-Based non-federal share requirement. FSA’s Grants and Campus-Based Programs Division grants these waivers unless it learns from OPE/IS that the institution has lost its grant funding and/or HBCU or TCCU status. Institutions with a current Title III grant should still check their eligibility if they wish to apply for an additional Title III grant in 2026.

Single Institutional Applications

For an institution to qualify for a Title III waiver of the FWS/FSEOG non-federal share requirement, the institution with a unique 6-digit OPEID (with a 2-digit extension of 00) must submit its own annual Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP). Its FISAP cannot be submitted as part of an affiliated institution’s FISAP.

OPE/IS determines eligibility for Title III programs at the 8-digit OPEID level for branch campuses. Campus-Based funds are awarded at the main campus level (6-digit OPEID) only. If a main campus receives the waiver of the non-federal share requirement, it may extend the waiver to any of its additional locations that are not eligible to apply for Title III designation independently. Institutions must note that the waiver may not be extended to any branch campuses unless OPE/IS has designated those branch campuses as eligible to participate in a Title III program. The institutional match must be provided for any portion of an institution’s FSEOG and/or FWS funds expended at a branch campus that has not been designated as Title III -eligible.

Contact Information

For questions about Title III eligibility, contact:

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Postsecondary Education
Higher Education Programs, Institutional Service
400 Maryland Avenue SW, 5C122
Washington, D.C. 20202
Attn: Nemeka Mason-Clercin

Email: Nemeka.mason@ed.gov

For questions about the Title III waiver of the non-federal share requirement for the FWS and FSEOG programs, contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978. The contact center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Eastern time. You may also email CODSupport@ed.gov.

Last Modified: 03/31/2026