Clock-to-Credit Hour
Conversion
1
No Conversion Required
-
§668.8(k)(1)
• An undergraduate GE program may use credit
hours as defined in §600.2 without applying the
conversion formula if one of two conditions is
met
– Condition #1 is that the GE program is at least two
academic years in length and provides an associate
degree, a bachelor's degree, an undergraduate
professional degree, or an equivalent undergraduate
degree as determined by the Secretary
2
No Conversion Required
(cont.)
• Condition #2 is that the GE program is an
undergraduate non-degree program with—
‒ Each course in the program being fully
acceptable toward a degree program at the
institution, and
‒ The institution being able to demonstrate
that students enroll in, and graduate from,
that degree program
3
No Conversion Required
(cont.)
• A GE program not meeting condition #1 or #2
must use either—
– The conversion formula, or
– Clock hours
• A program may always use clock hours
• If using the conversion formula—
– The program must be eligible to use it, and
– The conversion must be properly
implemented
4
New Conversion Ratios
– (cont.)
• Conversion Formula Default option
– Using these ratios based only on clock
hours in class is always acceptable
– Generally must apply by individual class
or program activity
5
New Conversion Ratios Exception
- §668.8(l)(2)
• Conversion Formula Full Formula option
– Option takes into account out-of-class work
– Credit hours must meet new definition
– Accreditor, or state approving agency, has
identified no deficiencies
• Out-of-class student work determination: Is
based on individual coursework components,
e.g., classroom study versus practica with little
outside study (NPRM, Preamble, p. 34810)
6
New Conversion Ratios Exception
• Regardless of the amount of out-of-class
work required, must meet these minimums:
– One semester or trimester credit hour
must include at least 30 clock hours
– One quarter credit hour must include at
least 20 clock hours
• May need to use greater than 30 or 20 clock
hours per semester or quarter hour if
insufficient out-of-class student work in a
course to support at least 37.5 or 25 hours of
student work per semester or quarter hour
7
Conversion
Case Study
(from semester hours to clock hours
then to converted
Title IV Semester hours)
8
What is an Eligible Program
An Eligible Program at Institutions of Higher
Education must be one of the following:
• Associate, bachelor’s graduate or professional
degree, or
• At least a 2-year program acceptable for full credit
toward a bachelor’s degree, or
• At least a 1-year training program that leads to a
degree or certificate (or other educational
credential) and prepares students for gainful
employment in a recognized occupation.
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Case –Health Care Assistant
To be an Eligible Program (Title IV Financial Aid) at
either a Proprietary Institution of Higher Education
or a Postsecondary Vocational Institution, the
program must provide training that prepares
students for gainful employment in a recognized
occupation and contain a minimum of:
• 16 weeks instruction; 600 clock hours, 16
semester, or 24 quarter hours.
• 10 weeks of instruction; 300-599 clock
hours,
– 70% completion/placement rate; in existence
for one year (eligible for Direct Loans only)
10
Case –Health Care Assistant
•
The 16 week program that consists of 4 courses that equate to 416 clock
hours of instructional time (144, 144, 80, and 48 clock hours respectively).
– Basic Health Care Assisting (5 sch = 2 hrs lecture, 4 hrs lab, and 3 hrs
internship).
• This course has 32 hrs lecture, 64 hrs lab, and 48 hrs internship.
– Special Care Procedures (5 sch = 2 hrs lecture, 4 hrs lab, and 3 hrs
internship).
• This course has 32 hrs lecture, 64 hrs lab, and 48 hrs internship.
– Body Structure and Function (4 sch = 3 hrs lecture, 2 hrs lab).
• This course has 48 hrs lecture and 32 hrs lab.
– Home Health Aide and Homemaker Services (2 sch= 1 hr lecture and 2
hrs lab)
• This course has 16 hrs lecture and 32 hrs lab
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Case Study: Default Option
• So using the default 37.5 clock hours per
semester hour, ignoring the out-of-class
work
• Always calculate on a course-by-course basis
• Always round down any fraction course-bycourse
12
Case Study: Two Options
If you use the Default option: You convert only on
clock hours and ignore any out-of-class work
•
•
•
The first two courses, you divide the total instructional clock hours for the
course by 37.5 you get 3.8 credit hours. (144 hrs/37.5=3.8 credits)
– You must round down regardless so that would give you only 3 Title
IV credits for the 5 semester credit course.
The third course, you divide the total clock hours for the course by 37.5
you get 2.1 credit hours. (80 hrs/37.5=2.1 credits)
– You must round down regardless so that would give you only 2 Title
IV credits for the 4 semester credit course.
The fourth course, you divide the total clock hours for the course by 37.5
you get 1.3 credit hours. (48 hrs/37.5=1.3 credits)
– You must round down regardless so that would give you only 1 Title
IV credits for the 2 semester credit course.
• Only 9 Title IV Credits (3+3+2+1 Title IV Credits) for the
program does not meet requirements for eligible programs
under Title IV. (15 weeks instruction and 16 semester
hours.)
13
Case –Health Care Assistant
The institution determines that for—
•
For first two courses, a student generally is required to perform 96 hours of
out-of-class work for each course
– 2 lecture credits=(2 hrs per week X 2 lecture credits X 16 wks=64 hrs out-of-class
work )
– 2 lab credits=(1 hr per week X 2 lab credits X 16 wks=32 hrs out-of-class work )
– 0 out-of-class work for Internship hrs
•
For the third course, a student generally is required to perform 64 hours of
out-of-class work for the course
– 1 lecture credit=(2 hr per week X 1 lecture credit X 16 wks=32 hrs out-of-class
work)
– 2 lab credits=(1 hr per week X 2 lab credits X 16 wks= 32 hrs out-of-class work)
•
The fourth course, a student generally is required to perform 48 hours of
out-of-class work for the course.
– 1 lecture credit=(2 hr per week X 1 lecture credit X 16 wks=32 hrs out-of-class
work)
– 1 lab credit=(1 hr per week X 1 lab credit X 16 wks=16 hrs out-of-class work)
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Case Study:Full-Formula Option
• If you use Full formula option: you convert to clock
hours first, then convert the instructional clock hours to
Title IV credits based on both clock hours and the
allowable out-of-class work to determine the
maximum allowable Title IV Credits.
• Remember, to be eligible for Title IV Financial Aid, a
program must meet at least 15 weeks and have at
least 16 semester credits (Title IV credits) to be an
eligible program.
• Must meet thirty clock-hour minimum
• There is no carry over of out-of-class work
between courses
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Case Study: Full Formula Option
Prefix
16 week
Course certificat
#
e
HCA
1115
HCA
1125
HCA
1214
HCA
1312
Health Care
Assistant
Semesters are considered 16 week semesters excluding exams
and breaks
Allowable
out-ofclass prep
hours.
Divide InClass-Clock
hours by
30 hours
and then
Semester
multiply
Semester
hour
SCH
by 7.5
hours
(rounded)
Breakdo
hours to
(Total
If
wn of
In Class
get
clock and
Rounding
actual In- Lecture Lab
Clock
allowable
prep Notes and must
Class
(SCH * (SCH X Clinical hours
Out-ofTotal clock
hours Results if round
Student 16
2 X 16 (SCH X for the
Class Prep and prep
divided Not using down by
Work
weeks) weeks) 3X 16) course
time
hours
by 37.5) Rounding course
(1st semester courses) 16 weeks
5 sch: 2
hr.
Course #1 Basic
5 sch
lecture, 4
32 64
48
Health Care Assisting
hr. lab, 3
hr. clinical
144
+
36
180 4.80 (A) (B)
4
5 sch: 2
hr.
Course #2 Special
5 sch
lecture, 2
32 64
48
Care Procedures
hr. lab, 6
hr. clinical
144
+
36
180 4.80 (A) (C)
4
4 sch: 3
Course #3 Body
hr.
4 sch
Structure and
48 32
0
lecture, 2
Function
hr. lab
80
+
20
100 2.67 (A) (D)
2
2 sch: 1Course #4 Home
hr.
2 sch
Health Aide and
16 32
0
lecture, 2Homemaker Services
hr. lab
48
12
60 1.60 (A) (E)
1
16 sch
416.00
104.00
520.00
13.87
11.00
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Financial Aid and IT
• What does all this mean in terms
of Financial Aid and Information
Technology?
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