SECTION 22.171. Repayment of Loans

(a) A scholarship is considered a loan on the date the recipient fails to meet the conditions of the scholarship as described in §22.170 of this subchapter (relating to Conversion of the Scholarship to a Loan); the loan amount must be repaid, plus interest accrued.

(b) Loan interest. The interest rate charged on the loans shall be the same rate charged for a College Access Loan at the time the funds were disbursed. Interest shall begin to accrue on the date the scholarship is converted to a loan.

(c) Period of loan repayment. The total amount of principal, interest, late charges, and any costs of collection that accrue over the life of the loans are to be repaid in installments over a period of not more than 15 years after the date the scholarship becomes a loan.

(d) Grace period. A recipient shall begin making payments six months after the date the scholarship becomes a loan.

(e) Minimum repayment amount. The minimum monthly payment amount required by any repayment plan is $100, or an amount required to repay the loan within 15 years, whichever is greater.

(f) Late charges. A charge of 5 percent of the scheduled monthly payment amount or five dollars ($5), whichever is less, shall be assessed if the past due amount is not received within 20 days of the scheduled due date. These charges shall be collected for late payment of all sums due and payable and shall be taken out of the next payment received by the Board.

(g) Collection charges. In the case of delinquent accounts, the Commissioner may authorize the assessment of charges to cover costs necessary to collect the loan.

(h) Deferments. An education deferment is available to any recipient whose loan is not in a default status and who provides the Board documentation of enrollment as at least a half-time student.

(i) Forbearance. Board staff may grant periods of forbearance in the form of postponed or reduced payments for unusual financial hardship if the Board receives a written or verbal request stating the circumstances that merit such consideration.

(j) Prepayment. Any loans made through the program may be prepaid without penalty.

(k) Application of payments. In accordance with the terms of the promissory note, Board staff shall determine the priority order in which payments shall be applied to interest, late charges, principal, collections costs and any other charges.

Source Note: The provisions of this §22.171 adopted to be effective November 30, 2009, 34 TexReg 8530; transferred effective June 1, 2017, as published in the Texas Register May 19, 2017, 42 TexReg 2739; amended to be effective May 29, 2018, 43 TexReg 3353; amended to be effective August 3, 2020, 45 TexReg 5341