34 CFR § 648.2 - Who is eligible for a grant?
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t34/s648.2"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "34 CFR § 648.2 - Who is eligible for a grant?"
title_number: 34
title_name: "Education"
section_number: "648.2"
section_name: "Who is eligible for a grant?"
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION"
part_number: "648"
part_name: "GRADUATE ASSISTANCE IN AREAS OF NATIONAL NEED"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "20 U.S.C. 1135-1135e, unless otherwise noted."
regulatory_source: "58 FR 65842, Dec. 16, 1993, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "648"
---
# 648.2 Who is eligible for a grant?
(a) The Secretary awards grants to the following:
(1) Any academic department of an institution of higher education that provides a course of study that—
(i) Leads to a graduate degree in an area of national need; and
(ii) Has been in existence for at least four years at the time of an application for a grant under this part.
(2) An academic department of an institution of higher education that—
(i) Satisfies the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section; and
(ii) Submits a joint application with one or more eligible nondegree-granting institutions that have formal arrangements for the support of doctoral dissertation research with one or more degree-granting institutions.
(b) A formal arrangement under paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section is a written agreement between a degree-granting institution and an eligible nondegree-granting institution whereby the degree-granting institution accepts students from the eligible nondegree-granting institution as doctoral degree candidates with the intention of awarding these students doctorates in an area of national need.
(c) The Secretary does not award a grant under this part for study at a school or department of divinity.
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135, 1135a)