non-term	(includes	clock-hour	calendars),	or
subscription-based.
In	a	standard	term	or	nonstandard	term	academic	calendar,	a	term	is	generally	a	period	in	which	all	classes	are
scheduled	to	begin	and	end	within	a	set	time	frame,	and	academic	progress	is	measured	in	credit	hours.
In	a	non-term	academic	calendar,	classes	do	not	begin	and	end	within	a	set	time	frame,	such	as	a	term.	Academic
progress	in	a	non-term	program	can	be	measured	in	either	credit	or	clock	hours.	In	some	cases	(as	discussed	below),	a
program	with	terms	must	be	treated	as	a	non-term	program	for	Title	IV	purposes.
A	subscription-based	academic	calendar	is	used	only	by	subscription-based	programs.	A	subscription-based	program
is	a	term-based	program	in	which	the	school	charges	a	student	for	each	term	on	a	subscription	basis	with	the	expectation
that	the	student	will	complete	a	specified	number	of	credit	hours	(or	the	equivalent)	during	that	term.	However,	classes	in
a	subscription-based	program	are	not	required	to	begin	or	end	within	a	specific	timeframe	in	each	term,	as	is	the	case	in	a
term-based	calendar	that	is	not	subscription-based.	For	more	detail	on	subscription-based	programs,	see	Volume	2,
Chapter	2.
A	subscription-based	academic	calendar	consists	of	"subscription	periods"	that	are	either	standard	terms	or	substantially
equal	nonstandard	terms	(for	guidance	on	when	terms	are	considered	to	be	substantially	equal	in	length,	see	<Payment
periods	for	programs	using	standard	terms	or	substantially	equal	nonstandard	terms=	later	in	this	chapter).	Substantially
equal	nonstandard	terms	may	be	of	any	length,	but	if	they	are	not	at	least	nine	weeks	in	length,	the	program	must	use
BBAY	3	for	purposes	of	monitoring	Direct	Loan	annual	loan	limit	progression	(see	
Volume	8,	Chapter	6	for	more
information	on	BBAY	3).	Nonstandard	terms	that	are	not	substantially	equal	in	length	are	not	permissible	in	a
subscription-based	academic	calendar.
The	term	"subscription	period"	is	synonymous	with	"term"	and	"payment	period"	(payment	periods	are	covered	later	in
this	chapter).	Except	for	the	fact	that	classes	are	not	required	to	start	and	end	within	a	term,	the	rules	and	requirements
for	term-based	programs	that	are	not	subscription-based	also	apply	to	subscription-based	programs.	These	requirements
include:
minimum	and	maximum	term	length	restrictions	for	standard	terms	(see	the	discussion	in	the	next	section	of	this
chapter);
requirements	for	determining	full-time	enrollment	(see	Volume	1,	Chapter	1);
use	of	a	Scheduled	Academic	Year	(SAY),	BBAY	1,	BBAY	2,	or	BBAY	3	for	monitoring	Direct	Loan	annual	loan	limit
progression	(see	Volume	8,	Chapter	6);	and
use	of	Pell	Grant	formulas	1,	2,	or	3	to	calculate	Pell	Grant	awards	(see	Volume	7,	Chapter	4).
Whether	an	academic	calendar	is	standard	term,	nonstandard	term,	non-term,	or	subscription-based	has	implications	for
how	aid	is	awarded	and	disbursed	under	the	Title	IV	programs.
Standard	Terms:	Semesters,	Trimesters,	and	Quarters
Semesters	and	trimesters	contain	between	14	and	21	weeks	of	instructional	time.	However,	a	summer	term	in	a	program
using	semesters	or	trimesters	may	contain	fewer	than	14	weeks.	An	academic	calendar	that	uses	semesters	or	trimesters
traditionally	has	three	terms,	one	each	in	the	fall,	spring,	and	summer,	two	of	which	comprise	an	academic	year.	For
example,	in	a	program	using	an	SAY	calendar,	fall	and	spring	would	comprise	an	academic	year.	In	a	program	using	a
Subscription-Based	Program
34	CFR	668.2(b)
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