(a) General requirements for an annuity. (1) For a child age 18 to 22 to be eligible to receive an annuity as a full-time student, the child must also meet all other requirements applicable to qualify for an annuity by a child who has not attained age 18.

(2) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, OPM must receive certification, in a form prescribed by OPM, that the child is regularly pursuing a full-time course of study in an accredited institution.

(b) Full-time course of study. (1) Generally, a full-time course of study is a noncorrespondence course which, if successfully completed, will lead to completion of the education within the period generally accepted as minimum for completion, by a full-time day student, of the academic or training program concerned.

(2) A certification by an accredited institution that the student's workload is sufficient to constitute a full-time course of study for the program in which the student is enrolled is prima facie evidence that the student is pursuing a full-time course of study.

(c) Certification of school attendance. (1) OPM may periodically request the recipient of a child's annuity payments to furnish certification of school attendance. The certification must be completed in the form prescribed by OPM.

(2) If OPM requests the recipient of a child's annuity payments to provide a self-certification of school attendance, the recipient must complete and sign the certification form.

(3) If OPM requests the recipient of a child's annuity payments to provide a certification by the school, the certification must be signed by an official who is either in charge of the school or in charge of the school's records. OPM will not accept certification forms signed by instructors, counselors, aides, roommates, or others not in charge of the school or the records.

(i) If the educational institution is above the high school level, the certification must be signed by the president or chancellor, vice president or vice chancellor, dean or assistant dean, registrar or administrator, assistant registrar or assistant administrator, or the equivalent.

(ii) If the educational institution is at the high school level, the certification must be signed by the superintendent of schools, assistant superintendent of schools, principal, vice principal, assistant principal, or the equivalent.

(iii) If the educational institution is a technical or trade school, the certification must be signed by the president, vice president, director, assistant director, or the equivalent.

(4) OPM will accept a facsimile signature of a school official only if it is accompanied by a raised seal of the institution or other evidence clearly demonstrating the authenticity of the certification and making unauthorized use of the signature stamp unlikely.

(d) Continuation of annuity during interim breaks. A child's annuity continues during interim breaks between school years if the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The student must have been a full-time student at the end of the school term immediately before the break.

(2) The break between the end of the last term of full-time attendance and the return to full-time attendance must not exceed 5 months. (See § 831.107, concerning calculation of this time period.)

(3) The recipient of a child's annuity payments must show that the student has a bona fide intent to return to school as a full-time student immediately after the break. The full-time certification for the prior term and the certification (in a form prescribed by OPM) by the recipient of a child's annuity payments that the student intends to return to school (immediately after the break) as a full-time student constitute prima facie evidence of a bona fide intent to return to school.

(e) Benefits after age 22. (1) A student's eligibility for a child's annuity terminates based on reaching age 22 on—

(i) June 30 of the calendar year of the child's 22nd birthday if the child's birthday is before July 1; or

(ii) The last day of the month before the child's 22nd birthday if the child's birthday occurs after June 30 but before September 1 of the calendar year; or

(iii) June 30 of the year after the one in which the child attains age 22 if the child's birthday is after August 31 of the calendar year.

(2)(i) An otherwise eligible child who becomes a full-time student after his or her 22nd birthday but before the date the annuity terminates under paragraph (e)(1) of this section is eligible for annuity while he or she is a full-time student until the termination date under paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(ii) An otherwise eligible child who is a full-time student, and whose parent dies after the child's 22nd birthday but before the date the annuity terminates under paragraph (e)(1) of this section, is eligible for annuity while he or she is a full-time student after the death of the parent until the termination date under paragraph (e)(1) of this section.