(a) A hearing official may convene a prehearing conference if he or she thinks that the conference would be useful, or if the conference is requested by--
(1) The designated department official who brought a proceeding against an institution or third-party servicer under this subpart; or
(2) The institution or servicer, as applicable.
(b) The purpose of a prehearing conference is to allow the parties to settle or narrow the dispute.
(c) If the hearing official, the designated department official, and the institution, or servicer, as applicable, agree, a prehearing conference may consist of--
(1) A conference telephone call;
(2) An informal meeting; or
(3) The submission and exchange of written material. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [59 FR 22448, Apr. 29, 1994]