[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19604-19610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07975]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Developing Hispanic-Serving
Institutions Program
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information
Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031S.
DATES: Applications Available: April 9, 2014.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2014.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 8, 2014.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The HSI Program provides grants to assist HSIs
to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic
attainment of, Hispanic students. The HSI Program grants also enable
HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality,
and institutional stability.
Background
In 2008, the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was amended by the
Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA). The HEOA made a number
of changes to the HSI Program. The regulations for the HSI Program in
34 CFR part 606 have not been updated since before the HEA was amended
by the HEOA. Therefore, we encourage applicants to carefully read this
notice, which references the statutory provisions when the
corresponding regulatory provisions for this program have not been
updated.
For example, section 501 of the HEOA amended section 503(b) of the
HEA to include, among the authorized activities under the HSI Program--
(1) Activities to improve student services, including innovative
and customized instruction courses designed to help retain students and
move the students into core courses;
(2) Articulation agreements and student support programs designed
to facilitate the transfer of students from 2-year to 4-year
institutions; and
(3) Providing education, counseling services, or financial
information designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of
students or their families.
The list of authorized activities in section 503(b) of the HEA was
also amended to use the term ``distance education technologies'' in
place of ``distance learning academic instruction capabilities.''
Therefore, notwithstanding the description of authorized activities in
34 CFR 606.10, applicants may include these activities in their
proposals under this competition.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities. These priorities are from the notice of final supplemental
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and
corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2014 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from
the competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional
four points to an application, depending on how well the application
meets these competitive preference priorities.
Note: In order to receive any competitive preference priority
points, applicants must address both priorities and may receive from
zero to four points. In scoring these priorities, an applicant will
receive up to two points per priority if it addresses the priority
clearly and persuasively. An applicant that has successfully
addressed both of the competitive priorities will receive the full
four points. Applicants that do not address both of the competitive
preference priorities will not receive any additional points.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Increasing Postsecondary Success
Projects that are designed to increase the number and proportion of
high-need students (as defined in this notice) who persist in and
complete college or other postsecondary education and training.
Note: Applicants that address this priority should identify the
specific interventions that they intend to implement, provide
documentation (in the form of research, data, or studies) that the
planned activities have, in other circumstances, improved student
persistence and completion, and demonstrate that the applicant has
systems in place to track the activities and their effects on
student persistence and completion. Applicants should also consider
how all the activities described in the application will contribute
to this priority.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Improving Productivity
Projects that are designed to significantly increase efficiency in
the use of time, staff, money, or other resources while improving
student learning or other educational outcomes (i.e., outcome per unit
of resource). Such projects may include innovative and sustainable uses
of technology, modification of school schedules and teacher
compensation systems, use of open educational resources (as defined in
this notice), or other strategies.
Note 1: The types of projects identified in Competitive
Preference Priority 2 are suggestions for ways to improve
productivity. The Department recognizes that some of these examples,
such as modifications of teacher compensation systems, may not be
relevant for the context of this program. Accordingly, applicants
that address this priority should respond to this competitive
preference priority in a way that improves productivity in a
relevant, higher education context. The Secretary is particularly
interested in projects that improve student outcomes at lower costs.
Note 2: Applicants addressing this priority should identify the
specific outcomes to be measured and demonstrate that they have the
ability to collect accurate data on both project costs and desired
outcomes. In addition, they should include a discussion of the
expected cost-effectiveness of the practice compared with current
practices.
Definitions: The following definitions are from the notice of final
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supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant
programs published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR
78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637), and apply to the
priorities in this notice:
High-need children and high-need students means children and
students at risk of educational failure, such as children and students
who are living in poverty, who are English learners, who are far below
grade level or who are not on track to becoming college- or career-
ready by graduation, who have left school or college before receiving,
respectively, a regular high school diploma or a college degree or
certificate, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time,
who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting
teenagers, who have been incarcerated, who are new immigrants, who are
migrant, or who have disabilities.
Open educational resources (OER) means teaching, learning, and
research resources that reside in the public domain or have been
released under an intellectual property license that permits their free
use or repurposing by others.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1101-1101d; 1103-1103g.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension and
debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations for this
program in 34 CFR part 606. (d) The notice of final supplemental
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and
corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Five-year Individual
Development Grants and five-year Cooperative Arrangement Development
Grants will be awarded in FY 2014. Planning grants will not be awarded
in FY 2014.
Estimated Available Funds: $18,958,961.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2015 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $525,000-$650,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Individual Development Grants:
$513,000. Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: $637,000.
Maximum Awards: Individual Development Grants: $525,000.
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: $650,000. We will not fund
any application at an amount exceeding these maximum amounts for a
single budget period of 12 months. We may choose not to further
consider or review applications with budgets that exceed the maximum
amounts specified, if we conclude, during our initial review of the
application, that the proposed goals and objectives cannot be obtained
with the specified maximum amount. The Assistant Secretary for
Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: Individual Development Grants: 20.
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: 12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. Applicants should periodically check the HSI Program Web
site for further information. The address is: www.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/index.html.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs that qualify as eligible HSIs are
eligible to apply for new Individual Development Grants and Cooperative
Arrangement Development Grants under the HSI Program. To be an eligible
HSI, an IHE must--
(a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section
502(b) of the HEA (section 502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));
(b) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA, average
educational and general expenditures that are low, per full-time
equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average
educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student of
institutions that offer similar instruction (section 502(a)(2)(A)(ii)
of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));
Note: To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students and low
average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate
student, an IHE must be designated as an ``eligible institution'' in
accordance with 34 CFR 606.3 through 606.5 and the notice inviting
applications for designation as an eligible institution for the
fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted.
For purposes of establishing eligibility for this competition, the
notice inviting applications for designation as an eligible institution
for FY 2014 was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2014
(79 FR 2161). Only institutions that submitted the required application
and received designation through this process before the deadline date
are eligible to submit applications for this competition.
(c) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or
association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable
authority as to the quality of education or training offered, or making
reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an agency
or association (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));
(d) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide within the State,
an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's
degree (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA or a junior or community
college; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)); and
(e) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at
least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year
immediately preceding the date of application (section 502(a)(5)(B) of
the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)).
Note 1: Funds for the HSI Program will be awarded each fiscal
year; thus, for this program, the ``end of the award year
immediately preceding the date of application'' refers to the end of
the fiscal year prior to the application due date. The end of the
fiscal year occurs on September 30 for any given year.
Note 2: In considering applications for grants under this
program, the Department will compare the data and documentation the
institution relied on in its application with data reported to the
Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS),
the IHE's State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional
annual report. If different percentages or data are reported in
these various sources, the institution must, as part of the 25
percent assurance verification, explain the reason for the
differences. If the IPEDS data show that less than 25 percent of the
institution's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic, the burden is
on the institution to show that the IPEDS data are inaccurate. If
the IPEDS data indicate that the institution has an undergraduate
FTE less than 25 percent, and the institution fails to demonstrate
that the IPEDS data are inaccurate, the institution will be
considered ineligible.\1\
\1\ For purposes of making the determination described in
paragraph (e) of the Eligibility Criteria for this competition, IHEs
must report their undergraduate Hispanic FTE percent based on the
student enrollment count closest to, but not after, September 30,
2013.
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Relationship Between HSI and Title III, Part A Programs
Note 1: A grantee under the HSI Program, which is authorized by
title V of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, title
III, Part A or Part B program (section 505 of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.
1101D). The title III, Part A programs include: The Strengthening
Institutions program; the American Indian Tribally Controlled
Colleges and Universities program; the Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions programs; the Asian American and
Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions program; and
the Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions program.
Furthermore, a current HSI Program grantee may not give up its HSI
grant in order to receive a grant under any title III, Part A
program (Sec. 606.2(c)(1)).
Note 2: An HSI that does not fall within the limitation
described in Note 1 may apply for a FY 2014 grant under all title
III, Part A programs, for which it is eligible, as well as under the
HSI Program. However, a successful applicant may receive only one
grant.
Note 3: An eligible HSI that submits multiple applications may
only be awarded one Individual Development Grant and/or one
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant in a fiscal year (34 CFR
606.9 and 606.13). In addition, the Secretary will not award a
second Individual Development Grant to an HSI with a current five-
year Individual Development Grant as described in 34 CFR
606.9(b)(1).
Note 4: An eligible HSI that submits a Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grant with a partnering branch campus that is a part of
the same institution will not be awarded a grant (see definition of
branch campus at 34 CFR 606.7 (b)).
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for
establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a
portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those
grant funds with non-Federal funds (section 503(c)(2) of the HEA; 20
U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Carnisia M. Proctor,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6038,
Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7606 or by email:
[email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in
this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Page Limits: The application narrative (Part III of the
application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection
criteria and the competitive priorities that reviewers use to evaluate
your application. We have established mandatory page limits for both
the Individual Development Grant and the Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grant applications. If your application addresses the
competitive priorities you must limit the application narrative (Part
III) to no more than 55 pages for the Individual Development Grant
application and no more than 75 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grant application. Please include a separate heading when
responding to the competitive priorities. If you do not wish to address
the competitive priorities, you must limit your application narrative
to no more than 50 pages for the Individual Development Grant
application and no more than 70 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grant application using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Note: For purposes of determining compliance with the page
limits, each page on which there are words will be counted as one
full page.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts,
tables, and graphs. These items may be single-spaced. Charts, tables,
figures, and graphs in the application narrative count toward the page
limit.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or no
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for
Federal Assistance (SF 424); the Department of Education Supplemental
Information form (SF 424); Part II, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524); Part IV, the assurances and
certifications; or the one-page project abstract, program activity
budget detail form and supporting narrative, and the five-year plan.
However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative
section (Part III), including the budget narrative of the selection
criteria and the competitive priorities. If you include any attachments
or appendices not specifically requested in the application package,
these items will be counted as part of your application narrative (Part
III) for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your
complete response to the selection criteria in the application
narrative.
Note: The narrative response to the budget selection criteria
is not the same as the activity detail budget form and supporting
narrative. The supporting narrative for the activity detail budget
form lists the requested budget items line by line.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: April 9,
2014.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2014.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 8, 2014.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about
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Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the
Government's primary registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one-to-two business days.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department,
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through
Grants.gov.
If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
following Grants.gov Web page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications
Applications for grants under the HSI Program, CFDA Number 84.031S,
must be submitted electronically using the Government wide Grants.gov
Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to
download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and
then upload and submit your application. You may not email an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the HSI Program
at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA
number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.031, not
84.031S).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at http://www.G5.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
You must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document)
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only,
non-modifiable PDF or submit a
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password-protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by email. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time, or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days; or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Carnisia M. Proctor,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6038, Washington,
DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7813.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.031S) LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with
your local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.031S), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
in 34 CFR 606.22. In addition to these selection criteria, we evaluate
an applicant's performance under a previous development grant under 34
CFR 606.24.
[[Page 19609]]
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an
award are as follows:
(A) Documentation of at least 25 Percent Hispanic Undergraduate FTE
students. Applicants must provide, as an attachment to the application,
the documentation the IHE relied upon in determining that at least 25
percent of the IHE's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic.
Note: The 25 percent requirement applies only to undergraduate
Hispanic students and is calculated based upon FTE students as
defined in section 502(a)(4) of the HEA. Instructions for formatting
and submitting the verification documentation to Grants.gov are in
the application package for this competition.
(B) Tiebreaker for Development Grants. In tie-breaking situations
for development grants described in 34 CFR 606.23(b), the HSI Program
regulations require that we award one additional point to an
application from an IHE that has an endowment fund of which the current
market value, per FTE enrolled student, is less than the average
current market value of the endowment funds, per FTE enrolled student,
at comparable institutions that offer similar instruction. We also
award one additional point to an application from an IHE that had
expenditures for library materials per FTE enrolled student that are
less than the average expenditures for library materials per FTE
enrolled student at comparable institutions that offer similar
instruction.
For the purpose of these funding considerations, we use 2011-2012
data.
If a tie remains after applying the tiebreaker mechanism above,
priority will be given (1) for Individual Development Grants, to
applicants that addressed the statutory priority found in section
521(d) of the HEA, as amended; and (2) for Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grants, to applicants in accordance with section 524(b) of
the HEA, under which the Secretary determines that the cooperative
arrangement is geographically and economically sound or will benefit
the applicant HSI.
If a tie still remains after applying the additional point(s) and
the relevant statutory priority, we will determine the ranking of
applicants based on the lowest endowment values per FTE enrolled
student.
3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of
the HSI Program:
a. The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the
number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at
HSIs.
b. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at
the same two-year Hispanic-serving institution.
c. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at
the same four-year Hispanic-serving institution.
d. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students enrolled at four-year HSIs graduating within six
years of enrollment.
e. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students enrolled at two-year HSIs graduating within
three years of enrollment.
f. Federal cost per undergraduate and graduate degree at
institutions in the HSI Program.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes review of a
grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its
approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a
manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In
making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the
grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved
application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving
Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5,
106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
[[Page 19610]]
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carnisia M. Proctor, U.S. Department
of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6038, Washington, DC 20006-8513.
Telephone: (202) 502-7606 or by email: [email protected].
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: April 4, 2014.
Lynn B. Mahaffie,
Senior Director, Policy Coordination, Development, and Accreditation
Service, delegated the authority to perform the functions and duties of
the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2014-07975 Filed 4-8-14; 8:45 am]
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