[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75722-75730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29769]
[[Page 75721]]
Vol. 79
Thursday,
No. 243
December 18, 2014
Part III
Department of Education
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Applications for New Awards; Student Support Services Program; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Student Support Services Program
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information: Student Support Services Program (SSS
Program).
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.042A.
DATES:
Applications Available: December 18, 2014.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 2, 2015.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 2, 2015.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the SSS Program is to increase
the number of disadvantaged, low-income college students, first-
generation college students, and college students with disabilities in
the United States who successfully complete a program of study at the
postsecondary level. The support services that are provided should
increase the retention and graduation rates for these categories of
students and facilitate their transfer from two-year to four-year
colleges and universities. The support services should also foster an
institutional climate that supports the success of students who are
limited English proficient, students from groups that are historically
underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with
disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students
who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system, and
other disconnected students. Student support services should also
improve the financial and economic literacy of students.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1(a) is from the
Department's Notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions
for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on
December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73426). Competitive Preference Priority 1(b)
is from 34 CFR 75.266. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv),
Competitive Preference Priority 2(a) is from Section 402D(c)(1) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Competitive Preference
Priority 2(b) is from 34 CFR 75.266.
Note: Applicants must include, in the one-page abstract
submitted with the application, a statement indicating which, if
any, of the competitive preference priorities are addressed. If the
applicant has addressed the competitive preference priorities, this
information must also be listed on the SSS Program Profile Form.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2015 and any subsequent
year for which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to 6 additional
points to an application depending on how well the application meets
these priorities.
The competitive preference priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1(a)--Influencing the Development of
Non-Cognitive Factors (Up to 1 Additional Point)
Background: A promising body of research suggests that non-
cognitive factors can play an important role in students' academic,
career, and life outcomes.\1\ Non-cognitive factors include a broad
range of behaviors, strategies, and attitudes, such as academic
behaviors (including attendance and homework completion), academic
mindsets (including a sense of belonging in the academic community and
believing that academic achievement improves with effort), perseverance
(including tenacity and self-discipline), social and emotional skills
(including cooperation, empathy, and adaptability), and approaches
toward learning strategies (such as executive functions, attention,
goal-setting, curiosity, problem-solving, self-regulating learning,
study skills, and the ability to work cooperatively with others).
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\1\ Farrington et al. (2012); National Research Council. (2012).
Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and
Skills in the 21st Century. Committee on Defining Deeper Learning
and 21st Century Skills, James W. Pellegrino and Margaret L. Hilton,
Editors. Board on Testing and Assessment and Board on Science
Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, pp. 4-5; Strobel,
Karen R. (2012, May). Academic Motivation and School Engagement and
their Links to Academic Achievement: A Follow up Report. Paper
prepared for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Palo Alto,
CA: John W. Gardner Center; Stephens, N.M., Hamedani, M.G., &
Destin, M. (2014). Closing the social-class achievement gap: A
difference-education intervention improves first-generation
students' academic performance and all students' college transition.
Psychological Science. http://www.psychology.northwestern.edu/documents/destin-achievement.pdf; Walton, G.M. & Cohen, G.L. (2011).
A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health
outcomes of minority students. Science, 331, 1447-1451. http://
web.stanford.edu/~gwalton/home/Publications_files/
Walton_Cohen_2011_Science_1.pdf.
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The development of these skills is critical during the
postsecondary years as students face new academic challenges, social
comparisons, and stereotypes regarding their potential for success. How
students negotiate these changes has major implications for their
academic futures. For example, interventions focused on academic
mindset have been shown to have a measurable impact on grades and
course persistence, as well as on college enrollment and completion
among low-income and minority students. Studies have found that
students with positive academic mindsets work harder, engage in more
productive academic behaviors, and persevere to overcome obstacles to
success. Conversely, students with negative mindsets about school or
themselves as learners are likely to withdraw from the practices that
are essential for academic success and to give up easily when they
encounter setbacks or difficulty. Strategies focused on strengthening
perseverance and social and emotional skills also have demonstrated
positive outcomes. Ideally, over the course of their K-16 school
experience, children and young adults will come to see themselves as
competent, productive people who are able to contribute meaningfully to
their communities and the larger world.
Through Competitive Preference Priority 1(a), the Department
encourages applicants to propose strategies focused on the development
of non-cognitive skills to improve postsecondary success. The
Department is interested in receiving applications with strong plans to
develop the non-cognitive skills of students. Applicants addressing
this priority should demonstrate how their proposal will improve
student outcomes.
The Department is sufficiently interested in this priority topic
that we may later seek to partner with successful applicants to conduct
research and evaluation.
Priority: Projects that are designed to improve students' mastery
of non-cognitive skills and behaviors (such as academic behaviors,
academic mindset, perseverance, self-regulation, social and emotional
skills, and approaches toward learning strategies) and enhance student
motivation and engagement in learning.
[[Page 75723]]
Competitive Preference Priority 1(b)--Strategies To Influence the
Development of Non-Cognitive Factors Supported by Moderate Evidence of
Effectiveness (Up to 2 Additional Points)
In recent years, the Department has placed an increasing emphasis
on promoting evidence-based practices through our grant competitions.
We believe that encouraging applicants to focus on proven strategies
can only enhance the quality of our competitions and the outcomes of
students who participate in our programs. Accordingly, for those who
apply under Competitive Preference Priority 1(a), Influencing the
Development of Non-cognitive Factors, we give additional competitive
preference to applications that submit moderate evidence of
effectiveness supporting their proposed strategy for addressing non-
cognitive factors.
Priority: Projects that influence the development of non-cognitive
factors using strategies that are supported by moderate evidence of
effectiveness (as defined in this notice).
Note: An applicant addressing Competitive Preference Priority
1(a) can earn one point based on the extent to which their project
is designed to influence the development of non-cognitive factors.
Through Competitive Preference Priority 1(b), applicants can earn
two additional points by demonstrating that their strategy to
address non-cognitive factors is based on research that meets the
moderate evidence of effectiveness standard. Applicants seeking to
address Competitive Preference Priority 1(b) should identify a
citation for one study that meets the definition of moderate
evidence of effectiveness. Relevant studies will be reviewed to
determine if they meet the definition of moderate evidence of
effectiveness, including What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards,
with or without reservations, which is necessary to fulfill the
definition of moderate evidence of effectiveness. The WWC Procedures
and Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), can be found
at:http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/reference_resources/wwc_procedures_v3_0_standards_handbook.pdf. Applicants may submit a
citation for a study that supports the applicants' proposed
strategies that has already been determined by the Department to
meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness standard, or a study
that has not yet been reviewed by the Department but that the
applicant thinks will meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness
standard. A summary of studies of non-cognitive strategies that the
Department has determined meets the moderate evidence of
effectiveness standard is provided in the Appendix to this Notice.
Applicants proposing strategies to improve non-cognitive outcomes
should implement the intervention from their supporting study as
closely as possible and describe in the narrative response to the
priority how they will do so. Where modifications to the cited
intervention will be made to account for student or institutional
characteristics, resource limitations, or other special factors, the
applicant should provide a justification or basis for the modifications
in the narrative response to the priority.
The link for the citation submitted for Competitive Preference
Priority 1(b) should be provided on the Abstract, as well as the SSS
Program Profile Form. Applicants should specify in their narrative
response to this priority the findings within the study that are cited
as moderate evidence of effectiveness for the proposed strategies to
address non-cognitive factors and ensure that the citation and link are
from a publicly or readily available source.
Competitive Preference Priority 2(a)--Providing Individualized
Counseling for Personal, Career, and Academic Matters (Up to 1
Additional Point)
Background: Through Competitive Preference Priority 2(a), the
Department encourages applicants to propose strategies focused on
individualized counseling, because emerging research suggests that
certain kinds of such counseling can improve students' academic
performance or persistence.\2\ The Department is interested in
receiving applications with strong plans to provide individualized
counseling to students for personal, career, or academic matters.
Applicants addressing this priority should demonstrate how their
proposal will improve student outcomes. The Department is sufficiently
interested in this priority topic that we may later seek to partner
with successful applicants to conduct research and evaluation.
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\2\ See, for example, Bettinger, E.P., & Baker, R. (2011). The
effects of student coaching in college: An evaluation of a
randomized experiment in student mentoring. https://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/bettinger_baker_030711.pdf.
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Priority: Projects that will provide individualized counseling for
personal, career, and academic matters by assigned counselors.
Competitive Preference Priority 2(b)--Individual Counseling Activities
Based on Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness (2 Additional Points)
Background: In recent years, the Department has placed an
increasing emphasis on promoting evidence-based practices through our
grant competitions. We believe that encouraging applicants to focus on
proven strategies can only enhance the quality of our competitions and
the outcomes of students who participate in our programs. Accordingly,
for those who apply under Competitive Preference Priority 2(a),
Providing Individualized Counseling for Personal, Career, and Academic
Matters, we give additional competitive preference to applications that
submit moderate evidence of effectiveness supporting their proposed
strategy for providing individualized counseling.
Priority: Projects that provide individualized counseling using
strategies supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness (as defined
in this notice).
Note: An applicant addressing Competitive Preference Priority
2(a) can earn one point based on the extent to which their project
is designed to provide individualized counseling. Through
Competitive Preference Priority 2(b), applicants can earn two
additional points by demonstrating that their individualized
counseling strategies are based on research that meets the moderate
evidence of effectiveness standard. Applicants seeking to address
Competitive Preference Priority 2(b) should identify a citation for
one study that meets the definition of moderate evidence of
effectiveness. Relevant studies will be reviewed to determine if
they meet the definition of moderate evidence of effectiveness,
including WWC standards, with or without reservations, which is
necessary to fulfill the definition of moderate evidence of
effectiveness. The WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook. The WWC
Procedures and Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), can be
found at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/reference_resources/wwc_procedures_v3_0_standards_handbook.pdf. Applicants may submit a
citation for a study that supports the applicants' proposed
strategies that has already been determined by the Department to
meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness standard, or a study
that has not yet been reviewed by the Department but that the
applicant thinks will meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness
standard. A summary of studies of individualized counseling
strategies that the Department has already determined meets the
moderate evidence of effectiveness standard is provided in the
Appendix to this Notice.
Applicants' proposed individualized counseling strategies should
implement the intervention described from their supporting study as
closely as possible and describe in the narrative response to the
priority how they will do so. Where modifications to the cited
intervention will be made to account for student or institutional
characteristics, resource limitations, or other special factors, the
applicant should provide a justification or basis for the modifications
in the narrative response to the priority.
The link for the citation submitted for Competitive Preference
Priority 2(b) should be provided on the Abstract, as well as the SSS
Program Profile Form.
[[Page 75724]]
Applicants should specify in their narrative response to this priority
the findings within the study that are cited as moderate evidence of
effectiveness for the proposed strategies to provide individualized
counseling intervention and ensure that the citation and link are from
a publicly or readily available source.
Definitions: These definitions are from the Notice of Final
Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant
Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR
73426) and from 34 CFR 77.1.
Moderate evidence of effectiveness means one of the following
conditions is met:
(i) There is at least one study of the effectiveness of the
process, product, strategy, or practice being proposed that meets the
WWC Evidence Standards without reservations,\3\ found a statistically
significant favorable impact on a relevant outcome (with no
statistically significant and overriding unfavorable impacts on that
outcome for relevant populations in the study or in other studies of
the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the WWC), and includes
a sample that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to
receive the process, product, strategy, or practice.
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\3\ The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards
Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), can be found at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/reference_resources/wwc_procedures_v3_0_standards_handbook.pdf.
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(ii) There is at least one study of the effectiveness of the
process, product, strategy, or practice being proposed that meets the
WWC Evidence Standards with reservations,\4\ found a statistically
significant favorable impact on a relevant outcome (with no
statistically significant and overriding unfavorable impacts on that
outcome for relevant populations in the study or in other studies of
the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the WWC), includes a
sample that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to
receive the process, product, strategy, or practice, and includes a
large sample and a multi-site sample (Note: Multiple studies can
cumulatively meet the large and multi-site sample requirements as long
as each study meets the other requirements in this paragraph).
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\4\ Id.
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Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can
meet WWC Evidence Standards with reservations \5\ (they cannot meet WWC
Evidence Standards without reservations).
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\5\ Id.
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Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between
the average outcome for the treatment group and for the control group.
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet WWC
Evidence Standards without reservations.\6\
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\6\ Id.
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Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 20 U.S.C. 1070a-14.
Applicable Regulations: This NIA is being published before the
Department adopts the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements in 2 CFR part 200. We expect to
publish interim final regulations that would adopt those requirements
before December 26, 2014, and make those regulations effective on that
date. Because grants awarded under this NIA will likely be made after
ED adopts the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, we list as applicable
regulations both those that are currently effective and those that will
be effective at the time ED makes grants.
The current regulations follow: (a) The Education Department
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77,
79, 80, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department
debarment and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485.
At the time we award grants under this NIA, the following
regulations will apply: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84,
86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department debarment and
suspension regulations as adopted in 2 CFR part 3485 and the Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards as adopted in 2 CFR part 3474.
Regardless of the timing of publication, the following also apply
to this NIA: (a) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 646
and (b) the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for
discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on
December 15, 2014 (79 FR 73426).
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 only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$838,252,000 for the Federal TRIO Programs for FY 2015, of which we
intend to use an estimated $265,706,546 for new SSS awards under this
competition and $23,966,448 for continuation awards to current SSS
grantees. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow
enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates
funds for the Federal TRIO Programs. Contingent upon the availability
of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards
in FY 2016 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $220,000-$360,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $282,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding the maximum amount listed for a single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may
change the maximum award amount through a notice published in the
Federal Register.
For Applicants Not Currently Receiving a SSS Program Grant
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Maximum
Type of project amount *
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Regular SSS Project Serving a Minimum of 140 Student $220,000
Participants..............................................
Regular SSS Project Serving a Minimum of 100 Student 220,000
Participants with Disabilities............................
English as a Second Language (ESL) SSS Project Serving a 220,000
Minimum of 140 Student Participants.......................
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and 220,000
Health Science SSS Project Serving a Minimum of 120
Student Participants......................................
Teacher Preparation SSS Project Serving a Minimum of 140 220,000
Student Participants......................................
[[Page 75725]]
Veterans SSS Project Serving a Minimum of 120 Student 220,000
Participants..............................................
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* Note: For applicants proposing to serve fewer than the minimum number
of student participants specified in the above table, the maximum
award amount that may be requested is an amount equal to: $1,571 per
student participant for Regular, ESL, and Teacher Preparation
projects; $2,200 per student participant for Disabled projects; $1,833
per student participant for STEM (including Health Science) and
Veterans projects.
For Applicants Currently Receiving a SSS Program Grant
The maximum award amount is the greater of: (a) $220,000 or (b) 100
percent of the applicant's base award amount for FY 2012.
For any currently funded applicant that proposes to serve fewer
students than it served in FY 2012, the maximum award amount that may
be requested is the amount that corresponds with the cost per
participant previously established for the project in FY 2012.
Note: For an applicant currently receiving an individual SSS
Program grant that has merged into another IHE that is also
receiving an individual SSS Program grant, the maximum award amount
for the applicant (the merged institution) is 100 percent of the
combined FY 2012 base grant award amounts for both institutions. For
grantees that have merged, the applicant must propose to serve the
combined number it served in FY 2012.
Estimated Number of New Awards: 1,026.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education or
combinations of institutions of higher education.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 402D(d)(4) of the HEA requires
that all successful applicants that use SSS Program funds to provide
grant aid to students pursuant to section 402D(d)(1) of the HEA must
provide matching funds, in cash, from non-Federal funds, in an amount
that is not less than 33 percent of the total amount of the SSS Program
funds used for this aid. This matching requirement does not apply to a
grant recipient that is an IHE eligible to receive funds under Part A
or Part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA.
3. Other: An applicant may submit multiple applications if each
separate application describes a project that will serve a different
campus or a different population (Section 402(c)(5)of the HEA). Under
section 402A(h)(1) of the HEA, the term ``different campus'' means a
site of an IHE that--(1) is geographically apart from the main campus
of the institution; (2) is permanent in nature and (3) offers courses
in educational programs leading to a degree, certificate, or other
recognized educational credential (Section 402(h)(1)of the HEA).
Under section 402A(h)(2) of the HEA, the term ``different
population'' means a group of individuals that an eligible entity
desires to serve through an SSS grant that is separate and distinct
from any other population that the entity has applied to serve using
Federal TRIO Program funds, or, while sharing some of the same needs as
another population that the eligible entity has applied to serve using
Federal TRIO Program funds, has distinct needs for specialized
services. To implement the requirement in Section 402(h)(2) of the HEA
for this competition, the Secretary is designating the populations to
be served as: Participants who meet the specific requirements for SSS
services (``regular SSS grants''), participants with disabilities
(``disabled grants''), participants who need ESL services (``ESL
grants''), participants receiving services in the STEM fields (``STEM
grants''), participants receiving Teacher Preparation Services
(``Teacher Preparation grants''), and participants who have served in
the armed forces (``Veterans grants''). These different populations
need different types of services. Accordingly, the Secretary has
determined that projects serving these different populations should be
subject to different standards for the minimum number of participants.
An applicant may submit more than one application as long as each
application proposes to serve a different population. Any applicant
that submits more than one application must explain why the different
population of participants cannot be served by the project in the
applicant's other application(s). For project types other than a
regular SSS project, an applicant must propose to serve 100% of the
students in the specific project type.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: ReShone Moore, Ph.D.,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 7000, Washington,
DC 20006-8510. Telephone: (202) 502-7893 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
Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address
the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application.
You must limit the project narrative (Part III), which includes the
budget narrative, to no more than 65 pages, using the following
standards. However, any application addressing the competitive
preference priorities may include up to four additional pages for each
subpart of each of these priorities (1(a) and 1(b) and 2(a) and 2(b)),
if addressed. Those 16 additional pages, eight total for each priority
must be used to discuss how the application meets the competitive
preference priority. The additional pages allotted to address
priorities cannot be used for or transferred to the project narrative
or any section of the application.
Note: For the purpose of determining compliance with the page
limit, each page on which there is text or graphics will be counted
as one full page.
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an
identifier may be within the 1'' margin.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical
inch) all text in the project narrative.
Single space is appropriate for titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text
in figures, charts and graphs.
You should also include a table of contents in the
project narrative, which will not be counted 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 and Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
The page limit does not apply to Part I--the Application for
Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); Part II--the Budget Information
Summary form (ED Form 524); Part III-A--the SSS Program Profile Form;
Part III-B--the one-page Project Abstract form; and Part
[[Page 75726]]
IV--the Assurances and Certifications. If you include any attachments
or appendices, these items will be counted as part of Part III--the
Project Narrative for the purpose of the page-limit requirement. You
must include your complete response to the selection criteria and
priorities in Part III--the Project Narrative.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit, or if
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: December 18, 2014.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 2, 2015.
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
one of the program contact persons listed under For Further Information
Contact in ssection 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: April 2, 2015.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR
646.31. We reference additional 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 two to five 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: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program 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 SSS Program, CFDA Number 84.042A,
must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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 Student
Support Services 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 84.042, not 84.042A).
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
[[Page 75727]]
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 program 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 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
Format) 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 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 one of the
program contact persons 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
prevents 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: Eileen S. Bland, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC
20006-8510. FAX: (202) 502-7857.
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 84.042A), 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.
[[Page 75728]]
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 84.042A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, 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 646.21 and are listed in the application package.
Note: Under the ``Objectives'' selection criterion, 34 CFR
646.21(b), worth eight (8) points, applicants must address the
standardized objectives in 34 CFR 646.21(b)(1) through (4) related
to the participants' academic achievements, including retention,
good academic standing, graduation, and transfer rates. The
graduation objective should be measured by cohorts of students who
become SSS Program participants in each year of the project and
should be compared to a relevant and valid comparison group. The
graduation, certificate, and transfer rates for two-year
institutions should be measured over a four-year period and that of
four-year institutions should be measured over a six-year period.
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).
For this competition, a panel of non-Federal reviewers will review
each application in accordance with the selection criteria in 34 CFR
646.21. The individual scores of the reviewers will be added and the
sum divided by the number of reviewers to determine the peer review
score received in the review process. Additionally, in accordance with
34 CFR 646.22, the Secretary will award prior experience points to
applicants that have conducted a SSS Program project within the last
three Federal government fiscal years, based on their documented
experience. Prior experience points, if any, will be added to the
application's averaged reader score to determine the total score for
each application. Of the applications that address competitive
preference priorities 1(b) and 2(b), highly rated applications from the
review process, which at a minimum will include those whose funding
outcomes could be affected by the awarding of points under competitive
preference priorities 1(b) and 2(b), will then have their supporting
studies reviewed to determine if the cited studies submitted by the
applicant meet the Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness standard and are
relevant to the proposed strategies to address non-cognitive factors
and/or individualized counseling under competitive preference
priorities 1(a) and 2(a).
If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the same
total scores, the Secretary will choose among the tied applications so
as to serve geographical areas that have been underserved by the SSS
Program.
3. Special Conditions: Under current 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12 and,
when grants are made under this NIA, 2 CFR 3574.10, the Secretary may
impose specific conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high risk
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 or, when grants are awarded, the
standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the
conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
V. 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 http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The success of the SSS Program is measured
by the percentage of SSS participants that complete a program of
postsecondary education. The following performance measures have been
developed to track
[[Page 75729]]
progress toward achieving program success:
1. The percentage of SSS Program participants who are still
enrolled at the beginning of the next academic year or have earned a
degree at the grantee institution or transferred from a two-year to a
four-year institution.
2. The percentage of first-time college students served by the SSS
Program who graduate from the grantee institution on time--within four
years for the bachelor's degree and within two years for the
associate's degree.
3. The percentage of SSS participants taking one or more remedial
course(s) who attain an associate's degree or transfer from a two-year
to a four-year institution within three years or graduate with a
bachelor's degree within five years from the grantee institution.
4. The cost per successful outcome.
All SSS Program grantees are required to submit an annual
performance report documenting the persistence and degree attainment of
their participants. Since students take different amounts of time to
complete their degrees, multiple years of performance report data are
needed to determine the degree completion rates of SSS Program
participants. The Department will aggregate the data provided in the
annual performance reports from all grantees to determine the overall
program accomplishment level.
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 the 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).
VI. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ReShone Moore, Ph.D., U.S. Department
of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 20006-8510.
Telephone: (202) 502-7893 or by email: [email protected] or, if
unavailable, Lavelle Wright, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 20006-8510. Telephone: (202) 502-
7674 or by email: [email protected].
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
VII. 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
one of the program contact persons 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 the
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: December 16, 2014.
Lynn B. Mahaffie,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
Appendix
Summaries of Relevant Studies Reviewed by the Department and That Meet
the Standard for Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness
Strategies To Develop Non-Cognitive Factors
Walton, G.M. & Cohen, G.L. (2011). A brief social-belonging
intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority
students. Science, 331, 1447-1451. http://web.stanford.edu/~gwalton/
home/Publications_files/Walton_Cohen_2011_Science_1.pdf.
This study examined the effects of a series of connected
activities, together lasting about an hour, that aimed to strengthen
college freshmen's sense of social belonging and academic
performance. First, the freshmen were given a narrative that
described social adversity as an experience common to students from
different racial-ethnic and gender groups and short lived during the
college-adjustment process. Second, they read a survey report
describing how older students of different racial-ethnicity and
gender backgrounds overcame their freshmen year worries about
whether they belonged in college. Finally, to encourage the ``saying
is believing'' phenomenon, the freshmen were asked to write an essay
about and video-record how their experiences in college were similar
to those described in the survey report.
The combination of activities had a positive impact on the grade
point averages (GPA) of African-American students (though not white
students) in the years afterwards, tripling the percentage of
African American students earning GPAs in the top 25 percent of
their class and reducing the percentage performing in the bottom 25
percent. Three years after the intervention, at the end of their
time in college, participating African American students reported
less belonging uncertainty, self-doubt, and tendency to associate
their college experiences to racial stereotypes.
Stephens, N.M., Hamedani, M.G., & Destin, M. (2014). Closing the
social-class achievement gap: A difference-education intervention
improves first-generation students' academic performance and all
students' college transition. Psychological Science. http://www.psychology.northwestern.edu/documents/destin-achievement.pdf.
Researchers investigated the impact of attending a moderated
panel discussion for incoming freshmen on their adjustment to
college. The panel featured demographically diverse college seniors
who responded to questions about their experience of and adjustment
to college. All incoming first-generation college students in this
study, students whose parents did not have 4-year college degrees,
and a sample of incoming non-first-generation college students were
invited to participate in the study.
Students attended one of eight moderated panel discussions, all
featuring the same panel of eight demographically diverse college
seniors (three were first generation, five were non-first
generation). Panelists were instructed to respond to questions
differently depending upon the group of students in attendance. For
the students in the intervention group, the panelists' responses
illustrated how their social class backgrounds both positively and
negatively shaped their college experiences and influenced the
strategies they adopted for success in college. For students in the
comparison group, the panelists' stories included general content
and did not highlight the students' different backgrounds. After the
panel, all students were invited to complete a survey and create a
video testimonial about the panel's main teachings.
At the end of their freshman year, the mean GPA of first-
generation students receiving the intervention was 3.47 in
comparison to 3.17 for first-generation students that did not
receive the intervention.
Strategies To Provide Individualized Counseling
Bettinger, E.P., & Baker, R. (2011). The effects of student coaching
in college: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student
mentoring. https://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/bettinger_baker_030711.pdf.
[[Page 75730]]
This study examined whether InsideTrack, a personalized student
coaching service for college students, increased rates of staying in
and graduating from college. Each participating institution selected
potential students to participate based on their own criteria (e.g.
full-time or part-time, new students or upperclassmen, etc.).
Coaches contacted students via phone, email, text messages, and
social networking sites over the course of two semesters to identify
strategies for overcoming barriers to academic success. Coaches used
predictive algorithms that took into account students' constraints
inside and outside of school (e.g. personal time commitments,
primary caregiving responsibilities, and financial obligations) to
guide and personalize conversations with students. Potential
students were randomly assigned to receive InsideTrack and compared
to similar students who did not receive additional services.
The study found that students assigned to receive InsideTrack
were significantly more likely than students in the comparison group
to remain enrolled at their institutions. After six months, 81
percent of students who received InsideTrack were still enrolled,
compared to 77 percent of students who did not. The proportions
enrolled were 66 percent and 51 percent, respectively, after 12
months and 44 percent and 37 percent after 18 months.
[FR Doc. 2014-29769 Filed 12-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P