[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-15354] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: June 24, 1994] _______________________________________________________________________ Part III Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Institute for International Public Policy Program; Final Definitions and Priority and Invitation to Apply for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1994; Notices DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Institute for International Public Policy; Final Definition and Priority for Fiscal Year 1994 AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of final definitions and priority for fiscal year 1994. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a competitive priority for fiscal year (FY) 1994 under the Institute for International Public Policy Program. This program is designed to significantly increase the number of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the international service. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal financial assistance on this identified national need. The priority is intended to encourage applicants to develop consortial arrangements that include historically Black colleges and universities, institutions of higher education serving substantial numbers of African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Island students, and institutions of higher education with programs to train foreign service professionals. EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect either 45 days after publication in the Federal Register or later if the Congress takes certain adjournments. If you want to know the effective date of this priority, call or write the Department of Education contact person. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph Hines, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-5332. Telephone: (202) 732-6066. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Institute for International Public Policy program will provide a grant to a consortium of institutions of higher education to conduct a program designed to significantly increase the number of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the international service. Title VI, Part C, section 621 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, states that an eligible recipient is a consortium that consists of at least one or more of the following: (1) An institution eligible for assistance under Part B of title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; (2) an institution of higher education that serves substantial numbers of African American or other underrepresented minority students; or (3) an institution of higher education with programs in training foreign service professionals. Many of the students this program is designed to serve are enrolled in institutions in categories (1) and (2). The Secretary believes that the purposes of the legislation can be best carried out by a consortium that includes institutions from each of these categories. Therefore, the Secretary establishes a competitive priority for applications for consortia that include historically Black colleges and universities, institutions serving substantial numbers of African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Island students, and institutions that offer programs to train foreign service professionals. On April 8, 1994, the Secretary published a notice of proposed priority for this program in the Federal Register (59 FR 1679-80). Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal Register. Public Comment In the notice of proposed priority, the Secretary invited comments on the proposed priority. The Secretary received one substantive comment. Comment: The commenter suggested that the list of eligible institutions be revised to expressly include ``tribal colleges.'' The commenter felt that tribal colleges should be recognized by name instead of being categorized under the ``underrepresented minorities'' rubric. Discussion: The statute lists three types of institutions as eligible recipients. The statutory language cannot be altered to add tribal colleges to the list of eligible institutions. The list includes institutions serving substantial numbers of ``African American or other underrepresented minority students.'' A listing by name of underrepresented minorities was included under the definitions section in the notice of proposed priority. The definitions section includes American Indians. Therefore, institutions serving substantial numbers of American Indians, such as tribal colleges, are already eligible. The Secretary intended that the program be viewed as more inclusive rather than exclusive. Therefore, the Secretary has decided to identify all of the underrepresented minority groups by name. American Indians are included among these groups. Changes: The notice of final priority has been amended to recognize by name all underrepresented minority groups. Priority Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) the Secretary gives preference to applications that meet the following competitive priority. The Secretary awards 15 points to an application that meets this competitive priority in a particularly effective way. These points would be in addition to any points the application earns under the selection criteria for this program: Consortia that include at least one institution from each of the following categories: (1) historically Black colleges and universities as defined in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; (2) institutions of higher education that serve substantial numbers of African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Island students; and (3) institutions of higher education with programs in training foreign service professionals. Definitions The statute states that one of the members of an eligible consortium may be an institution of higher education that serves substantial numbers of African American or other underrepresented minority students. The Secretary defines ``substantial'' to mean at least 25 percent of the enrolled undergraduate student population at an institution. The Secretary also defines ``underrepresented minorities'' to include African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Intergovernmental Review This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. In accordance with this order, this document is intended to provide early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for this program. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1131-1131f. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.269) Dated: June 15, 1994. David A. Longanecker, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. 94-15354 Filed 6-23-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P