79 FR 102 pgs. 30578-30584 - Applications for New Awards; Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program
Type: NOTICEVolume: 79Number: 102Pages: 30578 - 30584
Pages: 30578, 30579, 3058030581, 30582, 30583, 30584, FR document: [FR Doc. 2014-12378 Filed 5-27-14; 8:45 am]
Agency: Education Department
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program
AGENCY:
Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION:
Notice.
Overview Information: Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2014.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031M.
DATES:
Applications Available: May 28, 2014.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 27, 2014.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 26, 2014.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
[top] Purposes of Program: The purposes of the PPOHA Program are to: (1) Expand
Program Authority:
20 U.S.C. 1102-1102c; 1161aa-1.
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 debarment and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The notice of final requirements, published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2010 (75 FR 44056) (Final Requirements).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $10,565,280.
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: $385,000-$575,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.
Maximum Awards: The PPOHA Program awards individual development grants. We will not fund any application for a PPOHA Program individual development grant at an amount exceeding $575,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. During our initial review of applications, we may choose not to further consider or review an application with a budget that exceeds the 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: 21.
Note:
The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Note:
Applicants should periodically check the PPOHA Program Web site for further information. The address is: www.ed.gov/programs/ppoha/index.html .
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) that offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or postbaccalaureate degree program and qualify as eligible Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) under section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
Eligibility Criteria (Use of 34 CFR 606.2(a) and (b), 606.3 through 606.5): To qualify as an eligible HSI for the PPOHA Program under sections 502 and 512(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101a and 1102a), an IHE must-
(a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section 502(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101a(b)) (cross-referenced in 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 (20 U.S.C. 1103a(b)), 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 eligibility designation for the fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted. In addition, for the purpose of establishing eligibility under 34 CFR 606.5 for this FY 2014 competition, the notice inviting applications for eligibility designation for FY 2014 was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2014 (79 FR 2161), with a deadline of March 7, 2014. The eligibility notice for PPOHA on April 14, 2014 (79 FR 20880), reopened the application process for IHEs interested in the PPOHA Program and the deadline for applications was May 14, 2014. Only institutions that submitted the required application and received designation through that process are eligible to submit an application 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; 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:
Contingent on Congressional funding, funds for the PPOHA 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. (See Final Requirements).1
Footnotes:
1 For the purpose of making the determination described in paragraph (e) of the Eligibility Criteria for the FY 2014 competition, IHEs must report their undergraduate Hispanic FTE percentage based on the student enrollment count closest to, but not after, September 30, 2013.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.
3. Other:
(a) Limit on Number of Individual Development Grants. An eligible HSI will not be awarded more than one grant under the PPOHA Program (20 U.S.C. 1102c).
(b) Limit on Applications From an Eligible Institution. In any fiscal year, an eligible institution may submit only one application for a grant under the PPOHA Program. This restriction is intended to ensure that more Hispanic-Serving Institutions have an opportunity for assistance under Title V of the HEA (see Final Requirements).
IV. Application and Submission Information
[top] 1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs).To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html .To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write,
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.031M.
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 person listed under Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
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 (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have established mandatory page limits for the PPOHA application. You must limit the application narrative to no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:
• A "page" is 8.5? × 11?, on one side only, with 1 inch margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Note: For the purpose of determining compliance with the page limit, 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, endnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be single-spaced. These items 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 and 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 Form 524); Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page project abstract and program activity budget detail form and supporting narrative. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part III), including the budget narrative of the selection criteria. 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 the purpose 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 details the requested budget items line by line.
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: May 28, 2014.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 27, 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 one of the program contact persons 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: August 26, 2014.
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: Limit on Use of Funds for Direct Assistance: A PPOHA Program grantee may use no more than 20 percent of its total PPOHA Program grant award to provide financial support-in the form of scholarships, fellowships, and other student financial assistance-to low-income students. (See section 513(8) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1102b(8))
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 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.
[top] If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make any
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 PPOHA Program, CFDA number 84.031M, 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 PPOHA Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.031, not 84.031M).
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 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 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 will then 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.
[top] 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 the 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
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: Maria E. Carrington Ph.D., U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6020, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7548 or by email: Maria.Carrington@ed.gov. FAX: (202) 502-7813.
or
Sandra Steed, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6066, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 219-7120 or by email: Sandra.Steed@ed.gov. 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 84.031M), 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 84.031M), 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 from section 75.210 of EDGAR (34 CFR 75.210) and are as follows. Applicants must address each of the selection criteria (separately for each proposed activity). The total weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses.
(a) Need for project. (Maximum 20 points) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (10 points)
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (5 points)
(iii) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)
(b) Quality of the project design. (Maximum 15 points) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (10 points)
(ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (5 points)
(c) Quality of project services. (Maximum 15 points) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services. (10 points)
[top] (ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project
(d) Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 10 points) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator. (5 points)
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (5 points)
(e) Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 points) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
(i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (3 points)
(ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (2 points)
(f) Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 20 points) In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (10 points)
(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products and services from the proposed project. (5 points)
(g) Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 15 points) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (5 points)
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible. (5 points)
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
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. Applicants must provide, as an attachment to the application, the documentation the institution relied upon in determining that at least 25 percent of the institution's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic.
Note:
The 25 percent requirement applies only to undergraduate Hispanic students and is calculated based upon FTE students. Instructions for formatting and submitting the verification documentation to Grants.gov are in the application package for this competition.
(b) Tie-breaker. To resolve ties in the reader scores of applications for PPOHA grants, the Department will award one additional point to an application from an IHE that has an endowment fund for which the market value per FTE student is less than the comparable average current market value of the endowment funds per FTE student at similar type IHEs. In addition, to resolve ties in the reader scores of applications for PPHOA grants, the Department will award one additional point to an application from an IHE that has expenditures for library materials per FTE student that are less than the comparable average expenditures for library materials per FTE student at similar type IHEs. (34 CFR 606.23(a)(1) and (2)).
For the purpose of these funding considerations, we will use 2012-2013 data.
If a tie remains after applying the tie-breaker mechanism above, priority will be given to applicants that have the lowest endowment values per FTE student. (34 CFR 606.23(b)(1)) (See Final Requirements)
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).
[top] (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/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the PPOHA Program:
(a) The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the number of full-time degree-seeking graduate and professional students enrolled at HSIs currently receiving an award under this program.
(b) The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the number of master's, doctoral, and first-professional degrees and postbaccalaureate certificates awarded at HSIs currently receiving an award under this program.
(c) Cost per successful outcome: Federal cost per master's degree, doctoral, and first-professional degree and postbaccalaureate certificate awarded at HSIs currently receiving an award under this 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 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).
VII. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Maria E. Carrington, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6020, Washington, DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7813. Telephone: 202-502-7548 or by email: Maria.Carrington@ed.gov;
or
Sandra Steed, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6066, Washington, DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7813. Telephone: 202-219-7120 or by email: Sandra.Steed@ed.gov.
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 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: May 22, 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. 2014-12378 Filed 5-27-14; 8:45 am]
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