[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3579-3582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1098]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA NO. 84.031H]
Office of Postsecondary Education; Strengthening Institutions
Program (SIP), American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and
Universities (TCCU), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving
Institutions (ANNH), Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Native American Serving
Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI), Developing Hispanic-Serving
Institutions (HSI), Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for
Hispanic Americans (PPOHA), and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)
Programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
Purpose of Programs: The SIP, TCCU, and ANNH Programs are
authorized under Title III, Part A, of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended (HEA). Under these programs, institutions of higher
education (IHEs or institutions) are eligible to apply for grants if
they meet specific statutory and
[[Page 3580]]
regulatory eligibility requirements. Similarly, IHEs are eligible to
apply for grants under Title V of the HEA if they meet specific
statutory and regulatory requirements. The HSI and PPOHA Programs are
authorized under Title V, Parts A and B of the HEA. In addition, under
Title III of the HEA, institutions applying for grants under the
AANAPISI, NASNTI, and PBI Programs must be eligible institutions as
defined in Section 312(b) of the HEA.
An IHE that is designated as an eligible institution may also
receive a waiver of certain non-Federal cost-share requirements under
the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the
Federal Work Study (FWS), the Student Support Services (SSS), and the
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL)
programs. The FSEOG, FWS, and SSS programs are authorized under Title
IV of the HEA. The UISFL Program is authorized under Title VI of the
HEA. Qualified institutions may receive these waivers even if they are
not recipients of grant funds under the Title III or Title V programs.
Special Note: To qualify as an eligible institution under the
Title III or Title V programs, your institution must satisfy several
criteria, including one related to needy student enrollment and one
related to average educational and general (E&G) expenditures for a
specified base year. The most recent data available for E&G
expenditures are for base year 2006-2007. In order to award FY 2009
grants in a timely manner, we will use the most recent data
available. Therefore, we use E&G expenditure threshold data from the
base year 2006-2007. In completing your eligibility application,
please use E&G expenditure data from the base year 2006-2007.
If you are designated as an eligible institution and you do not
receive a new award under the Title III or Title V programs in FY 2009,
your eligibility for the non-Federal cost-share waiver under the FSEOG,
the FWS, the SSS, and the UISFL Programs is valid for five consecutive
years. You will not need to reapply for eligibility until 2014, unless
you wish to apply for a new Title III or Title V grant. All
institutions interested in applying for a new FY 2009 Title III or
Title V grant or requesting a waiver of the non-Federal cost share,
must apply for eligibility designation in FY 2009. Under the HEA,
institutions interested in applying for a grant under the AANAPISI,
NASNTI, PBI, or PPOHA Programs must first be designated as eligible
institutions.
Eligible Applicants: To qualify as an eligible institution under
the Title III or Title V programs an accredited institution must, among
other requirements, have an enrollment of needy students, and its
average E&G expenditures per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate
student must be low in comparison with the average E&G expenditures per
FTE undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar
instruction.
The eligibility requirements for the Title III programs are found
in 34 CFR 607.2 through 607.5. The regulations may be accessed at the
following Web site: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/34cfr607_02.html.
The eligibility requirements for the Title V HSI program are found
in 34 CFR 606.2 through 34 CFR 606.5. The regulations may be accessed
at the following Web site: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/34cfr606_01.html.
Enrollment of Needy Students: Under 34 CFR 606.3(a) and 607.3(a),
an institution is considered to have an enrollment of needy students if
(1) at least 50 percent of its degree students received financial
assistance under one or more of the following programs: Federal Pell
Grant, FSEOG, FWS, or the Federal Perkins Loan Programs; or, (2) the
percentage of its undergraduate degree students who were enrolled on at
least a half-time basis and received Federal Pell Grants exceeded the
median percentage of undergraduate degree students who were enrolled on
at least a half-time basis and received Federal Pell Grants at
comparable institutions that offered similar instruction.
To qualify under this latter criterion, an institution's Federal
Pell Grant percentage for base year 2006-2007 must be more than the
median for its category of comparable institutions provided in the
2006-2007 Median Pell Grant and Average E&G Expenditures per FTE
Student Table in this notice.
Educational and General Expenditures per FTE Student: An
institution should compare its 2006-2007 average E&G expenditures per
FTE student to the average E&G expenditure per FTE student for its
category of comparable institutions contained in the 2006-2007 Median
Pell Grant and Average E&G Expenditures per FTE Student Table in this
notice. If the institution's average E&G expenditures for the 2006-2007
base year are less than the average for its category of comparable
institutions, the institution meets this eligibility requirement.
An institution's average E&G expenditures are the total amount it
expended during the base year for instruction, research, public
service, academic support, student services, institutional support
including library expenditures, operation and maintenance, scholarships
and fellowships, and mandatory transfers.
The following table identifies the relevant median Federal Pell
Grant percentages for the base year 2006-2007 and the relevant average
E&G expenditures per FTE student for the base year 2006-2007 for the
four categories of comparable institutions:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006-2007
2006-2007 Average E&G
Type of institution Median Pell expenditures
Grant per FTE
percentage student
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-year Public Institutions.............. 23.8 $10,606
2-year Non-profit Private Institutions.. 37.2 23,082
4-year Public Institutions.............. 24.1 25,339
4-year Non-profit Private Institutions.. 25.3 40,877
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waiver Information: IHEs that are unable to meet the needy student
enrollment requirement or the average E&G expenditures requirement may
apply to the Secretary for waivers of these requirements, as described
in 34 CFR 606.3(b), 606.4(c) and (d), 607.3(b), and 607.4(c) and (d).
Institutions requesting a waiver of the needy student enrollment
requirement or the average E&G expenditures requirement must include in
their application detailed information supporting the waiver request,
as described in the instructions for completing the application.
The regulations governing the Secretary's authority to waive the
needy student requirement, 34 CFR 606.3(b)(2) and (3) and 607.3(b)(2)
and (3), refer to ``low-income'' students or families. The
[[Page 3581]]
regulations define ``low-income'' as an amount that does not exceed 150
percent of the amount equal to the poverty level, as established by the
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 34 CFR 606.3(c) and 607.3(c).
For the purposes of this waiver provision, the following table sets
forth the low-income levels for the various sizes of families:
2006 Annual Low-Income Levels
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family income
for the 48
contiguous Family income Family income
Size of family unit states, D.C., for Alaska for Hawaii
and outlying
jurisdictions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1......................................................... $14,700 $18,375 $16,905
2......................................................... 19.800 24,750 22,770
3......................................................... 24,900 31,125 28,635
4......................................................... 30,000 37,500 34,500
5......................................................... 35,100 43,875 40,365
6......................................................... 40,200 50,250 46,230
7......................................................... 45,300 56,625 52,095
8......................................................... 50,400 63,000 57,960
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: The 2006 annual low-income levels are being used because
those are the amounts that apply to the family income reported by
students enrolled for the fall 2006 semester. For family units with
more than eight members, add the following amount for each
additional family member: $5,100 for the contiguous 48 States, the
District of Columbia and outlying jurisdictions; $6,375 for Alaska;
and $5,865 for Hawaii.
The figures shown under family income represent amounts equal to
150 percent of the family income levels established by the U.S. Bureau
of the Census for determining poverty status. The poverty guidelines
were published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in
the Federal Register on January 24, 2006 (71 FR 3848-3849).
The information about ``metropolitan statistical areas'' referenced
in 34 CFR 606.3(b)(4) and 607.3(b)(4) may be obtained by requesting the
Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 1999 Publication, Order Number PB99-
501538, from the National Technical Information Service, Document
Sales, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone number:
1-800-553-6847. There is a charge for this publication.
Applications Available: January 21, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 20, 2009 for an
applicant institution that wishes to be designated as eligible to apply
for a FY 2009 new grant under the Title III or Title V Programs and
April 6, 2009 for an applicant institution that wishes to apply only
for cost-sharing waivers under the FSEOG, FWS, SSS, or UISFL Programs.
Electronic Submission of Applications: Applications for designation
of eligibility must be submitted electronically using the following Web
site: http://opeweb.ed.gov/title3and5.
To enter the Web site, you must use your institution's unique 8-
digit identifier, i.e., your Office of Postsecondary Education
Identification Number (OPE ID Number). Your business office or student
financial aid office should have the OPE ID Number. If they do not,
contact the Department using the e-mail addresses of the contact
persons listed in this notice under FOR APPLICATIONS AND FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
You will find detailed instructions for completing the application
form electronically under the ``eligibility 2009'' link at either of
the following Web sites: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduestitle3a/index.html or http://www.ed.gov/hsi.
If your institution is unable to meet the needy student enrollment
requirement or the average E&G expenditure requirement and wishes to
request a waiver of one or both of these requirements, you must
complete your designation application form electronically and transmit
your waiver request narrative document from the following Web site:
https://opeweb.ed.gov/title3and5.
EXCEPTION TO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT: You may 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 electronically because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload documents to the
Web site; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days; or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Mrs. Darlene B. Collins,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6020,
Washington, DC 20006-8513. Fax: (202) 502-7861.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
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 application, on or before the application deadline date, to the
Department at the following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service or commercial carrier: Mrs.
Darlene B. Collins, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Room 6020, Washington, DC 20006-8513.
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,
[[Page 3582]]
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(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, or
(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.
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
application, on or before the application deadline date, to the
Department at the following address: Mrs. Darlene B. Collins, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6020, Washington, DC
20006-8513.
Hand delivered applications will be accepted daily between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,
and Federal holidays.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85,
86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for the Title III Programs in
34 CFR part 607, and for the Title V Program in 34 CFR part 606.
Note: There are no program-specific regulations for the
AANAPISI, PBI, and the PPHOA Programs. Accordingly, we encourage
each potential applicant to read the HEA, the authorizing statute
for these programs.
For Applications and Further Information Contact: Kelley Harris or
Carnisia Proctor, Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education
Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6033,
Request for Eligibility Designation, Washington, DC 20202-8513.
You may contact these individuals at the following e-mail addresses
or phone numbers:
[email protected], 202-219-7083
[email protected], 202-502-7606
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audio tape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact persons listed in this section.
Electronic Access to This Document:
You may 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), on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO) toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: 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 on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057-1059d, 1101-1103g and
amendments to Titles III and V of the HEA by Public Law 110-315.
Dated: January 14, 2009.
Vickie L. Schray,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs.
[FR Doc. E9-1098 Filed 1-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P