[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 118 (Monday, June 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34994-34997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14993]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information;
Predominantly Black Institutions Formula Grant Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031P.
DATES: Applications Available: June 21, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Phase I of Applications: July 21, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Phase II of Applications: August 20,
2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: October 19, 2010.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: Through the Predominantly Black Institutions
(PBI) Formula Grant Program, the Department makes grant awards to
eligible institutions to plan, develop, undertake, and implement
programs to enhance their capacity to serve more low- and middle-income
Black American students; to expand higher education opportunities for
eligible students by encouraging college preparation and student
persistence in secondary school and postsecondary education; and to
strengthen the financial ability of the institutions to serve the
academic needs of these students.
Program Authority: Title III, part A, section 318 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1059e).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Formula Grant.
Estimated Available Funds: $10,801,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Grants awarded under the PBI
Formula Grant Program will be allotted to eligible institutions based
on the formula included in section 318(e) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1059e(e)), with no grantee allotted less than $250,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: All applicant institutions who meet the
eligibility requirements will receive a portion of the total
appropriations for the PBI Formula Grant Program.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: To be eligible, an applicant must have
previously submitted the ``Application for Designation as an Eligible
Institution'' and received FY 2010 designation as an eligible
institution for programs under title III and title V of the HEA. The
regulations explaining the standards for designation can be found in 34
CFR 607.2 through 607.5. In addition, an applicant must--
(1) Have an enrollment of needy undergraduate students as defined
in section 318(b)(2) of the HEA;
(2) Have an average educational and general expenditure that is
low, per full-time equivalent undergraduate student, in comparison with
the average educational and general expenditure per full-time
equivalent undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar
instruction, except that the Secretary may apply the waiver
requirements described in section 392(b) of the HEA to this
subparagraph in the same manner as the Secretary applies the waiver
requirements to section 312(b)(1)(B) of the HEA;
(3) Have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is not less
than 40 percent Black American students;
(4) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide, within the State
an educational program for which the institution of higher education
awards a baccalaureate degree or, in the case of a junior or community
college, an associate's degree;
(5) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or
association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as
to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency
or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation; and
[[Page 34995]]
(6) Not be receiving funds under any other provision of part A or
part B of title III of the HEA; or part A of title V of the HEA; or be
authorized to receive an annual appropriation under the Act of March 2,
1867 (20 U.S.C. 123).
To be eligible for a grant under the PBI Formula Grant Program, an
applicant institution must also meet the definition of a Predominantly
Black Institution in section 318(b)(6) of the HEA. The term
Predominantly Black Institution means an institution of higher
education, as defined in section 101(a) of the HEA--
(A) That is an eligible institution with not less than 1,000
undergraduate students;
(B) At which not less than 50 percent of the undergraduate students
enrolled at the eligible institution are low-income individuals or
first-generation college students; and
(C) At which not less than 50 percent of the undergraduate students
are enrolled in an educational program leading to a bachelor's or
associate's degree that the eligible institution is licensed to award
by the State (defined as each of the 50 States and the District of
Columbia) in which the eligible institution is located.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for
establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a
portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those
grant funds with non-Federal funds (20 U.S.C. 1059e(d)(3)).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Department. To obtain
a copy via the Internet, use the following address for the PBI Formula
Grant Program Web site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/pbihea/index.html.
To obtain a copy from the Department, write, fax, or call the
following: Sara Starke, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street,
NW., room 6019, Washington, DC 20006-8524. Telephone: (202) 502-7688,
or by e-mail: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), 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 computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed
in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: The application
process for this program has two phases: Phase I involves submitting
data used to run the funding formula; Phase II includes the narrative
project plan and standard forms. The deadline dates for submitting
Phases I and II of the application are listed in this notice. Other
requirements concerning the content of an application, together with
the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this
program.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: June 21, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Phase I of Applications: July 21, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Phase II of Applications: August 20,
2010.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically as an e-mail attachment to [email protected] by 12:00:00
a.m. Washington, DC time, on the deadline date.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: October 19, 2010.
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 reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) You must have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2)
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3)
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
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 CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, 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 CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
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 Predominantly Black Institutions
Formula Grant Program--CFDA Number 84.031P must be submitted
electronically via e-mail to [email protected].
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 PBI Program
at http://www.ed.gov/programs/pbihea/index.html.
Please note the following:
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 12:00:00 a.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We will not accept an application for this program after
12:00:00 a.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the
application deadline date to begin the application process.
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
[[Page 34996]]
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
attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC
(document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If
you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in
this paragraph 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.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
Within three working days after submitting Phase II of
your electronic application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the
Application Control Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
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
via e-mail because--
You do not have access to the Internet; 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: Sara Starke, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6019, Washington, DC
20006-8524. Fax: (202) 502-7859.
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 84.031P), 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 84.031P), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Grants awarded under the PBI Formula Grant Program are based on a
formula. All applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will
receive a portion of the total appropriations for this program based on
the formula contained in section 318(e) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1059e(e)).
Department staff will review applications to determine eligibility
and to ensure that all activities proposed in the application are
allowable under section 318(d) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1059e(d)).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Reporting: 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.
2. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of
the PBI Formula Grant Program:
(a) Enrollment Rate: The percentage change of the number of full-
time degree-granting undergraduate students enrolled at PBIs.
(b) Persistence Rate-four-year schools: The percentage of first-
time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students at four-year PBIs
who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the
previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same four-
year PBI.
(c) Persistence Rate-two-year schools: The percentage of first-
time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students
[[Page 34997]]
at two-year PBIs who were in their first year of postsecondary
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at
the same two-year PBI.
(d) Four-year Completion Rate: The percentage of first-time, full-
time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at four-year PBIs
who graduate within six years of enrollment.
(e) Two-Year Completion Rate: The percentage of first-time, full-
time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at two-year PBIs
who graduate within three years of enrollment.
(f) Efficiency Measure: Cost per successful program outcome:
Federal cost per undergraduate degree at PBIs.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Starke, Teacher and Student
Development Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., room 6019, Washington, DC 20006-8524. Telephone: (202)
502-7688, or by e-mail: [email protected].
If you use a TDD, 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 computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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) 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.
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.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
Dated: June 15, 2010.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-14993 Filed 6-18-10; 8:45 am]
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