[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR646.21]

[Page 320-321]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
PART 646--STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
             Subpart C--How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?
 
Sec. 646.21  What selection criteria does the Secretary use to evaluate an application?

    The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate an application 
for a new grant:
    (a) Need for the project (24 points). The Secretary evaluates the 
need for a Student Support Services project proposed at the applicant 
institution on the basis of the extent to which the application contains 
clear evidence of--
    (1) (8 points) A high number or percentage, or both, of students 
enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the applicant institution who 
meet the eligibility requirements of Sec. 646.3;
    (2) (8 points) The academic and other problems that eligible 
students encounter at the applicant institution; and
    (3) (8 points) The differences between eligible Student Support 
Services students compared to an appropriate group, based on the 
following indicators:
    (i) Retention and graduation rates.
    (ii) Grade point averages.
    (iii) Graduate and professional school enrollment rates (four-year 
colleges only).
    (iv) Transfer rates from two-year to four-year institutions (two-
year colleges only).
    (b) Objectives (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of 
the applicant's proposed project objectives on the basis of the extent 
to which they--
    (1) (2 points) Include performance, process and outcome objectives 
relating to each of the purposes of the Student Support Services Program 
stated in Sec. 646.1;
    (2) (2 points) Address the identified needs of the proposed 
participants;
    (3) (2 points) Are clearly described, specific, and measurable; and
    (4) (2 points) Are ambitious but attainable within each budget 
period and the project period given the project budget and other 
resources.
    (c) Plan of operation (30 points). The Secretary evaluates the 
quality of the applicant's plan of operation on the basis of the 
following:
    (1) (3 points) The plan to inform the institutional community 
(students, faculty, and staff) of the goals, objectives, and services of 
the project and the eligibility requirements for participation in the 
project.
    (2) (3 points) The plan to identify, select, and retain project 
participants with academic need.
    (3) (4 points) The plan for assessing each individual participant's 
need for specific services and monitoring his or her academic progress 
at the institution to ensure satisfactory academic progress.

[[Page 321]]

    (4) (10 points) The plan to provide services that address the goals 
and objectives of the project.
    (5) (10 points) The applicant's plan to ensure proper and efficient 
administration of the project, including the organizational placement of 
the project; the time commitment of key project staff; the specific 
plans for financial management, student records management, and 
personnel management; and, where appropriate, its plan for coordination 
with other programs for disadvantaged students.
    (d) Institutional commitment (16 points). The Secretary evaluates 
the institutional commitment to the proposed project on the basis of the 
extent to which the applicant has--
    (1) (6 points) Committed facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, 
and other resources to supplement the grant and enhance project 
services;
    (2) (6 points) Established administrative and academic policies that 
enhance participants' retention at the institution and improve their 
chances of graduating from the institution;
    (3) (2 points) Demonstrated a commitment to minimize the dependence 
on student loans in developing financial aid packages for project 
participants by committing institutional resources to the extent 
possible; and
    (4) (2 points) Assured the full cooperation and support of the 
Admissions, Student Aid, Registrar and data collection and analysis 
components of the institution.
    (e) Quality of personnel (9 points). To determine the quality of 
personnel the applicant plans to use, the Secretary looks for 
information that shows--
    (1) (3 points) The qualifications required of the project director, 
including formal education and training in fields related to the 
objectives of the project, and experience in designing, managing, or 
implementing Student Support Services or similar projects;
    (2) (3 points) The qualifications required of other personnel to be 
used in the project, including formal education, training, and work 
experience in fields related to the objectives of the project; and
    (3) (3 points) The quality of the applicant's plan for employing 
personnel who have succeeded in overcoming barriers similar to those 
confronting the project's target population.
    (f) Budget (5 points). The Secretary evaluates the extent to which 
the project budget is reasonable, cost-effective, and adequate to 
support the project.
    (g) Evaluation plan (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality 
of the evaluation plan for the project on the basis of the extent to 
which--
    (1) The applicant's methods for evaluation--
    (i) (2 points) Are appropriate to the project and include both 
quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures; and
    (ii) (2 points) Examine in specific and measurable ways, using 
appropriate baseline data, the success of the project in improving 
academic achievement, retention and graduation of project participants; 
and
    (2) (4 points) The applicant intends to use the results of an 
evaluation to make programmatic changes based upon the results of 
project evaluation.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
1840-0017)

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-14)