[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR75.105]

[Page 135-136]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
PART 75--DIRECT GRANT PROGRAMS--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart C--How To Apply for a Grant
 
Sec. 75.105  Annual priorities.

    (a) What programs are covered by this section? This section applies 
to any program for which the Secretary establishes priorities for 
selection of applications in a particular fiscal year.
    (b) How does the Secretary establish annual priorities? (1) The 
Secretary establishes final annual priorities by publishing the 
priorities in a notice in the Federal Register, usually in the 
application notice for that program.
    (2) The Secretary publishes proposed annual priorities for public 
comment, unless:
    (i) The final annual priorities will be implemented only by inviting 
applications that meet the priorities (Cross-reference: See 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1));
    (ii) The final annual priorities are chosen from a list of 
priorities already established in the program's regulations;
    (iii) Publishing proposed annual priorities would seriously 
interfere with an orderly, responsible grant award process or would 
otherwise be impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public 
interest;
    (iv) The program statute requires or authorizes the Secretary to 
establish specified priorities; or
    (v) The annual priorities are chosen from allowable activities 
specified in the program statute.
    (c) How does the Secretary implement an annual priority? The 
Secretary may choose one or more of the following methods to implement 
an annual priority:
    (1) Invitations. The Secretary may simply invite applications that 
meet a priority. If the Secetary chooses this

[[Page 136]]

method, an application that meets the priority receives no competitive 
or absolute preference over applications that do not meet the priority.
    (2) Competitive preference. The Secretary may give one of the 
following kinds of competitive preference to applications that meet a 
priority.
    (i) The Secretary may award some or all bonus points to an 
application depending on the extent to which the application meets the 
priority. These points are in addition to any points the applicant earns 
under the selection criteria (see Sec. 75.200(b)). The notice states the 
maximum number of additional points that the Secretary may award to an 
application depending upon how well the application meets the priority.
    (ii) The Secretary may select an application that meets a priority 
over an application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority.
    (3) Absolute preference. The Secretary may give an absolute 
preference to applications that meet a priority. The Secretary 
establishes a separate competition for applications that meet the 
priority and reserves all or part of a program's funds solely for that 
competition. The Secretary may adjust the amount reserved for the 
priority after determining the number of high quality applications 
received.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)

[46 FR 3205, Jan. 14, 1981, as amended at 57 FR 30337, July 8, 1992; 60 
FR 63873, Dec. 12, 1995]

                          Application Contents

    Cross reference: See Sec. 75.200 for a description of discretionary 
and formula grant programs.