FR Doc 05-634
[Federal Register: January 12, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 8)]
[Notices]
[Page 2133-2136]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ja05-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Overview Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP);
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.141A.
Dates: Applications Available: January 12, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 14, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 12, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or
private non-profit organizations (such as faith-based organizations)
that plan the project in cooperation with an IHE and prepare to operate
some aspects of the project with the facilities of the IHE.
Estimated Available Funds: $5,920,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$475,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $370,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 16.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the High School Equivalency
Program (HEP) is to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their
children obtain a general education diploma (GED) that meets the
guidelines for high school equivalency established by the State in
which the HEP project is conducted, and to gain employment or be placed
in an IHE or other postsecondary education or training.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority
is from section 75.225(a) of the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
an additional 5 points to an application meeting this competitive
preference priority.
This priority is: Novice Applicant
The applicant must be a ``novice applicant'' as defined in 34 CFR
75.225(a).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070d-2.
Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (b) 34 CFR part 206; (c) the
definitions of a migratory agricultural worker in 34 CFR part 200.81;
and (d) 20 CFR parts 669.110 and 669.320.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to Institutions of
Higher Education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $5,920,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$475,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $370,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 16.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or private non-profit organizations
(such as faith-based organizations) that plan the project in
cooperation with an IHE and prepare to operate some aspects of the
project with the facilities of the IHE.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Mary L. Suazo, U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland
Ave., SW., room 3E227, Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 260-
1396 or by e-mail: mary.suazo@ed.gov.
The application package also can be obtained electronically at the
following address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/hep/applicant.html.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille,
[[Page 2134]]
large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) or by contacting the
program contact person listed in this section.
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 competition.
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. You must limit Part III of
the application to the equivalent of no more than 25 pages, using the
following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative (Part III), including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you
may single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Charts, tables, figures, and graphs presented in the application
narrative count toward the page limit.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Appendices must be limited to 15 pages and may include the
following: resumes, job descriptions, letters of support, bibliography,
and information on prior experience if relevant.
The page limits described in this notice do not apply to the
following sections of the application: Part I, the cover sheet; Part
II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification;
Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other
standards.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 12, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 14, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV.6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 12, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 part 79. Information
about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive
Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications
If you submit your application to us electronically, you must use
e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system,
accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this competition after 4:30 p.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.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
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.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
1. Print ED 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 ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 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.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically,
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
1. You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION
[[Page 2135]]
CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-Grants help desk at 1-
888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an
automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with
the instructions in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must send the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.141A,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: CFDA Number 84.141A,
7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, 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; 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.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) must hand deliver 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 84.141A,
550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC
20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 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 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter,
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
2. The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgement 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 competition
are in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in
selecting an application are prior experience. Applicants that are
currently administering a HEP project that is in the final year of the
five-year grant cycle and applicants whose five-year grant cycle ended
in FY 2004 are eligible to receive up to 15 points for prior experience
in accordance with Section 418A(e) of the Higher Education Act of 1965,
as amended.
The Secretary will award points for prior experience based on
information contained in documents such as annual performance reports,
project evaluation reports, site visit reports, and the previously
approved application.
VI. Award Admininstration 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 Notice
(GAN). We may also notify you informally.
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: 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 specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed the following performance
measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of HEP: (1) the number
and percent of HEP participants who complete the course of study and
receive a GED, and (2) the number and percent of HEP participants with
a GED who enter postsecondary education programs, career positions, or
the military.
All grantees will be required to submit an annual performance
report documenting their success in addressing these performance
measures.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary L. Suazo, U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of
Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E227, Washington, DC
20202-6135. Telephone Number: (202) 260-1396, or by e-mail:
mary.suazo@ed.gov.
The application package also can be obtained electronically at the
following address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/hep/applicant.html.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request by contacting the contact person listed in this
section.
[[Page 2136]]
VIII. Other Information
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
.
Dated: January 7, 2005.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-634 Filed 1-11-05; 8:45 am]
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