[Federal Register: March 9, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 11751-11754]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09mr99-149]
[[Page 11751]]
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Part VIII
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally Controlled
Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving
Institutions Programs; Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year 1999; Notice
[[Page 11752]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.031]
Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally
Controlled Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Programs; Notice inviting applications
for new awards for Fiscal Year 1999.
Purpose of Programs: Provide grants to eligible institutions of
higher education (IHEs) to enable them to improve their academic
quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability, and to
increase their self-sufficiency, and thereby support the elements of
the National Education Goals relevant to these IHEs' unique missions.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 24, 1999.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 23, 1999.
Applications Available: April 22, 1999.
Available Funds: Approximately $20,000,000 for the Strengthening
Institutions Program; $3,000,000 for the American Indian Tribally
Colleges and Universities Program; and $3,000,000 for the Alaska Native
and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $327,000--$350,000 for development
grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $30,000--$35,000
for planning grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program;
$347,000--$395,000 for development grants under the American Indian
Tribally Controlled Colleges Universities Program; and $347,000--
$395,000 for development grants under the Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $341,000 for development grants
under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $32,500 for planning
grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $371,000 for
development grants under the American Indian Tribally Controlled
Colleges Universities Program; and $371,000 for development grants
under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions
Program.
Estimated Number of Awards: 56 development grants under the
Strengthening Institutions Program; 14 planning grants under the
Strengthening Institutions Program; 8 development grants under the
American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges Universities Program; and
8 development grants under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions Program.
Project Period: 60 months for development grants under the
Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally Controlled
Colleges and Universities Program, and Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program; and 12 months for planning
grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Special Funding Considerations: In tie breaking situations,
described in 34 CFR 607.23 of the Strengthening Institutions Program
regulations, the Secretary awards one additional point to an applicant
institution that has an endowment fund for which the 1996-1997 market
value per full-time equivalent (FTE) student was less than the
comparable average per FTE student at similar type institutions. The
Secretary also awards one additional point to an applicant institution
that had 1996-1997 expenditures for library materials per FTE student
that were less than the comparable average per FTE student at similar
type institutions.
For the purpose of these funding considerations, an applicant must
demonstrate that the market value of its endowment fund per FTE
student, and library expenditures per FTE student, were less than the
following national averages for 1996-1997:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Average market library
value of materials
endowment fund expenditures
per FTE per FTE
students students
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two-Year Public Institutions............ $ 1,332 $ 45
Two-Year Non-profit Private Institutions 11,556 121
Four-Year Public Institutions........... 2,829 165
Four-Year Non-profit Private 42,579 245
Institutions...........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a tie remains, after applying the additional point or points,
the Secretary determines that an institution will receive a grant
according to a combined ranking of two-year and four-year institutions.
This ranking is established by combining endowment values per FTE
student and library expenditures per FTE student. The institutions with
the lowest combined library expenditures per FTE student and endowment
values per FTE student are ranked higher in strict numerical order.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Department of Education General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
85, and 86; and (b) the regulations for this program in 34 CFR Part
607, except those regulatory sections that have been supersceded by the
Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (Public Law 105-244).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Higher Education Amendments of 1998
amended Part A of Title III of the HEA in several material respects.
The Amendments made significant changes to the Strengthening
Institutions Program, and created the American Indian Tribally
Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Hawaiian-
Serving Institution Programs. New key statutory provisions include:
(a) General Provisions. As amended, section 313(d) of the HEA
provides that an institution that earlier received a 5-year individual
Strengthening Institutions Program development grant is not eligible to
receive a Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally
Controlled Colleges and Universities Program, or Alaska Native and
Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program grant until two years
after the date on which the 5-year grant period terminates. For
example, an institution that had a 5-year individual Strengthening
Institutions Program development grant that ended on September 30, 1998
would not be eligible to receive another Title III, Part A grant until
October 1, 2000.
(b) Strengthening Institutions Program. As amended, section 311(c)
of the HEA authorizes the use of grant funds for the following
activities--
(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory
equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and
research purposes;
(2) Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in
[[Page 11753]]
classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and other instructional
facilities, including the integration of computer technology into
institutional facilities to create smart buildings;
(3) Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development, and faculty
fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in the field of
instruction of the faculty;
(4) Development and improvement of academic programs;
(5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, and other educational
materials, including telecommunications program material;
(6) Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to
improve academic success;
(7) Funds management, administrative management, and acquisition of
equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
(8) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;
(9) Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or
improve contributions from alumni and the private sector;
(10) Establishing or improving an endowment fund;
(11) Creating or improving facilities for Internet or other
distance learning academic instruction capabilities, including purchase
or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services; and
(12) Other activities proposed in the application that contribute
to carrying out the purposes of the Strengthening Institutions Program
and are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance
of an application.
As amended, section 311(d) of the HEA provides that grantees under
the Strengthening Institutions Program may use up to 20 percent of
grant funds to establish or increase an endowment fund. However, the
grantee institution must provide matching funds from non-Federal
sources in an amount equal to or greater than the grant funds used for
the endowment fund.
(c) American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities
Program. As amended, section 316(b) of the HEA defines a tribal college
or university as having the meaning given in section 2 of the Tribally
Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, and includes
an institution listed in the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status
Act of 1994. In addition to meeting the definitions contained in
Section 316 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, a tribal
college or university must also submit, as part of its application for
a grant under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities
Program, a 5-year plan for improving the assistance provided by the
applicant institution to Indian students, increasing the rates at which
Indian secondary school students enroll in higher education, and
increasing overall postsecondary retention rates for Indian students.
As amended, section 316(c) of the HEA authorizes the use of grant funds
to enable institutions to improve and expand their capacities to serve
American Indian students, and allows the use of grant funds for the
following activities:
(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory
equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and
research purposes;
(2) Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in
classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and other instructional
facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications
technology equipment or services;
(3) Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development, and faculty
fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in the faculty's
field of instruction;
(4) Academic instruction in disciplines in which Indians are
underrepresented;
(5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, and other educational
materials, including telecommunications program material;
(6) Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to
improve academic success;
(7) Funds management, administrative management, and acquisition of
equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
(8) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;
(9) Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or
improve contributions from alumni and the private sector;
(10) Establishing or enhancing a program of teacher education
designed to qualify students to teach in elementary schools or
secondary schools, with a particular emphasis on teaching Indian
children and youth, that must include, as part of that program,
preparation for teacher certification;
(11) Establishing community outreach programs that encourage Indian
elementary school and secondary school students to develop the academic
skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education; and
(12) Other activities proposed in the application that contribute
to carrying out the activities listed in (1)-(11), above, and are
approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of an
application.
Grantees under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities
Program may use up to 20 percent of grant funds to establish or
increase an endowment fund. However, the grantee institution must
provide matching funds in an amount equal to than the grant funds used
for the endowment fund.
(d) Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. As
amended, section 317(b) of the HEA defines an Alaska Native Serving
Institution as an institution of higher education that, at the time of
application, has an undergraduate student enrollment that is at least
20 percent Alaska Native students. As amended, section 317(b) also
defines a Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution as an institution of
higher education that, at the time of application, has an enrollment of
undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian
students. In addition to meeting the definitions contained in Section
317 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, an Alaska Native and
Native Hawaiian-Serving institution must also submit, as part of its
application for a grant under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions Program, a 5-year plan for improving the
assistance provided by the applicant institution to Alaska Native or
Native Hawaiian students. As amended, section 317(c) of the HEA
authorizes the use of grant funds to enable the institutions to improve
and expand their capacity to serve Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian
students, and allows the expenditure of grant funds for the following
activities--
(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory
equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and
research purposes;
(2) Renovation and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory,
and other instructional facilities;
(3) Support of faculty exchanges, and faculty development, and
faculty fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in the
faculty's field of instruction;
(4) Curriculum development and academic instruction;
(5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other
educational materials;
(6) Funds and administrative management, and acquisition of
equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
(7) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;
and
(8) Academic tutoring and counseling programs and student support.
[[Page 11754]]
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Blanca Westgate, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Portals Building, Suite CY-80, Washington,
D.C. 20202-5335. Telephone (202) 708-8839 or (202) 708-8816. E-mail:
blanca--westgate@ed.gov
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audio tape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person.
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format
the standard forms included in the application package.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites:
http://gcs.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of a document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057.
Dated: March 4, 1999.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-5770 Filed 3-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U