[Federal Register: March 10, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 46)] [Notices] [Page 11848-11849] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr10mr99-45] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No. 84.335] Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program Notice of final priority and invitation for applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 1999. Purpose of Program: The Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services. Effective Date: The priority in this notice takes effect April 9, 1999. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education that have a total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the institution of higher education for the preceding fiscal year that equals or exceeds $350,000. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 6, 1999. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 5, 1999. Applications Available: March 15, 1999. Available Funds: $5,000,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$200,000. An institution will be eligible for a maximum grant award equal to 1 percent of its Federal Pell Grant disbursement, with no grant being less than $10,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 40. Project Period: 48 months. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 85, and 86. In preparing applications, applicants should pay particular attention to the requirements in section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), as detailed later in this notice. Applicants must address the requirements in section 427 in order to receive funding under this competition. Section 427 requires each applicant to describe the steps it proposes to take for addressing one or more barriers (i.e., gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age) that can impede equitable access to, or participation in, the program. A restatement of compliance with civil rights requirements is not sufficient to meet the requirements in section 427 of GEPA. Because there are no program-specific regulations for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program, applicants are encouraged to read the authorizing statute in section 419N of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Waiver of Rulemaking: It is generally the practice of the Secretary to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, in order to make awards on a timely basis, the Secretary has decided to publish this priority in final under the authority of section 437(d) of GEPA (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)). Further, the Secretary has determined that, to make grants under this competition before the funds expire, the use of negotiated rulemaking would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest under section 492(b)(2) of the HEA. Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 20 U.S.C. 1070e(d) the Secretary gives preference to applications that meet the following competitive priority. The Secretary awards 10 points to an application that meets this competitive priority. These points are in addition to any points the application earns under the selection criteria: Projects that leverage significant local or institutional resources, including in-kind contributions to support the activities, and use a sliding fee scale for child care services provided by a facility assisted under this grant in order to support a high number of low-income parents pursuing postsecondary education at the institution. Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new grant under this competition, the Secretary uses selection criteria under 34 CFR 75.209 and 75.210 of EDGAR. The Secretary informs applicants in the application package of the selection criteria and factors, if any, to be used for this competition and of the maximum weight assigned to each criterion. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for this program. For Applications or Information Contact: Cynthia Brown, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Suite 600A, Portals Building, Washington, DC 20202-5247. Telephone: (202) 260-8458. E-mail: Cindy__Brown@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, audiotape, 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://ocfo.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. 1070e. [[Page 11849]] Dated: March 4, 1999. David A. Longanecker, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. 99-5975 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-U