[Federal Register: January 25, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 16)]
[Notices]
[Page 3946-3948]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ja00-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No 84.031S]
Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2000.
Purpose of Program: Grants to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)
under the Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program assist
eligible Hispanic Serving institutions of higher education to expand
their capacity to serve Hispanic and low-income students by enabling
them to improve their academic quality, institutional management, and
fiscal stability and to increase their self-sufficiency. Five-year
development grants and one-year planning grants are awarded.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions that, at the time of application,
have an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that
is at least 25 percent Hispanic students, and provide assurances that
not less than 50 percent of their Hispanic students are low-income
individuals.
[[Page 3947]]
Special Notes
1. If an institution is the recipient of a grant under the programs
authorized under Part A or B of Title III of the Higher Education Act
of 1965, as amended(HEA), the institution may not receive a grant under
the HSI Program if any part of the grant period for the HSI Program
grant would overlap with the grant awarded under Part A or B of Title
III. Thus, such an institution may not apply for a grant under the HSI
Program in this competition. Further, an institution that is a
recipient of a grant under Part A or B may not relinquish that grant in
order to apply for a grant under the HSI Program. The programs
authorized under Part A of Title III of the HEA include the
Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally Controlled
Colleges and Universities Program, Alaska Native-Serving Institutions
Program, and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program. The programs
authorized under Part B of Title III of the HEA include the
Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program and
the Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions Program.
2. An institution that does not fall within the limitation
described in paragraph 1 may apply for a grant under both the programs
authorized under Title III Part A of the HEA and the HSI Program.
However, the institution may receive only one grant under any of those
programs. Accordingly, if an institution applies for a grant under more
than one program, it should indicate that fact in each application, and
should further indicate which grant it wishes to receive if it is
selected to receive a grant under more than one program.
3. We have changed the way we collect information for determining
the value of endowment funds and total expenditures for library
materials. As a result of that change, we do not now have base year
data beyond 1996-1997 data. Consequently, in order to award FY 2000
grants in a timely manner, we will use 1996-1997 base year data.
Applications Available: January 25, 2000.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 10, 2000.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 10, 2000.
Methods for Submission of Grant Applications: We will accept
applications in two formats, a paper application and a diskette
application. You must submit one original (hard copy with signatures)
and two diskettes. Each diskette must contain a copy of the entire
application for the FY 2000 grant competition, excluding the following
forms (which should be included with the hard copy only): the
Application for Federal Education Assistance Form (ED 424), HSI
Certification Form (ED 851S-7), the Assurances and Certification Forms
and the Endowment Fund Assurance Form (ED 851S-8). The hard copy and
the two diskettes must be postmarked on or before the closing date of
the competition.
Under both formats we have established mandatory page limits.
Reviewers will be instructed not to read applications beyond the stated
page limits. If, to meet the page limit, you use a larger page or you
use a print size, spacing, or margins smaller than the standards in
this notice, we will reject your application. For this purpose, an
application narrative includes the institutional narrative, the
comprehensive development plan, activity narratives, and the project
management narrative.
* The narrative of a development grant application may not
exceed 60 pages. Additionally, essential appendices may be attached but
may not exceed 5 pages each.
* The narrative of a cooperative arrangement grant
application may not exceed 120 pages. Additionally, essential
appendices may be attached but may not exceed 10 pages each.
* The narrative of a planning grant application may not
exceed 20 pages. Additionally, essential appendices may be attached but
may not exceed 5 pages each.
The cover page (ED Form 424 and the tiebreaker information page on
the back of ED Form 424) and all certificates and assurances must
accompany the original application and are not included within the page
limits.
1. A `page' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' margins
top, bottom, right and left.
2. You must double-space all text in the application narrative,
including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and
captions. However, you may single space charts, forms, tables, figures
or graphs.
Electronic Field Readings: During FY 2000, all grant applications
under the HSI Program will be reviewed by readers from a secure
website. The reviewers will provide comments and award points online.
Reviewers will have the opportunity to discuss any significant point
differences in a virtual chat room environment.
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in 34 CFR 75.102. Under
5 U.S.C. 553, the Department generally offers interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, these
amendments make procedural changes only and do not establish new
substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the
Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Available Funds: Total estimated funding available is $42,500,000
for FY 2000. Approximately $16,500,000 will support 39 continuing
grants. Approximately $26,000,000 will be available for the new grant
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards:
Development Grants: $350,000-$400,000 per year.
Planning Grants: $30,000--$35,000 for one year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Development Grant: $375,000 per year.
Planning Grant: $32,500 for one year.
Estimated Number of Awards:
Development Awards: 65.
Planning Grant Awards: 10.
Project Period:
60 months for development grants.
12 months for planning grants.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Statutory Priorities
Under Section 511(d) of the HEA, we give priority to applications
that contain satisfactory evidence that the Hispanic Serving
institution has entered into or will enter into a collaborative
arrangement with at least one local educational agency or community-
based organization to provide that agency or organization with
assistance (from funds other than funds provided under Title V of the
HEA) in reducing dropout rates for Hispanic students, improving rates
of academic achievement for Hispanic students, and increasing the rates
at which Hispanic secondary school graduates enroll in higher
education. We anticipate that we will fund under this competition only
applications that meet this priority.
As described under Section 514(b) of the HEA, we give priority to
grants for cooperative arrangements that are geographically and
economically sound or will benefit the applicant Hispanic Serving
Institution. We anticipate that we will fund only those applications
that meet this priority under this competition.
Special Funding Consideration
In tie-breaking situations described in 34 CFR 606.23 of the HSI
Program regulations, we award one additional point to an application
from an
[[Page 3948]]
institution that has an endowment fund for which the market value in
1996-97, per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, was less than the
average per FTE student at similar type institutions; and one
additional point to an application from an institution that had
expenditures for library materials in 1996-97, per FTE student, that
were less than the average per FTE student at similar type
institutions.
For the purpose of these funding considerations, an applicant must
be able to demonstrate that the market value of its endowment fund per
FTE student, or expenditures for library per FTE student, were less
than the following approximated national averages for year 1996-97.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Average Library
market expenditures
value of for
endowment materials
fund per per FTE
FTE student student
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two-year public institutions................. $1,332 $45
Two-year nonprofit private institutions...... 11,567 121
Four-year public institutions................ 2,829 165
Four-year nonprofit private institution...... 42,579 254
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a tie still remains after applying the additional points, we
determine that an institution will receive an award according to a
combined ranking of two-year and four-year institutions. This ranking
is established by combining library expenditures and endowment values
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, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and
(b) the regulations for the HSI Program in 34 CFR Part 606. The HSI
final regulations, 34 CFR part 606, were published in the Federal
Register on December 15, 1999,64 FR 70146-70155.
For Applications or Information Contact: Jessie DeAro, Title V-
Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program, U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Higher Education
Programs, 1990 K Street N.W., 6th floor, Washington DC 20006-8501.
Telephone (202) 502-7562. The email address for Jessie DeAro is
jessie__dearo@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.
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 specified 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
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following sites:
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at the previously mentioned web sites.
If you have any questions about using the 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 a 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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 USC 1059c.
Dated: January 19, 2000.
A. Lee Fritschler,
Assistant Secretary Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 00-1725 Filed 1-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P