[Federal Register: May 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 88)] [Notices] [Page 24927-24929] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr07my99-152] [[Page 24927]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part VI Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program; Notice [[Page 24928]] Department of Education [CFDA No.: 84.031S] Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999 Purpose of Program Provide grants and related assistance to eligible Hispanic-Serving institutions of higher education to enable them to improve their academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability and thereby increase their self-sufficiency and expand their capacity to serve Hispanic students and other low-income individuals. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 25, 1999. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 25, 1999. Applications Available: May 10, 1999. Available Funds: Approximately $16,000,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $375,000 to $425,000 per year for development grants. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $392,000 per year for development grants. Estimated Number of Awards: 40 development grants. Project Period: 60 months for development grants. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Statutory Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and Section 511(d) of the Higher Education Act, as amended (HEA), the Secretary gives an absolute preference 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. The Secretary will fund under this competition only applications that meet this priority. As described under Section 514(b), the Secretary also gives an absolute preference to grants for cooperative arrangements that are geographically and economically sound or will benefit the applicant Hispanic-Serving institution. Only applications that meet this priority will be funded. Special Funding Consideration: In tie-breaking situations described in 34 CFR 607.23 of the Strengthening Institutions Program regulations, the Secretary awards one additional point to an application from an institution that has an endowment fund for which the market value in 1996-1997, 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 1996-1997, 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 materials per FTE student, were less than the following approximated national averages for base year 1996-1997: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Average Average Market Library Value of Expenditures Endowment for Fund, Per Materials, FTE Per FTE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Institutions..... 42,579 254 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If a tie still remains after applying the additional points, the Secretary determines 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, and 86; and (b) the regulations for the Strengthening Institutions Program in 34 CFR Part 607, except those regulatory sections that have been superseded by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (Public Law 105-244). Supplementary Information: The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 amended the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) regarding the Hispanic- Serving Institutions Program in several respects. First, it moved the program Title V of the HEA. It made specific changes to the eligibility requirements for new grants and authorized uses of grant funds. Key statutory provisions that directly impact the program are: a. As amended, section 504(a)(2) of the HEA provides that an institution that receives a five-year individual grant under Title V, is not eligible to receive an additional development grant until two years after the date on which the five-year grant terminates. b. As amended, section 503(b) 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 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) Purchase of library books, periodicals, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program material. (5) Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success. (6) Funds management, administrative management, and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management. (7) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries. (8) Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or improve contributions from alumni and the private sector. (9) Establishing or improving an endowment fund. (10) Creating or improving facilities for Internet or other distance learning academic instruction capabilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services. (11) Establishing or enhancing a teacher education program designed to qualify students to teach in public, elementary and secondary schools. (12) Establishing community outreach programs that will encourage elementary and secondary school students to develop the academic skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education. (13) Expanding the number of Hispanic and other underrepresented graduate and professional students that [[Page 24929]] can be served by an institution by expanding courses and institutional resources. (14) Other activities proposed in the application that contribute to carrying out the purposes of the program and are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of the application. As amended, section 503(c) (1) and (2) of the HEA provides that grantees under the Developing Hispanic-Serving 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. For Further Information Contact or Applications: Carl Person, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, the Portals Building Suite CY-80, Washington, D.C. 20202-5335. Telephone (202) 708-8839 or (202) 708-8816. The e-mail address for Mr. Person is Carl__Person@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-888-877-8339. 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 You may review 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 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 (GPO) at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free at 1-888-293-6498. 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 at GPO Access at: http:// www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057. Dated: May 3, 1999. David A. Longanecker, Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. 99-11490 Filed 5-6-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-U