[Federal Register: March 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 40)]
[Notices]               
[Page 10190-10191]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02mr99-94]



[[Page 10190]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA NO. 84.334]

 
Office of Postsecondary Education; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999--Gaining Early Awareness and 
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs--GEAR UP

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to give more 
low-income students the skills, motivation, and preparation needed to 
pursue postsecondary education. Through early college preparation and 
awareness activities, eligible students are provided comprehensive 
mentoring, counseling, outreach and supportive services, including 
information to students and their parents about the benefits of 
postsecondary education and the availability of Federal financial 
assistance to attend college. Through the scholarship component, which 
is mandatory for State grants and optional for Partnership grants, 
eligible students are provided scholarships for higher education.

Eligible Applicants

    1. Partnerships with at least--
    * One institution of higher education. This may be any 
degree-granting two-year or four-year college or university;
    * One local educational agency (school district) on behalf 
of one or more schools with a 7th grade and the high school(s) that the 
students at these middle schools would normally attend. Generally, at 
least 50 percent of the students attending the participating school 
with a 7th grade must be eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. 
However, as an alternative, Partnerships may choose to work with one or 
more grade levels of students, beginning not later than the 7th grade, 
who reside in public housing; and
    * Two additional organizations, such as businesses, 
professional associations, community-based organizations, State 
Agencies, elementary schools, philanthropic organizations, religious 
groups, and other public or private organizations.
    2. State Agencies as designated by the State's Governor, one per 
State.
    Applications Available: February 19, 1999.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 1999.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 30, 1999.
    Available Funds: $120,000,000.
    Estimated Average Awards: No minimum, maximum or average award has 
been established for Partnership grants. The size of each Partnership 
grant will depend on the number of students served. However, there is a 
maximum annual Federal contribution of $800 per student for Partnership 
grants.
    For State grants. the estimated average award is $1.5 million to $2 
million with a $5 million maximum and no minimum award.
    Estimated Number of Awards: We estimate that the Department will 
make approximately 20-30 State grant awards and between 300 to 700 
Partnership grant awards, depending on the size and configuration of 
each Partnership.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months unless the Department announces 
that Congress has passed a technical amendment to the contrary.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary uses the selection criteria in accordance with 34 CFR 
75.209 and 75.210 to evaluate applications for Gaining Early Awareness 
and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. The application package 
includes selection criteria and the points assigned to the criteria

Priorities

    Competitive Priorities: Competitive Preference Priority--Prior 
Experience (For State grants only)--Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 
CFR 694.16, the Secretary gives preference to applications that meet 
the following competitive priority. The Secretary awards up to five (5) 
bonus points to a State grant application depending upon how well the 
application meets the priority. These bonus points are in addition to 
any points the application earns under the selection criteria for the 
program. Under this program the Secretary gives competitive preference 
to any State grant applicant that--
    (1) As of October 6, 1998, carried out successful educational 
opportunity programs under the National Early Intervention Scholarship 
and Partnership Program; and
    (2) has a prior, demonstrated commitment to early intervention 
leading to college access through collaboration and replication of 
successful strategies.
    Competitive Preference Priority--Providing Program Services in an 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community (For Partnership or State 
grants)--Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 CFR 694.17(a), the 
Secretary gives competitive preference to an application for a 
Partnership or State grant that serves a substantial number or 
percentage of students who reside in an Empowerment Zone, a 
Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an Enterprise Community.
    The Secretary will select an application that meets this priority 
over an application of comparable merit that does not meet the 
priority.
    Invitational Priority--Scholarships (For Partnerships grants 
only)--Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) and 34 CFR 694.17(b) the Secretary is 
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitations 
priority for establishing or maintaining a financial assistance program 
that awards scholarships to students either in accordance with section 
404E of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, or in accordance 
with 34 CFR 694.12.
    However, an application that meets this invitational priority does 
not receive competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
    For Applications or Information Contact: Karen W. Johnson by mail 
at: Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 6252, Portals Building, Washington, DC 
20202. Telephone 1-800-USA-LEARN, email gearup@ed.gov, or fax your 
request to (202) 260-4269. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 
time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain the GEAR UP application in 
an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) upon request to Karen W. Johnson, whose contact information 
is 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.

Technical Assistance Workshops

    The Department plans to conduct eleven (11) workshops, sponsored by 
the Ford Foundation. At these workshops, Department of Education staff, 
with the assistance of the National Center for Urban Partnerships, will 
offer technical assistance at a series of one-day regional workshops. 
These workhops will feature:

[[Page 10191]]

    * Information about how to plan, establish, and develop 
effective college-school partnerships;
    * Guidance about where to obtain additional information 
about educational partnerships, best practices, research studies, and 
program evaluation;
    * Technical assistance to prospective applicants on how to 
prepare the GEAR UP Partnership and State grant applications; and
    * Budget information for GEAR UP projects.
    To register on-line, visit the NCUP website at http://
www.gearup.org and click on the workshop you would like to attend. For 
more information, call Johnson Niba at (202) 619-0741. The dates, 
times, and locations of the workshops are as follows (all workshops 
will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.):
    * Monday, March 1, 1999, Miami, Florida, Wyndham Hotel 4833 
Collins Avenue, contact Oscar Gomez (305) 535-2034.
    * Wednesday, March 3, 1999, Atlanta, Georgia, Clark Atlanta 
University.
    * Thursday, March 4, 1999, Albuquerque, New Mexico, The 
Pyramid Crowne Plaza, 5151 San Francisco Road, N.E., contact Pam Yarmer 
(505) 821-3333.
    * Friday, March 5, 1999, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sacred Heart 
University.
    * Monday, March 8, 1999, Seattle, Washington, Sheraton 
Seattle, 1400 Sixth Avenue, contact Audrey Beavert (206) 447-5538.
    * Tuesday, March 9, 1999, Houston, Texas, Braeswood Hotel, 
2100 S. Braeswood, contact Dawn (713) 797-9000.
    * Wednesday, March 10, 1999, St. Louis, Missouri, The Adams 
Mark Hotel, 4th and Chestnut, contact Brenda Roderick (314) 342-4675.
    * Thursday, March 11, 1999, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Penn 
Tower, Civic Center Boulevard at 34th Street, contact Ron Purndun (215) 
898-1517.
    * Friday, March 12, 1999, Boston, Massachusetts, Boston Park 
Plaza, 64 Arlington Street, contact Susan Foster (617) 456-2457.
    * Friday, March 12, 1999, Los Angeles, California, Westin 
Bonaventure, 404 Figueroa Street, contact Rosanna (213) 624-1000.
    * Monday, March 15, 1999, Denver, Colorado, Adams Mark 
Hotel, 1550 Court Place, contact Inga (303) 626-2518.
    * Last week in March, workshop that will be broadcast across 
the country via teleconference. For more information about how to 
connect to the teleconference, call 1-800-USA-LEARN, email 
gearup@ed.gov, or check the GEARUP website.
    Workshop sites are accessible to individuals with disabilities. An 
individual with a disability who will need an auxiliary aid or service 
to participate in the workshop (e.g. interpreting service, assistive 
listening device, or materials in an alternate format) should notify 
the contact persons listed for each workshop in this application notice 
at least two weeks before the scheduled workshop date. Although the 
Department will attempt to meet a request received after that date, the 
requested auxiliary aid or service may not be available because of 
insufficient time to arrange it.
    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/new.html, http://
www.ed.gov/gearup
    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 any 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. The telephone numbers are (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. 1070a-21.

    Dated: February 22, 1999.
Maureen A. McLaughlin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-4887 Filed 3-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M