[Federal Register: March 23, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 57)]
[Notices]
[Page 15620-15621]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr00-40]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.069]
Office of Student Financial Assistance; Leveraging Educational
Assistance Partnership Program and Special Leveraging Educational
Assistance Partnership Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of the closing date for receipt of State applications
for fiscal year 2000.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education (Secretary) gives notice of the
closing date for receipt of State applications for fiscal year 2000
funds under the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP)
and Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (SLEAP)
programs. The LEAP Program, through matching formula grants to States,
provides grant aid to students with substantial financial need to help
them pay for their postsecondary education costs.
The SLEAP Program, through matching formula grants to States: (1)
Provides aid to students with financial need to help them pay for their
postsecondary education costs; or (2) helps the State to carry out
service programs to strengthen the opportunities for elementary and
secondary students with financial need to enter postsecondary
education. Both the LEAP and SLEAP programs support Goals 2000, the
President's strategy for moving the Nation toward the National
Education Goals, by enhancing opportunities for postsecondary
education. The National Education Goals call for increasing the rate at
which students graduate from high school and pursue high quality
postsecondary education.
Under section 415C(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended (HEA), a State must submit an application to participate in the
LEAP and SLEAP programs through the State agency that administered its
LEAP Program as of July 1, 1985, unless the Governor of the State has
subsequently designated, and the Secretary has approved, a different
State agency to administer the LEAP Program.
The Secretary is authorized to accept applications from the 50
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
and the Virgin Islands.
Authority for the LEAP and SLEAP programs is contained in sections
415A through 415F of the HEA.
Closing Date for Transmittal of Applications: Applications for
fiscal year 2000 LEAP and SLEAP funds must be mailed or hand-delivered
by May 15, 2000.
Application Forms: The Office of Student Financial Assistance
Programs mails the required application forms for receiving LEAP and
SLEAP funds to officials of the appropriate State agency in each State
or territory at least 30 days before the closing date.
Applications Delivered by Mail: An application sent by mail must be
addressed to: Mr. Greg Gerrans, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance Programs, 7th and D
Streets, S.W., ROB-3, Room 4616, Washington, DC 20202.
The Secretary accepts the following proof of mailing
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark;
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service;
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier; or (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary
of Education.
If an application is sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the
Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark; or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
The Department of Education encourages applicants to use certified
or at least first-class mail.
A late applicant cannot be assured that its application will be
considered for fiscal year 2000 funding.
Applications Delivered By Hand: Applications that are hand-
delivered must be taken to Mr. Greg Gerrans, Financial Partners, U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance
Programs, 7th and D Streets, S.W., ROB-3, Room 4616, Washington, DC.
Hand-delivered applications will be accepted between 8 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. daily (Eastern time), except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal
holidays.
Applications that are hand-delivered will not be accepted after
4:30 p.m. on the closing date and cannot be assured of consideration.
Program Information: Section 415C(a) of the HEA requires that an
annual application be submitted for a State or territory to receive
LEAP and SLEAP funds. In preparing the application, each State agency
should be guided by the table of allotments provided in the application
package. State allotments are determined according to the statutorily
mandated formula under section 415B of the HEA and are not negotiable.
A State may also request its share of reallotment, in addition to its
basic allotment, which is contingent upon the availability of such
additional funds.
In fiscal year 1999, 47 States, the District of Columbia, American
Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Trust Territory
(Palau), and the Virgin Islands received funds under the LEAP Program.
Applicable Regulations: The following regulations are applicable to
the LEAP Program:
[[Page 15621]]
(1) The LEAP Program regulations in 34 CFR part 692.
(2) The Student Assistance General Provisions in 34 CFR part 668.
And the following regulations are applicable to both the LEAP and
SLEAP programs:
(3) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR part 75.60 through 75.62 (Ineligibility of Certain
Individuals to Receive Assistance), part 76 (State-Administered
Programs), part 77 (Definitions That Apply to Department Regulations),
part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs
and Activities), part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments), part
82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)), part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses)
and parts 97, 98, and 99 (Protection of Human Subjects).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Mr.
Greg Gerrans, Program Specialist, Financial Partners, U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance Programs, 7th and
D Streets, S.W., ROB-3, Room 4616, Washington, DC 20202; telephone
(202) 401-2280. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8393.
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.
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 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 (GPO) toll free at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC area
at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this 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
(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070c et seq.)
Dated: March 17, 2000.
Greg Woods,
Chief Operating OfficerOffice of Student Financial Assistance Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-7253 Filed 3-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P