[Federal Register: June 1, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 35237-35239]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jn00-165]
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Part III
Department of Education
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Upward Bound Program Participant Expansion Initiative; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Upward Bound Program Participant Expansion Initiative
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education proposes to establish an absolute
priority to provide supplemental funds of up to $85,600 in fiscal year
2000 to on-going Upward Bound projects that serve at least one target
high school in which at least 50 percent of the students were eligible
for a free lunch under the National School Lunch Act during the 1999-
2000 school year.
The purpose of this initiative is to increase the number of the
neediest eligible students who are served by the Upward Bound program.
The neediest students are generally those from the lowest income
levels. The Secretary believes that limiting supplemental funds to
projects that serve the above-described target schools is a good way to
measure whether projects serve the lowest income students because the
Free Lunch program is limited to students from families with the lowest
family income.
Under this priority, supplements up to $85,600 will be awarded to
projects currently funded under the Upward Bound Program. An estimated
150 current Upward Bound projects could receive supplemental funds to
serve not more than twenty (20) additional students.
Projects that receive supplemental funds under this priority are
strongly encouraged to select eligible participants who have the
greatest need for Upward Bound services.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before July 3, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Dr.
Robert L. Belle, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room
7044, Washington, DC 20006-8510. If you prefer to send your comments
through the Internet, use the following address:
peggy_whitehead@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Whitehead, Sheryl Wilson, or
Gaby Watts, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room
7020, Washington, DC 20006-8510. Telephone (202) 502-7600. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with
disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g.,
Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to
the contact persons listed in the preceding paragraph.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation to Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this priority in room 7039, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule
an appointment for this type of aid, you may call (202) 502-7600. If
you use a TDD, you may call the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Background
In fiscal year 2000, the Congress provided more funds than the
Administration requested for the Federal TRIO Programs. In examining
the options available to the Secretary for allocating these additional
funds, the Secretary determined that a portion of the funds should be
used to increase support to the Upward Bound program. The Upward Bound
program, authorized under section 402C of the Higher Education Act of
1965 as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1070a-13, serves low-income, potential
first-generation, college students helping them generate the skills and
motivation necessary for success in education beyond secondary school.
Proposed Absolute Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c), the Secretary proposes to give an absolute
preference to applications that meet the following absolute priority.
The Secretary will provide supplemental funds of $85,600 only to Upward
Bound projects serving a target high school in which at least 50
percent of the students were eligible for the Free Lunch program during
the 1999-2000 school year.
If more applications are received than can be funded under this
initiative, the Secretary will use numerical scores assigned by field
readers during the fiscal year 1999 Upward Bound competition. The
Secretary will provide supplemental funds to the projects eligible for
the proposed absolute priority that received the highest average scores
from the three field readers. For the purposes of this proposed
absolute priority, the prior experience score will not be considered.
Only currently funded projects are eligible to apply for these
supplemental funds.
Veteran Upward Bound projects and Upward Bound Math/Science
projects are not eligible to participate in this initiative.
Upward Bound projects that wish to receive supplemental funds will
be required to submit:
* For the 1999-2000 school year, the number of students
eligible for the Free Lunch program at each of the target high schools
served by the project and the total number of students enrolled at
those target schools;
* The number of additional students, not to exceed 20, that
the project plans to serve;
* A revised budget; and
* A narrative describing how the supplemental funds will be
used.
Invitational Priority
The Secretary strongly encourages projects that receive
supplemental funds to enhance their recruitment strategies and services
to target high schools to select and serve students who are at greatest
risk of not graduating from high school or pursuing postsecondary
education. As is the case currently in the Upward Bound program,
program participants must be low-income or potential first-generation
college students who have an academic need for the services of this
program. However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an application that meets
this invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute
preference over other applications.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
action for the program.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 645.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education
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documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable
Document Format (PDP) 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 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
Dated: May 26, 2000.
A. Lee Fritschler,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 00-13662 Filed 5-31-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P