The legislation for the PPOHA grant program does include scholarships, assistantships, fellowships and other financial assistance for Hispanic and low-income postbaccalaureate students. Grantees may use up to 20 percent of their total PPOHA grant for scholarships, assistantships, fellowships and other financial assistance, including travel expenses for graduate students at professional conferences and to conduct research.

The Notice of Final Requirements (NFR) published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2010, states that an eligible institution may submit only one application per year under the PPOHA Program. So if there are several departments planning to apply, the institution needs to decide which application will be submitted in a given year.

The purposes of the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program are:

1. to expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students; and
2. to expand the postbaccalaureate academic offerings and enhance the program quality in the institutions of higher education that are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic and low-income students complete postsecondary degrees.

Please keep in mind that the PPOHA Program does not discriminate and must be open to Hispanic and low-income students.

To determine which students are low-income, check with your Student Financial Aid Office because all graduate students applying for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Funding is reserved for students, academic offerings and programs at the graduate level. Some of the allowable activities under PPOHA include:

1. Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes.
2. Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement of classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services.
3. Purchase of library books, periodicals, technical and other scientific journals, microfilm, microfiche, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program materials.
4. Support for low-income postbaccalaureate students including outreach, academic support services, mentoring, scholarships, fellowships, and other financial assistance to permit the enrollment of such students in postbaccalaureate certificate and postbaccalaureate degree granting programs.
5. Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development, faculty research, curriculum development, and academic instruction.
6. Creating or improving facilities for Internet or other distance education technologies, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services.
7. Collaboration with other institutions of higher education to expand postbaccalaureate certificate and postbaccalaureate degree offerings.
8. Other activities proposed in the application submitted pursuant to section 514 that:
1. contribute to carrying out the purposes of this part; and
2. are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of such application.

In addition to the other requirements necessary to meet HSI (Hispanic-serving Institutions) eligibility, institutions applying for a PPOHA grant award, must already offer a postbaccalaureate degree or certificate.

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