[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11752-11754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5770]



[[Page 11751]]

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Part VIII





Department of Education





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Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally Controlled 
Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving 
Institutions Programs; Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year 1999; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 9, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.031]


Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally 
Controlled Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and Native 
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Programs; Notice inviting applications 
for new awards for Fiscal Year 1999.

    Purpose of Programs: Provide grants to eligible institutions of 
higher education (IHEs) to enable them to improve their academic 
quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability, and to 
increase their self-sufficiency, and thereby support the elements of 
the National Education Goals relevant to these IHEs' unique missions.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 24, 1999.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 23, 1999.
    Applications Available: April 22, 1999.
    Available Funds: Approximately $20,000,000 for the Strengthening 
Institutions Program; $3,000,000 for the American Indian Tribally 
Colleges and Universities Program; and $3,000,000 for the Alaska Native 
and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $327,000--$350,000 for development 
grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $30,000--$35,000 
for planning grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program; 
$347,000--$395,000 for development grants under the American Indian 
Tribally Controlled Colleges Universities Program; and $347,000--
$395,000 for development grants under the Alaska Native and Native 
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $341,000 for development grants 
under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $32,500 for planning 
grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $371,000 for 
development grants under the American Indian Tribally Controlled 
Colleges Universities Program; and $371,000 for development grants 
under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions 
Program.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 56 development grants under the 
Strengthening Institutions Program; 14 planning grants under the 
Strengthening Institutions Program; 8 development grants under the 
American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges Universities Program; and 
8 development grants under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions Program.
    Project Period: 60 months for development grants under the 
Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally Controlled 
Colleges and Universities Program, and Alaska Native and Native 
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program; and 12 months for planning 
grants under the Strengthening Institutions Program.

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

    Special Funding Considerations: In tie breaking situations, 
described in 34 CFR 607.23 of the Strengthening Institutions Program 
regulations, the Secretary awards one additional point to an applicant 
institution that has an endowment fund for which the 1996-1997 market 
value per full-time equivalent (FTE) student was less than the 
comparable average per FTE student at similar type institutions. The 
Secretary also awards one additional point to an applicant institution 
that had 1996-1997 expenditures for library materials per FTE student 
that were less than the comparable average per FTE student at similar 
type institutions.
    For the purpose of these funding considerations, an applicant must 
demonstrate that the market value of its endowment fund per FTE 
student, and library expenditures per FTE student, were less than the 
following national averages for 1996-1997:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Average
                                          Average market      library
                                             value of        materials
                                          endowment fund   expenditures
                                              per FTE         per FTE
                                             students        students
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two-Year Public Institutions............         $ 1,332            $ 45
Two-Year Non-profit Private Institutions          11,556             121
Four-Year Public Institutions...........           2,829             165
Four-Year Non-profit Private                      42,579             245
 Institutions...........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If a tie remains, after applying the additional point or points, 
the Secretary determines that an institution will receive a grant 
according to a combined ranking of two-year and four-year institutions. 
This ranking is established by combining endowment values per FTE 
student and library expenditures 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 this program in 34 CFR Part 
607, except those regulatory sections that have been supersceded by the 
Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (Public Law 105-244).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 
amended Part A of Title III of the HEA in several material respects. 
The Amendments made significant changes to the Strengthening 
Institutions Program, and created the American Indian Tribally 
Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Hawaiian-
Serving Institution Programs. New key statutory provisions include:
    (a) General Provisions. As amended, section 313(d) of the HEA 
provides that an institution that earlier received a 5-year individual 
Strengthening Institutions Program development grant is not eligible to 
receive a Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally 
Controlled Colleges and Universities Program, or Alaska Native and 
Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program grant until two years 
after the date on which the 5-year grant period terminates. For 
example, an institution that had a 5-year individual Strengthening 
Institutions Program development grant that ended on September 30, 1998 
would not be eligible to receive another Title III, Part A grant until 
October 1, 2000.
    (b) Strengthening Institutions Program. As amended, section 311(c) 
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

[[Page 11753]]

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) Development and improvement of academic programs;
    (5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, and other educational 
materials, including telecommunications program material;
    (6) Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to 
improve academic success;
    (7) Funds management, administrative management, and acquisition of 
equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
    (8) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;
    (9) Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or 
improve contributions from alumni and the private sector;
    (10) Establishing or improving an endowment fund;
    (11) Creating or improving facilities for Internet or other 
distance learning academic instruction capabilities, including purchase 
or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services; and
    (12) Other activities proposed in the application that contribute 
to carrying out the purposes of the Strengthening Institutions Program 
and are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance 
of an application.
    As amended, section 311(d) of the HEA provides that grantees under 
the Strengthening 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.
    (c) American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities 
Program. As amended, section 316(b) of the HEA defines a tribal college 
or university as having the meaning given in section 2 of the Tribally 
Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, and includes 
an institution listed in the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status 
Act of 1994. In addition to meeting the definitions contained in 
Section 316 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, a tribal 
college or university must also submit, as part of its application for 
a grant under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities 
Program, a 5-year plan for improving the assistance provided by the 
applicant institution to Indian students, increasing the rates at which 
Indian secondary school students enroll in higher education, and 
increasing overall postsecondary retention rates for Indian students. 
As amended, section 316(c) of the HEA authorizes the use of grant funds 
to enable institutions to improve and expand their capacities to serve 
American Indian students, and allows 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 purchase or rental of telecommunications 
technology equipment or services;
    (3) Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development, and faculty 
fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in the faculty's 
field of instruction;
    (4) Academic instruction in disciplines in which Indians are 
underrepresented;
    (5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, and other educational 
materials, including telecommunications program material;
    (6) Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to 
improve academic success;
    (7) Funds management, administrative management, and acquisition of 
equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
    (8) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;
    (9) Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or 
improve contributions from alumni and the private sector;
    (10) Establishing or enhancing a program of teacher education 
designed to qualify students to teach in elementary schools or 
secondary schools, with a particular emphasis on teaching Indian 
children and youth, that must include, as part of that program, 
preparation for teacher certification;
    (11) Establishing community outreach programs that encourage Indian 
elementary school and secondary school students to develop the academic 
skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education; and
    (12) Other activities proposed in the application that contribute 
to carrying out the activities listed in (1)-(11), above, and are 
approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of an 
application.
    Grantees under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities 
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 in an amount equal to than the grant funds used 
for the endowment fund.
    (d) Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. As 
amended, section 317(b) of the HEA defines an Alaska Native Serving 
Institution as an institution of higher education that, at the time of 
application, has an undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 
20 percent Alaska Native students. As amended, section 317(b) also 
defines a Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution as an institution of 
higher education that, at the time of application, has an enrollment of 
undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian 
students. In addition to meeting the definitions contained in Section 
317 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, an Alaska Native and 
Native Hawaiian-Serving institution must also submit, as part of its 
application for a grant under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions Program, a 5-year plan for improving the 
assistance provided by the applicant institution to Alaska Native or 
Native Hawaiian students. As amended, section 317(c) of the HEA 
authorizes the use of grant funds to enable the institutions to improve 
and expand their capacity to serve Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian 
students, and allows the expenditure 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) Renovation and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, 
and other instructional facilities;
    (3) Support of faculty exchanges, and faculty development, and 
faculty fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in the 
faculty's field of instruction;
    (4) Curriculum development and academic instruction;
    (5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other 
educational materials;
    (6) Funds and administrative management, and acquisition of 
equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
    (7) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries; 
and
    (8) Academic tutoring and counseling programs and student support.


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FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Blanca Westgate, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Portals Building, Suite CY-80, Washington, 
D.C. 20202-5335. Telephone (202) 708-8839 or (202) 708-8816. E-mail: 
[email protected]
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
    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

    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://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 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. Telephone (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. 1057.

    Dated: March 4, 1999.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-5770 Filed 3-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U