[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 52 (Thursday, March 18, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13486-13487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6643]



[[Page 13485]]

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Part III





Department of Education





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34 CFR Part 648



Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need; Final Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 52 / Thursday, March 18, 1999 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 13486]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 648


Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Final regulations.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary amends the regulations governing the Graduate 
Assistance in Areas of National Need program to incorporate changes 
made by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. These final 
regulations are needed to reflect changes made by recently enacted 
legislation.

EFFECTIVE DATE: These regulations take effect April 19, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cosette Ryan, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Suite 600 Portals Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-5247. Telephone: (202) 260-3608. 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, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These final regulations incorporate 
statutory changes made by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (Pub. 
L. 105-244, enacted October 7, 1998). The changes include eliminating 
the requirement that the program be limited to students pursuing 
careers in teaching and research in areas of national need 
(Sec. 648.1); requiring an academic department to fulfill its 
commitment to the student (Sec. 648.20); and updating references in the 
regulations (Sec. Sec. 648.51 and 648.52).

Goals 2000: Educate America Act

    The Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Goals 2000) focuses the 
Nation's education reform efforts on the eight National Education Goals 
and provides a framework for meeting them. Goals 2000 promotes new 
partnerships to strengthen schools and expands the Department's 
capacities for helping communities to exchange ideas and obtain 
information needed to achieve the goals.
    The GAANN program furthers the National Education Goal that U.S. 
students will be first in the world in science and mathematics 
achievement, and that every adult American will be literate and will 
possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global 
economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. 
The program furthers both goals by providing fellowship assistance to 
increase the number of teachers with a substantive background in 
mathematics and science, as well as increase the number of graduate 
students who complete degrees in mathematics, science, and engineering. 
The program also furthers these goals by providing fellowship 
assistance to graduate students so that these students can provide an 
example for American youth on the importance of continued learning 
throughout an individual's life.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553, 
it is customary for the Secretary to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, the changes in 
this document do not establish any new substantive rules, but simply 
incorporate recent statutory amendments affecting the Graduate 
Assistance in Areas of National Need program. Therefore, the Secretary 
has determined that publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking is 
unnecessary and contrary to the public interest under 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Secretary certifies that these regulations will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The small entities affected are small institutions of higher education. 
However, these regulations incorporate only statutory amendments and 
will not have a significant economic impact on any of the entities 
affected.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    These regulations have been examined under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 and have been found to contain no information collection 
requirements.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the 
Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a 
strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and 
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal 
financial assistance.
    In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide 
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for 
this program.

Assessment of Educational Impact

    The Department has determined that the regulations in this document 
do not require transmission of information that is being gathered by or 
is available from any other agency or authority of the United States.

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) via 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 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 this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 34 CFR 648

    Colleges and universities, Grant programs-education, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, and Fellowships.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.200 Graduate 
Assistance in Areas of National Need)

    Dated: March 15, 1999.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

    The Secretary amends title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations as 
follows:

PART 648--GRADUATE ASSISTANCE IN AREAS OF NATIONAL NEED

    1. The authority citation for part 648 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135ee, unless otherwise noted.

    2. The authority citation for Secs. 648.1, 648.2, 648.3, and 648.33 
is revised to read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135, 1135a)


[[Page 13487]]


    3. The authority citation for Secs. 648.4 and 648.65 is revised to 
read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135c, 1135d)

    4. The authority citation for Secs. 648.5, 648.6, and 648.8 is 
revised to read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135)

    5. The authority citation for Sec. 648.7 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135b, 1135c)

    6. The authority citation for Secs. 648.20 and 648.61 is revised to 
read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135b)

    7. The authority citation for Secs. 648.30 and 648.40 is revised to 
read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135, 1135b)

    8. The authority citation for Secs. 648.31 and 648.32 is revised to 
read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135c)

    9. The authority citation for Sec. 648.41 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135, 1135c)

    10. The authority citation for Sec. 648.50 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135a, 1135c, 1135d)

    11. The authority citation for Secs. 648.51, 648.60, and 648.70 is 
revised to read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135c)

    12. The authority citation for Sec. 648.52 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135d)

    13. The authority citation for Sec. 648.62 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135b, 1135d)

    14. The authority citation for Sec. 648.63 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135, 1135b, 1135c)

    15. The authority citation for (648.64 is revised to read as 
follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135, 1135d)

    16. The authority citation for ((648.9 and 648.66 is revised to 
read as follows:

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135d)


Sec. 648.1   [Amended]

    17. Section 648.1 is amended by removing the last sentence of the 
section.


Sec. 648.20   [Amended]

    18. Section 648.20(b)(7) is amended by removing the word 
``endeavor'' and the word ``to'' before ``fulfill''.
    19. In Sec. 648.40, paragraphs (a)(8) (iii) and (iv) are revised to 
read as follows:


Sec. 648.40   How does an academic department select fellows?

    (a) * * *
    (8) * * *
    (iii) Provide evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service that they are in the United States for other than a temporary 
purpose with the intention of becoming permanent residents; or
    (iv) Are citizens of any one of the Freely Associated States.
* * * * *


Sec. 648.51   [Amended]

    20. Section 648.51 is amended by adding ``as determined under part 
F of title IV of the HEA'' at the end of the first sentence in 
paragraph (b).
    21. Section 648.52 is amended by designating the existing text as 
paragraph (a); removing ``1993-1994'' at the beginning of the first 
sentence and adding, in its place, ``1998-1999''; removing ``$9,900'' 
at the end of the first sentence and adding, in its place, ``$10,222''; 
and by adding a new paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec. 648.52   What is the amount of the institutional payment?

* * * * *
    (b) The institutional allowance paid under paragraph (a) of this 
section is reduced by the amount the institution charges and collects 
from a fellowship recipient for tuition and other expenses as part of 
the recipient's instructional program.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 99-6643 Filed 3-17-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U