[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 169 (Wednesday, September 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47849-47853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22804]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Final Eligibility Criteria, Preferences, and Priorities for 
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces final eligibility criteria, preferences, and priorities for 
the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program, under the 
authority of section 737 of the Public Health Service Act (the Act), 
Title VII, Part B, as amended by the Health Professions Education 
Partnerships Act of 1998,
    Pub. L. 105-392, dated November 13, 1998. A notice which proposed 
eligibility criteria, preferences, and priorities for the SDS program 
was published in the Federal Register at 64 FR 29660, dated June 2, 
1999. A period of 30 days was established to allow public comment 
concerning the proposed eligibility criteria, preferences, and 
priorities. Five comments were received. This notice discusses these 
comments and sets forth the final eligibility criteria, preferences, 
and priorities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The program elements described in this notice are for 
use in fiscal year (FY) 1999 and beyond and will become effective, 
except where indicated otherwise, for SDS funds awarded to schools in 
FY 1999 and beyond.

Purpose

    The SDS program provides funds to health professions and nursing 
schools for the purpose of assisting such schools in providing 
scholarships to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are 
enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) as full-time students in the 
schools.
    For purposes of the SDS program in FY 1999, an ``individual from a 
disadvantaged background'' is defined in 42 CFR 57.1804, subpart S, as 
one who:
    (1) Comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual 
from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enroll 
in and graduate from a health profession or nursing school, or from a 
program providing education or training in allied health professions; 
or
    (2) Comes from a family with an annual income below a level based 
on low-income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. 
Bureau of the Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer 
Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health 
professions and nursing programs. The Secretary will periodically 
publish these low income levels in the Federal Register.
    The following income figures determine what constitutes a low-
income family for purposes of the SDS program for FY 1999.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Income
                 Size of parents' family \1\                   level \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...........................................................     $10,900
2...........................................................      14,100
3...........................................................      16,800
4...........................................................      21,500
5...........................................................      25,400
6 or more...................................................     28,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes only dependents listed on Federal income tax forms.
\2\ Adjusted gross income for calendar year 1998, rounded to nearest
  $100.

    Under the FY 1999 appropriations bill, $38.1 million has been 
appropriated for this program. Of the funds available for FY 1999, 16 
percent shall be made available to schools agreeing to expend the funds 
only for nursing scholarships. The balance will support scholarships 
for eligible health professions students. The period of fund 
availability will be one academic year.

Use of Funds

    Funds awarded to a school under this program may be used as 
follows:
    (1) To award scholarships to former recipients of scholarships 
under the Exceptional Financial Need (EFN) Scholarship program and the 
Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students 
(FADHPS) program (sections 736 and 740(d)(2)(B) of the Public Health 
Service Act, as such sections existed prior to the enactment of Pub. L. 
105-392), at levels comparable to what these students would have 
received prior to phase out of the EFN and FADHPS programs, and with 
service agreements that are

[[Page 47850]]

consistent with those the students entered into to receive EFN and 
FADHPS funds in FY 1998.
    (2) To award scholarships to eligible students enrolled in the 
school, to be expended only for tuition expenses, other reasonable 
educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses (as defined by the 
school for all students attending the school) incurred while enrolled 
in a school as a full-time student. The amount of the scholarship may 
not, for any year of attendance, exceed the total amount required for 
the year for the expenses specified above, and may not exceed the 
student's financial need, as determined in accordance with a need 
analysis procedure approved by the Department of Education.
    Any school receiving SDS funds must maintain separate 
accountability for these funds.

Statutory School Eligibility Requirements

    An entity that is eligible to receive funds under this program is:
    (1) As defined in section 799B of the Act, a school of medicine, 
osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, 
optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, chiropractic, or allied 
health, a school offering a graduate program in behavioral and mental 
health practice, or an entity providing programs for the training of 
physician assistants; or, as defined in section 801 of the Act, is a 
school of nursing. Each school or program must be accredited by a 
recognized body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary of 
Education, and by a specialized accrediting body approved for the 
health discipline applying for program participation; and
    (2) Carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining students 
from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of 
underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities.

Final Administrative School and Program Eligibility Criteria

    A school or program must comply with the following outcome-based 
measures to be eligible to receive SDS funds in FY 1999:
    (1) Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds must comprise at 
least 5 percent of the total enrollment in the school or program for 
which funds are requested, based on enrollment data for academic year 
1997-98; and
    (2) Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds must comprise at 
least 5 percent of the total graduates from the school or program for 
which funds are requested, based on graduates for academic year 1997-
98.
    A school or program must comply with the following outcome-based 
measures to be eligible to receive SDS funds in FY 2000:
    (1) Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds must comprise at 
least 10 percent of the total enrollment in the school or program for 
which funds are requested, based on enrollment data for academic year 
1998-99; and
    (2) Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds must comprise at 
least 10 percent of the total graduates from the school or program for 
which funds are requested, based on graduates for academic year 1998-
99.
    The threshold levels for determining a school or program's 
eligibility will continue to increase gradually beyond FY 2000 until 
students from disadvantaged backgrounds are represented in the health 
care workforce at levels that best address the HRSA goals of assuring 
access to health care for all Americans and eliminating health 
disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. Threshold levels for 
determining school or program eligibility for SDS funding beyond FY 
2000 will be announced annually in the HRSA Preview and/or in SDS 
application materials.

Comments on Proposed Administrative School and Program Eligibility 
Criteria

    Four comments were received concerning the proposed administrative 
school and program eligibility criteria. One comment objected to 
establishing a percentage quota for schools' acceptance of students 
from disadvantaged backgrounds, indicating that this could adversely 
affect the schools' decisions of acceptance. Although the commenter 
agreed that it is necessary to assist those from disadvantaged 
backgrounds, he felt that to create a ``must'' situation was not 
entirely fair.
    In response, the Department points out that these criteria carry 
out Congressional intent as expressed in the Senate Report accompanying 
Pub. L. 105-392. This report states that the committee expects the 
Secretary to apply appropriate standards in determining which schools 
or programs from all eligible disciplines have complied with the 
requirement to be carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining 
students from disadvantaged backgrounds, using outcome-based measures 
that provide an indication of the success of the program. The report 
further states that the existence of a recruitment and retention 
program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds should not, in 
itself, result in the eligibility of a school or program if the school 
or program is unable to demonstrate that the recruitment and retention 
program has achieved success, based on the number and/or percentage of 
disadvantaged students who graduate from the school (p. 20, Senate 
Report 105-220).
    Accordingly, the Secretary has retained the first two outcome-based 
eligibility criteria as proposed. However, the Secretary notes that the 
measures to determine eligibility for FY 1999 are low in consideration 
of the criteria as a new requirement. It is the Secretary's view that 
any school or program that cannot meet the FY 1999 thresholds and 
retention ratio has not evidenced a strong commitment to the 
recruitment and retention of individuals from disadvantaged 
backgrounds.
    Recognizing that the FY 1999 initial levels are low, and that many 
schools and programs have indicated since the SDS program began that 
they have activities in place to support the education of individuals 
from disadvantaged backgrounds, the outcome-based measures with which a 
school or program must comply to be eligible to receive SDS funds will 
be increased for FY 2000 and beyond.
    One commenter saw a potential problem with the third outcome-based 
measure which a school or program would have been required to meet to 
receive SDS funds. The proposed criterion had established ratios that 
compared graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds with the total number 
of students enrolled who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, based on 
the number of years required to complete the course of study. For 
example, the criterion had stated that in a four-year program, the 
ratio of disadvantaged students who graduate must be at least 20 
percent of the total enrollment of disadvantaged students. The 
commenter found this reasonable if there is a steady number of 
disadvantaged students enrolling at the school, but inappropriate for a 
school that is increasing its disadvantaged enrollment. The Secretary 
agrees that this proposal, as drafted, could have adversely affected a 
school or program that is increasing its disadvantaged enrollment. In 
response, the Secretary has postponed use of this threshold until FY 
2001, pending further analysis of how to most accurately measure this 
aspect of retention. For FY 2001, information on this measure will be 
provided in the HRSA preview and/or in SDS application materials.

[[Page 47851]]

Statutory Student Eligibility Requirements

    To qualify for the SDS program, a student is required to:
    (1) Be a resident of the U.S. and either be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. 
national, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the 
U.S., a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a 
citizen of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a citizen of the 
Republic of Palau, or a citizen of the Marshall Islands, or a citizen 
of the Federated States of Micronesia;
    (2) Meet the definition of an ``individual from a disadvantaged 
background'' as defined above;
    (3) Have a financial need for a scholarship, in accordance with a 
need analysis procedure approved by the Department of Education (Pub. 
L. 105-244, Part F, The Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended). In 
addition, any student who is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in a 
health profession school or program must provide information on his or 
her parents' financial situation, regardless of the tax status of the 
student; and
    (4) Be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at an eligible school 
for enrollment as a full-time student in a program leading to a degree 
in a health profession or nursing.

Statutory Student Preferences

    The law requires that in providing SDS scholarships, the school or 
program give preference to students for whom the cost of attending an 
SDS school or program would constitute a severe financial hardship. 
Severe financial hardship is to be determined by the school or program 
in accordance with standard need analysis procedures prescribed by the 
Department of Education for its Federal student aid programs. The 
school or program has discretion in deciding how to determine which 
students have ``severe financial hardship,'' as long as the standard is 
applied consistently to all eligible students.
    The law also requires that schools give preference to former 
recipients of scholarships under sections 736 (EFN Scholarships) and 
740(d)(2)(B) (FADHPS Scholarships), as such sections existed on 
November 12, 1998. The Secretary is implementing this preference by 
making a separate allocation of funds for these students, based on 
information provided by schools (allopathic medical, osteopathic 
medical, and dental schools with former EFN and FADHPS recipients 
only), prior to allocating the remaining SDS money for all other 
eligible students.

Final Administrative Student Preference

    Beginning in academic year 2000-01, schools or programs must give 
preference, in the awarding of SDS funds, to students who have 
participated in an academic enrichment program funded in whole or in 
part by the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP), authorized by 
section 739 of the Act, or by the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) 
Program (formerly Nursing Educational Opportunities Program (NEOP)), 
authorized by section 821 of the Act. This will help assure that 
students who have participated in HCOP and NWD programs are not 
deterred from enrolling in a health professions or nursing school or 
program due to a lack of financial aid. Under this preference, it is 
the school's or program's responsibility to identify HCOP or NWD 
students to assure that they receive preference in the awarding of SDS 
funds. For example, the school or program could ask, as part of the 
financial aid application, whether the student participated in an 
academic enrichment program funded by HCOP or NWD, or could work with 
the admissions office to determine which students have been involved in 
HCOP or NWD programs. The Secretary intends that schools and programs 
implement this preference without a significant additional burden. 
Under this preference, the school or program continues to have 
discretion in determining the amount of funds to award to HCOP or NWD 
students, but must identify and fund HCOP or NWD students (provided 
they have financial need) before funding other eligible students who do 
not meet a student preference.
    Schools and programs that currently have access to information on 
which students have participated in HCOP or NWD programs are encouraged 
to implement this preference beginning in academic year 1999-2000. 
However, since some schools and programs may not currently have access 
to this information, the Secretary is not requiring schools and 
programs to implement the preference for HCOP or NWD students until 
academic year 2000-01.

Comments on Proposed Administrative Student Preference

    Three comments were received on the proposal that, beginning in 
academic year 2000-01, schools or programs give preference in the 
awarding of SDS funds to students who have participated in an academic 
enrichment program funded in whole or in part by the Health Careers 
Opportunity Program (HCOP), authorized by section 739 of the Act. One 
commenter objected that, although on the surface this proposal has 
merit, many schools are unable to secure this type of highly 
competitive grant. The Secretary clarifies that this preference does 
not reduce the amount of SDS funding available to schools or programs 
that have not received HCOP grant funding, but merely assures that when 
a school or program awards the SDS money that it receives, it must 
consider students who participated in HCOP supported programs before 
considering students who do not qualify for a funding preference. 
Therefore, no change has been made.
    One commenter suggested that this provision be clarified to 
include, in addition to HCOP participants, students who have 
participated in academic enrichment programs funded in whole or in part 
by Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grants (formerly known as Nursing 
Educational Opportunity Program (NEOP) grants), authorized by section 
821 of the Act. The NWD grants are similar to the HCOP grants, but are 
directed toward nursing students. The Secretary concurs with this 
suggestion and has clarified the provision accordingly.

Definitions

    ``Black or African American'' means a person having origins in any 
of the black racial groups of Africa.
    ``Hispanic or Latino'' means a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto 
Rican, South or Central American or other Spanish culture or origin, 
regardless of race.
    ``American Indian or Alaska Native'' means a person having origins 
in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including 
Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community 
attachment.
    Definitions listed above are contained in Directive No. 15 of 
Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-46, as revised.
    ``Native American'' as defined in Pub. L. 101-527, means American 
Indian, Alaska Native, Aleut, or Native Hawaiian.
    ``Graduate program in behavioral health and mental health 
practice'' means a graduate program in clinical psychology, clinical 
social work, professional counseling, or marriage and family therapy as 
defined in sec. 799B(1)(D) of the Act.
    ``Graduate program in clinical social work'' means an accredited 
graduate program in a public or nonprofit private institution in a 
State that provides training in a concentration in health or mental 
health care leading to a graduate

[[Page 47852]]

degree in social work as defined in sec. 799B(1)(C) of the Act.
    ``Graduate program in marriage and family therapy'' means an 
accredited graduate program in a public or nonprofit private 
institution in a State that provides training in a concentration 
leading to a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy as defined 
in sec. 799B(1)(C) of the Act.
    ``Graduate program in professional counseling'' means an accredited 
graduate program in a public or nonprofit private institution in a 
State that provides training in a concentration leading to a graduate 
degree in gerontological counseling, mental health counseling, or 
rehabilitation counseling.
    ``Medically underserved community'' means any geographic area and/
or population served by any of the following practice sites--
    (1) Community Health Centers (section 330 of the Act);
    (2) Migrant Health Centers (section 329 of the Act);
    (3) Health Care for the Homeless Grantees (section 340 of the Act);
    (4) Public Housing Primary Care Grantees (section 340A of the Act);
    (5) Rural Health Clinics, federally designated (section 1861(aa)(2) 
of the Social Security Act);
    (6) National Health Service Corps sites, freestanding (section 333 
of the Act);
    (7) Indian Health Service sites (Pub. L. 93-638 for tribally 
operated sites and Pub. L. 94-437 for Indian Health Service operated 
sites);
    (8) Federally Qualified Health Centers (section 1905(a) and (1) of 
the Social Security Act);
    (9) Primary Medical Care, Mental Health, and Dental Health 
Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) (designated under section 332 of 
the Act);
    (10) State or Local Health Departments as defined and published in 
the Federal Register Notice of April 4, 1994 (59 FR 15741-44); or
    (11) Ambulatory practice sites designated by State Governors as 
serving medically underserved communities as defined and published in 
the Federal Register Notice of April 4, 1994 (59 FR 15741-44).

Final Institutional Preferences

    For fiscal year 1999 and beyond, among allied health schools or 
programs, the Secretary will give preference to the following 
baccalaureate or graduate degree allied health professions schools or 
programs: Dental hygiene, medical laboratory technology, occupational 
therapy, physical therapy, radiologic technology, speech pathology, 
audiology, and registered dieticians.

Institutional Funding Priorities

    In accordance with section 737(c) of the Act, the Secretary shall 
give priority to eligible entities based on the proportion of 
graduating students going into primary care, the proportion of 
underrepresented minority students, and the proportion of graduates 
working in medically underserved communities. Any eligible school or 
program that qualifies for one or more funding priorities will receive 
extra weighting in the allocation formula.

Final Primary Care Funding Priority

    For purposes of determining which schools and programs receive 
priority based on the proportion of graduating students going into 
primary care, the Secretary is defining primary care to include:
    (1) Allopathic and osteopathic medical students that enter family 
medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, and preventive 
medicine, and general osteopathic medicine. This is consistent with the 
statutory definition of primary care for the Primary Care Loan (PCL) 
program, authorized under section 723 of the Act;
    (2) General dentistry (including Dental Public Health and Pediatric 
Dentistry), which has been included as primary care for purposes of the 
Exceptional Financial Need (EFN) Scholarship program and the Financial 
Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students (FADHPS) 
program;
    (3) Nurse practitioners and nurse midwives who are practicing 
primary care; and
    (4) Physician assistants who are practicing primary care.
    For purposes of the SDS program, the Secretary is defining 
``primary care'' to include the above disciplines because, with the 
exception of general dentistry, they are involved in the provision of 
comprehensive and continuous care and provide an entry to the health 
care system. The Secretary has included general dentistry, including 
Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry, because dentistry acts as 
the entry to the health care system for a particular type of care which 
is not covered by the other disciplines.
    For the above disciplines, a school or program may qualify for the 
primary care priority if at least 50 percent of its graduates from the 
specified year are practicing primary care. For allopathic and 
osteopathic medical schools, the determination of which schools are 
eligible for the funding priority is based on the same data used to 
determine compliance with the PCL school requirements. Thus, for the FY 
1999 award process, priority is based on the activities, during 
academic year 1997-98, of Post Graduate Year (PGY)-3 graduates (i.e., 
those who graduated during academic year 1994-95), but for FY 2000, 
priority will be based on the activities, during academic year 1998-99, 
of PGY-4 graduates (i.e., those who graduated during academic year 
1994-95). Beyond FY 2000, priority will be based on the activities of 
PGY-4 graduates. This will allow allopathic and osteopathic medical 
schools to submit, for the SDS program, the same data submitted for the 
PCL program if they are PCL participants.
    For the remaining primary care disciplines, the following measure 
will be used: (1) The determination of compliance for FY 1999 will be 
based on the activities, during academic year 1997-98, of students who 
graduated during academic year 1996-97; (2) the determination of 
compliance for FY 2000 will be based on the activities, during academic 
year 1998-99, of students who graduated during academic year 1997-98; 
and (3) the determination of compliance beyond FY 2000 will be based on 
the activities, during the most recently completed academic year, of 
students who graduated during the previous academic year.

Comments on Proposed Primary Care Funding Priority

    Two comments were received on the primary care funding priority. 
One commenter stated that some professional schools have multiple 
missions (e.g., research as well as primary care) and may not be able 
to meet the 50 percent primary care threshold. The commenter indicated 
that it would be unfair not to give disadvantaged students at these 
schools the advantage of SDS funding, and that they would be penalized 
because of the school that they chose to attend.
    In response, the Department notes that the statute requires that 
priority be given to schools based on the percentage of primary care 
graduates, reflecting the Congress' continued concern regarding the 
shortage of primary care providers. The Department also clarifies that 
eligible schools which do not meet this funding preference can still 
receive SDS funds, but will not receive the additional weighting 
associated with this funding preference.

Final Underrepresented Minority Funding Priority

    For purposes of granting priority based on the proportion of 
underrepresented minority students in

[[Page 47853]]

FY 1999, the Secretary will give priority to any school or program that 
has an underrepresented minority enrollment that is above the national 
average for the discipline.
    The percentage of underrepresented minority enrollment required to 
qualify for this funding priority will increase gradually beyond FY 
1999 until it is equal to the underrepresented minority enrollment 
needed to reach parity in the health care workforce. The percentage 
required after FY 1999 will be announced annually in the HRSA Preview 
and/or SDS application materials.

Final Medically Underserved Community Funding Priority

    For purposes of granting priority based on the proportion of 
graduates working in medically underserved communities in FY 1999, the 
Secretary will give priority to any school or program for which at 
least 10 percent of the graduates from the specified year are 
practicing in medically underserved communities.
    The percentage of a school or program's graduates who must be 
practicing in medically underserved communities to qualify for this 
funding priority will increase gradually beyond FY 1999 until it is 
representative of a level that has a meaningful impact on the 
elimination of medically underserved communities. The percentage 
required after FY 1999 will be announced annually in the HRSA Preview 
and/or the SDS application materials.
    For allopathic and osteopathic medical schools, the determination 
of which schools are eligible for the funding priority will be based on 
the same population of graduates used to determine compliance with the 
primary care funding priority. Thus, for the FY 1999 awards, priority 
will be based on the activities, during academic year 1997-98, of 
allopathic and osteopathic medical students who graduated 3 years 
earlier (academic year 1994-95), but for FY 2000, priority will be 
based on the activities, during academic year 1998-99, of allopathic 
and osteopathic medical students who graduated 4 years earlier 
(academic year 1994-95). Beyond FY 2000, priority will be based on the 
activities of PGY-4 graduates.
    For other schools and programs, the following measure will be used: 
(1) The determination of compliance for FY 1999 will be based on the 
activities, during academic year 1997-98, of students who graduated 
during academic year 1996-97; (2) the determination of compliance for 
FY 2000 will be based on the activities, during academic year 1998-99, 
of students who graduated during academic year 1997-98; and (3) the 
determination of compliance beyond FY 2000 will be based on the 
activities, during the most recently completed academic year, of 
students who graduated during the previous academic year.
    Schools and programs that do not have data on the percentage of 
their graduates who are practicing in medically underserved communities 
may still apply for SDS funds, but will not receive the additional 
weighting associated with this funding priority.

Final Procedures for Calculating Awards

    Awards to eligible schools and programs will be calculated by 
comparing the weighted number of eligible students in each eligible 
school and program with the total weighted number of eligible students 
in all eligible schools and programs.
    For FY 1999, the number of ``eligible students'' for each school or 
program will be the lesser of: (1) The number of disadvantaged 
graduates for academic year 1997-98 multiplied times the number of 
years required to complete the program (based on a 9-month academic 
year); or (2) the total disadvantaged enrollment during academic year 
1997-98. For example, if a 4-year program had 100 disadvantaged 
graduates and a disadvantaged enrollment of 500, its award will be 
based on 400 eligible students (100 graduates times 4). If another 4-
year program had 100 disadvantaged graduates and a disadvantaged 
enrollment of 300, its award will be based on 300 eligible students 
(the total disadvantaged enrollment). After determining the number of 
eligible students at each school or program, this number will be 
adjusted to reflect the extra weighting associated with any funding 
priorities.
    For FY 2000, the number of ``eligible students'' for each school or 
program will be determined using the procedures described above for FY 
1999, with the calculation based on disadvantaged data from academic 
year 1998-99. Beyond FY 2000, the same procedures will be followed, 
with the calculation based on disadvantaged data from the most recently 
completed academic year.

Comments on Proposed Procedures for Calculating Awards

    One comment was received on the proposed procedures for calculating 
awards. This commenter objected to the possibility that an eligible 
school might not receive funding if it did not qualify for one or more 
of the funding priorities. The commenter stated that all schools that 
meet the required outcome measures are doing a credible job of 
enrolling and graduating disadvantaged students and should receive 
funding for these students. In response, the procedures for calculating 
awards for FY 1999 will assure that all eligible schools receive SDS 
funding.

National Health Objectives for the Year 2000

    The Public Health Service is committed to achieving the health 
promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 2000, a 
PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The Scholarships 
for Disadvantaged Students program is related to the priority area of 
Academic and Community Partnership Programs. Potential applicants may 
obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report; Stock No. 017-001-
00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report; Stock No. 017-001-
00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-0325; telephone (202) 783-3238.

Education and Service Linkage

    As part of its long-range planning, HRSA will be targeting its 
efforts to strengthening linkages between U.S. Public Health Service 
education programs and programs which provide comprehensive primary 
care services to the underserved.

Smoke-Free Workplace

    The Public Health Service strongly encourages all award recipients 
to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all 
tobacco products, and Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
prohibits smoking in certain facilities that receive Federal funds in 
which education, library, day care, health care, and early childhood 
development services are provided to children.

(The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for the 
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program is 93.925. This 
program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented through 
45 CFR part 100)).

    This program is not subject to the Public Health Systems 
Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: August 26, 1999.
Claude Earl Fox,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-22804 Filed 8-31-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P