[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 250 (Thursday, December 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73525-73527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33958]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.031]


Strengthening Institutions, 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 2000

Purpose of Programs

    The Strengthening Institutions, American Indian Tribally Controlled 
Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions Programs are all authorized under Title III, Part 
A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). These programs 
will be referred to collectively in this notice as the Title III Part A 
programs. Each provides grants to eligible institutions of higher 
education to enable them to improve their academic quality, 
institutional management, and fiscal stability, and increase their 
self-sufficiency; thereby supporting the elements of the National 
Education Goals that are relevant to these institutions' unique 
missions.

Special Notes

    1. A grantee under the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions 
(HSI) Program authorized under Title V of the HEA may not receive a 
grant under any part of the Title III Part A program, if any part of 
its HSI Program grant would overlap with the Title III Part A Program 
grant. Further, an HSI Program grantee may not give up that grant in 
order to apply for a grant under any Title III Part

[[Page 73526]]

A program. Therefore, a current HSI Program grantee may not apply for a 
grant under any Title III Part A programs under this notice.
    2. An institution that does not fall within the limitation 
described in paragraph one may apply for a fiscal year 2000 grant under 
any Title III Part A program as well as the HSI Program. However, the 
institution may receive only one grant under any of those programs. 
Accordingly, if an institution applies for a grant under more than one 
program it must indicate that fact in each application, and further 
indicate which grant it wishes to receive if it is selected to receive 
a grant under more than one program.
    3. We have changed the way we collect information for determining 
the value of endowment funds and total expenditures for library 
materials. As a result of that change, we do not now have base year 
data beyond 1996-1997 data. Consequently, in order to award FY 2000 
grants in a timely manner, we will use 1996-1997 base year data.
    Applications Available: January 10, 2000.
    Deadline For Transmittal of Applications: February 18, 2000 for 
Title III Part A Programs development grants; March 2, 2000 for Title 
III Part A Programs planning grants.

Electronic Submission of Planning Grant Applications

Methods for Submission of Grant Applications

    Institutions may submit applications for planning grants under the 
Title III Part A Programs electronically or in a paper format. 
Institutions must submit paper applications for development grants 
under each Title III Part A program.

Electronic Submission

    Starting with the fiscal year 2002 competition, we hope to develop 
the capability to distribute, receive, and process discretionary grant 
applications electronically. To that end, we are conducting a limited 
pilot project under which applicants can submit electronically their 
applications for selected discretionary grant programs. Applications 
for planning grants under the Title III Part A Programs (CFDA Nos.: 
84.031A, N, T, and W) have been included in the pilot.
    This pilot will involve the use of E-GAPS, the Electronic Grant 
Application System portion of the Grant Administration and Payment 
System (GAPS). If an applicant participates in an E-GAPS Pilot, it is 
important to note the following:
     Participation in the E-GAPS pilot is strictly voluntary.
     Applicants will be able to submit all documents 
electronically including the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance, ED 424, the ED 524 Budget form and all necessary assurances 
and certifications. Original signatures on required forms may be 
requested at a later date.
     No points will be added or subtracted from an applicant's 
score because the applicant chose to submit its application 
electronically.
     The electronic grant application for the Title III Part A 
Programs-Planning Grants can be accessed at: http://gapsweb.ed.gov/.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 18, 2000 for Title III 
Part A Programs development grants; May 2, 2000 for Title III Part A 
Programs planning grants.
    Available Funds: Approximately $16,000,000 for the Strengthening 
Institutions Program; $3,000,000 for the American Indian Tribally 
Controlled Colleges and Universities Program; and $2,000,000 for the 
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $330,000-365,000 for development grants 
under the Strengthening Institutions Program; $30,000-35,000 for 
planning grants under the Title III Part A Programs; and $347,000-
$395,000 for development grants under the American Indian Tribally 
Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000 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 and Universities Program; and $371,000 for development grants 
under the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions 
Program.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 44 development grants under the 
Strengthening Institutions Program; 14 planning grants under the Title 
III Part A Programs; 8 development grants under the American Indian 
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program; and 5 
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 Title III Part A 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, we award 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. We also award 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 years 1996-1997:

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Average
                                          Average market      library
                                             value of        materials
                                             endowment     expenditures
                                           fund, per FTE      per FTE
                                              student         student
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two-year Public Institutions............         $ 1,332            $ 45
Two-year Nonprofit, Private Institutions          11,556             121
Four-year Public Institutions...........           2,829             165
Four-year Nonprofit Private Institutions          45,579             245
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 73527]]

    If a tie remains, after applying the additional point or points, we 
determine 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 numerical order.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Department of Education General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (b) the regulations for this program in 34 CFR 
part 607. Amendments to 34 CFR part 607 relating to the American Indian 
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities and Alaska Native and 
Native-Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Programs are published in the 
final rule portion of the Federal Register of December 15, 1999, 64 FR 
70146, 70153-70155.
    For Applications or Information Contact: Darlene B. Collins, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. Telephone (202) 502-7777; 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: You may view this document, as 
well as all other Department of Education documents published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on 
the Internet 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 (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, 
area at (202) 572-1530.

    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.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057.

    Dated: December 23, 1999.
Claudio R. Prieto,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-33958 Filed 12-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P