[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3946-3948]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1725]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No 84.031S]


Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program

AGENCY:  Department of Education.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2000.
    Purpose of Program: Grants to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) 
under the Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program assist 
eligible Hispanic Serving institutions of higher education to expand 
their capacity to serve Hispanic and low-income students by enabling 
them to improve their academic quality, institutional management, and 
fiscal stability and to increase their self-sufficiency. Five-year 
development grants and one-year planning grants are awarded.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions that, at the time of application, 
have an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that 
is at least 25 percent Hispanic students, and provide assurances that 
not less than 50 percent of their Hispanic students are low-income 
individuals.

[[Page 3947]]

Special Notes

    1. If an institution is the recipient of a grant under the programs 
authorized under Part A or B of Title III of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965, as amended(HEA), the institution may not receive a grant under 
the HSI Program if any part of the grant period for the HSI Program 
grant would overlap with the grant awarded under Part A or B of Title 
III. Thus, such an institution may not apply for a grant under the HSI 
Program in this competition. Further, an institution that is a 
recipient of a grant under Part A or B may not relinquish that grant in 
order to apply for a grant under the HSI Program. The programs 
authorized under Part A of Title III of the HEA include the 
Strengthening Institutions Program, American Indian Tribally Controlled 
Colleges and Universities Program, Alaska Native-Serving Institutions 
Program, and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program. The programs 
authorized under Part B of Title III of the HEA include the 
Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program and 
the Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions Program.
    2. An institution that does not fall within the limitation 
described in paragraph 1 may apply for a grant under both the programs 
authorized under Title III Part A of the HEA and 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 should indicate that fact in each application, and 
should 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 25, 2000.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 10, 2000.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 10, 2000.
    Methods for Submission of Grant Applications: We will accept 
applications in two formats, a paper application and a diskette 
application. You must submit one original (hard copy with signatures) 
and two diskettes. Each diskette must contain a copy of the entire 
application for the FY 2000 grant competition, excluding the following 
forms (which should be included with the hard copy only): the 
Application for Federal Education Assistance Form (ED 424), HSI 
Certification Form (ED 851S-7), the Assurances and Certification Forms 
and the Endowment Fund Assurance Form (ED 851S-8). The hard copy and 
the two diskettes must be postmarked on or before the closing date of 
the competition.
    Under both formats we have established mandatory page limits. 
Reviewers will be instructed not to read applications beyond the stated 
page limits. If, to meet the page limit, you use a larger page or you 
use a print size, spacing, or margins smaller than the standards in 
this notice, we will reject your application. For this purpose, an 
application narrative includes the institutional narrative, the 
comprehensive development plan, activity narratives, and the project 
management narrative.
     The narrative of a development grant application may not 
exceed 60 pages. Additionally, essential appendices may be attached but 
may not exceed 5 pages each.
     The narrative of a cooperative arrangement grant 
application may not exceed 120 pages. Additionally, essential 
appendices may be attached but may not exceed 10 pages each.
     The narrative of a planning grant application may not 
exceed 20 pages. Additionally, essential appendices may be attached but 
may not exceed 5 pages each.
    The cover page (ED Form 424 and the tiebreaker information page on 
the back of ED Form 424) and all certificates and assurances must 
accompany the original application and are not included within the page 
limits.
    1. A `page' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' margins 
top, bottom, right and left.
    2. You must double-space all text in the application narrative, 
including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and 
captions. However, you may single space charts, forms, tables, figures 
or graphs.
    Electronic Field Readings: During FY 2000, all grant applications 
under the HSI Program will be reviewed by readers from a secure 
website. The reviewers will provide comments and award points online. 
Reviewers will have the opportunity to discuss any significant point 
differences in a virtual chat room environment.

    Note:  Some of the procedures in these instructions for 
transmitting applications differ from those in 34 CFR 75.102. Under 
5 U.S.C. 553, the Department generally offers interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, these 
amendments make procedural changes only and do not establish new 
substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the 
Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not required.

    Available Funds: Total estimated funding available is $42,500,000 
for FY 2000. Approximately $16,500,000 will support 39 continuing 
grants. Approximately $26,000,000 will be available for the new grant 
competition.

Estimated Range of Awards:

    Development Grants: $350,000-$400,000 per year.
    Planning Grants: $30,000--$35,000 for one year.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

    Development Grant: $375,000 per year.
    Planning Grant: $32,500 for one year.

Estimated Number of Awards:

    Development Awards: 65.
    Planning Grant Awards: 10.

Project Period:

    60 months for development grants.
    12 months for planning grants.

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

Statutory Priorities

    Under Section 511(d) of the HEA, we give priority to applications 
that contain satisfactory evidence that the Hispanic Serving 
institution has entered into or will enter into a collaborative 
arrangement with at least one local educational agency or community-
based organization to provide that agency or organization with 
assistance (from funds other than funds provided under Title V of the 
HEA) in reducing dropout rates for Hispanic students, improving rates 
of academic achievement for Hispanic students, and increasing the rates 
at which Hispanic secondary school graduates enroll in higher 
education. We anticipate that we will fund under this competition only 
applications that meet this priority.
    As described under Section 514(b) of the HEA, we give priority to 
grants for cooperative arrangements that are geographically and 
economically sound or will benefit the applicant Hispanic Serving 
Institution. We anticipate that we will fund only those applications 
that meet this priority under this competition.

Special Funding Consideration

    In tie-breaking situations described in 34 CFR 606.23 of the HSI 
Program regulations, we award one additional point to an application 
from an

[[Page 3948]]

institution that has an endowment fund for which the market value in 
1996-97, per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, was less than the 
average per FTE student at similar type institutions; and one 
additional point to an application from an institution that had 
expenditures for library materials in 1996-97, per FTE student, that 
were less than the average per FTE student at similar type 
institutions.
    For the purpose of these funding considerations, an applicant must 
be able to demonstrate that the market value of its endowment fund per 
FTE student, or expenditures for library per FTE student, were less 
than the following approximated national averages for year 1996-97.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Average
                                                 Average       Library
                                                  market    expenditures
                                                 value of        for
                                                endowment     materials
                                                 fund per      per FTE
                                               FTE student     student
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two-year public institutions.................       $1,332           $45
Two-year nonprofit private institutions......       11,567           121
Four-year public institutions................        2,829           165
Four-year nonprofit private institution......       42,579           254
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If a tie still remains after applying the additional points, we 
determine that an institution will receive an award according to a 
combined ranking of two-year and four-year institutions. This ranking 
is established by combining library expenditures and endowment values 
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, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and 
(b) the regulations for the HSI Program in 34 CFR Part 606. The HSI 
final regulations, 34 CFR part 606, were published in the Federal 
Register on December 15, 1999,64 FR 70146-70155.
    For Applications or Information Contact: Jessie DeAro, Title V-
Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program, U.S. Department of 
Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Higher Education 
Programs, 1990 K Street N.W., 6th floor, Washington DC 20006-8501. 
Telephone (202) 502-7562. The email address for Jessie DeAro is 
[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.
    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 specified 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 the following sites:

http://www.ed.gov/news.html
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at the previously mentioned web sites. 
If you have any 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) 512-1530.

    Note:  The official version of a 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 USC 1059c.

    Dated: January 19, 2000.
A. Lee Fritschler,
Assistant Secretary Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 00-1725 Filed 1-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P