[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 106 (Thursday, June 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35238-35239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13662]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Upward Bound Program Participant Expansion Initiative; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 106 / Thursday, June 1, 2000 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Upward Bound Program Participant Expansion Initiative

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education proposes to establish an absolute 
priority to provide supplemental funds of up to $85,600 in fiscal year 
2000 to on-going Upward Bound projects that serve at least one target 
high school in which at least 50 percent of the students were eligible 
for a free lunch under the National School Lunch Act during the 1999-
2000 school year.
    The purpose of this initiative is to increase the number of the 
neediest eligible students who are served by the Upward Bound program. 
The neediest students are generally those from the lowest income 
levels. The Secretary believes that limiting supplemental funds to 
projects that serve the above-described target schools is a good way to 
measure whether projects serve the lowest income students because the 
Free Lunch program is limited to students from families with the lowest 
family income.
    Under this priority, supplements up to $85,600 will be awarded to 
projects currently funded under the Upward Bound Program. An estimated 
150 current Upward Bound projects could receive supplemental funds to 
serve not more than twenty (20) additional students.
    Projects that receive supplemental funds under this priority are 
strongly encouraged to select eligible participants who have the 
greatest need for Upward Bound services.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before July 3, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Dr. 
Robert L. Belle, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 
7044, Washington, DC 20006-8510. If you prefer to send your comments 
through the Internet, use the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Whitehead, Sheryl Wilson, or 
Gaby Watts, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 
7020, Washington, DC 20006-8510. Telephone (202) 502-7600. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with 
disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., 
Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to 
the contact persons listed in the preceding paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation to Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority. 
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this priority in room 7039, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern 
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the 
Rulemaking Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule 
an appointment for this type of aid, you may call (202) 502-7600. If 
you use a TDD, you may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

Background

    In fiscal year 2000, the Congress provided more funds than the 
Administration requested for the Federal TRIO Programs. In examining 
the options available to the Secretary for allocating these additional 
funds, the Secretary determined that a portion of the funds should be 
used to increase support to the Upward Bound program. The Upward Bound 
program, authorized under section 402C of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1070a-13, serves low-income, potential 
first-generation, college students helping them generate the skills and 
motivation necessary for success in education beyond secondary school.

Proposed Absolute Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c), the Secretary proposes to give an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the following absolute priority. 
The Secretary will provide supplemental funds of $85,600 only to Upward 
Bound projects serving a target high school in which at least 50 
percent of the students were eligible for the Free Lunch program during 
the 1999-2000 school year.
    If more applications are received than can be funded under this 
initiative, the Secretary will use numerical scores assigned by field 
readers during the fiscal year 1999 Upward Bound competition. The 
Secretary will provide supplemental funds to the projects eligible for 
the proposed absolute priority that received the highest average scores 
from the three field readers. For the purposes of this proposed 
absolute priority, the prior experience score will not be considered. 
Only currently funded projects are eligible to apply for these 
supplemental funds.
    Veteran Upward Bound projects and Upward Bound Math/Science 
projects are not eligible to participate in this initiative.
    Upward Bound projects that wish to receive supplemental funds will 
be required to submit:
     For the 1999-2000 school year, the number of students 
eligible for the Free Lunch program at each of the target high schools 
served by the project and the total number of students enrolled at 
those target schools;
     The number of additional students, not to exceed 20, that 
the project plans to serve;
     A revised budget; and
     A narrative describing how the supplemental funds will be 
used.

Invitational Priority

    The Secretary strongly encourages projects that receive 
supplemental funds to enhance their recruitment strategies and services 
to target high schools to select and serve students who are at greatest 
risk of not graduating from high school or pursuing postsecondary 
education. As is the case currently in the Upward Bound program, 
program participants must be low-income or potential first-generation 
college students who have an academic need for the services of this 
program. However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an application that meets 
this invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive 
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened 
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State 
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal 
financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
action for the program.
    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 645.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education

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    Dated: May 26, 2000.
A. Lee Fritschler,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 00-13662 Filed 5-31-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P