[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 68 (Monday, April 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18456-18457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8679]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Student Financial Assistance

[CFDA No.: 84.069]


Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership and Special 
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Programs

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of the closing date for receipt of State applications 
for Award Year 2001-2002 funds under the Leveraging Educational 
Assistance Partnership (LEAP) and Special Leveraging Educational 
Assistance Partnership (SLEAP) Programs.

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Purpose of Program

    The LEAP and SLEAP Programs, authorized under Title IV, Part A, 
Subpart 4 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA), assist 
States in providing aid to students with substantial financial need to 
help them pay for their postsecondary education costs through matching 
formula grants to States. Under section 415C(a) of the HEA, a State 
must submit an application to participate in the LEAP and SLEAP 
Programs through the State agency that administered its LEAP Program as 
of July 1, 1985, unless the Governor of the State has subsequently 
designated, and the Department has approved, a different State agency 
to administer the LEAP Program.

Eligible Applicants

    Only the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands may submit an application for 
funding under the LEAP and SLEAP Programs.
    State allotments for each award year are determined according to 
the statutorily mandated formula under section 415B of the HEA and are 
not negotiable. A State may also request its share of reallotment, in 
addition to its basic allotment, which is contingent upon the 
availability of such additional funds.
    In Award Year 2000-2001, 45 States, the District of Columbia, 
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the 
Virgin Islands received funds under the LEAP Program.

Deadlines for Receipt of Applications

    To receive an allotment under the LEAP and SLEAP programs for Award 
Year 2001-2002, applications submitted electronically must be received 
by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time) May 18, 2001. Paper applications must be 
received by May 15, 2001.

On-Line Application Submitted Electronically

    The Financial Partners Channel within Student Financial Assistance 
has automated the LEAP and SLEAP application process in the Financial 
Management System (FMS). Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the 
new web-based form (Form 1288-E OMB 1845-0028) which is available on 
the FMS LEAP on-line system at the following Internet address: http://fms.sfa.ed.gov.

Paper Application Delivered by Mail

    States or territories may request a paper version of the 
application (Form 1288 OMB 1845-0028) by calling Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP 
Program Manager, Student Financial Assistance, Financial Partners 
Channel at (202) 708-4695. A paper version will be mailed to you. An 
application sent by mail must be addressed to: Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP 
Program Manager, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of Education, 
Student Financial Assistance, 7th and D Streets, SW., ROB-3, Room 4616, 
Washington, DC 20202.
    The Department of Education encourages applicants that request to 
complete a paper application use certified or at least first-class mail 
when mailing to the Department. Applications that are mailed must be 
received by the Department on the applicable deadline.
    A late applicant cannot be assured that its application will be 
considered for Award Year 2001-2002 funding.

Paper Applications Delivered by Hand

    Applications that are hand-delivered must be taken to Mr. Greg 
Gerrans, LEAP Program Manager, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of 
Education, Student Financial Assistance, 7th and D Streets, SW., ROB-3, 
Room 4616,

[[Page 18457]]

Washington, DC. Hand-delivered applications will be accepted between 8 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily (Eastern time), except Saturdays, Sundays, and 
Federal holidays.
    Applications that are hand-delivered will not be accepted after 
4:30 p.m. on the deadline date.

Applicable Regulations

    The following regulations are applicable to the LEAP and SLEAP 
Programs:
    (1) The LEAP and SLEAP Programs regulations in 34 CFR part 692.
    (2) The Student Assistance General Provisions in 34 CFR part 668.
    (3) Institutional Eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 
1965, as amended in 34 CFR part 600.
    (4) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR 75.60 through 75.62 (Ineligibility of Certain 
Individuals to Receive Assistance), part 76 (State-Administered 
Programs), part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department Regulations), 
part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs 
and Activities), part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments), part 
82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment 
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for 
Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)), part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses) 
and part 99 (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP Program 
Manager, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of Education, Student 
Financial Assistance, 7th and D Streets, SW., ROB-3, Room 4616, 
Washington, DC 20202; telephone (202) 708-4695.
    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 person listed under FOR 
APPLICATIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free 
at either of the previous sites. If you have questions about using 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 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.


(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070c et seq.)

    Dated: April 2, 2001.
Greg Woods,
Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 01-8679 Filed 4-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P