[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21642-21644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10711]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

[CFDA No. 84.031T]


American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities 
(TCCU) Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2002

    Purpose of Program: The TCCU Program is authorized under title III, 
part A, section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(HEA). The program 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.
    Eligible Applicants: To qualify as an eligible institution under 
the program, a tribal college or university must meet the definition of 
the term ``tribally controlled college or university'' in section 2 of 
the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, 
or it must be listed in the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act 
of 1994. In addition, it must be an accredited or preaccredited 
institution and must, among other requirements, have a high enrollment 
of needy students, and its Educational and General (E&G) expenditures 
per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student must be low in 
comparison with the average E&G expenditures per FTE undergraduate 
student of institutions that offer similar instruction. The complete 
eligibility requirements are found in 34 CFR 607.2-607.5. The 
regulations may also be accessed by visiting the following Department 
of Education web site: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    Applications Available: May 1, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 10, 2002.
    Estimated Available Funds: $17.5 million.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Approximately $400,000 of the $17.5 million 
appropriated for the TCCU Program will be available for one new 
individual or cooperative arrangement development grant, and 
approximately $7.1 million will be available for new construction. The 
remaining funds will

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be used to fund continuing awards. Development grant monies may be used 
for a variety of allowable activities. Construction funds may be used 
solely for construction, maintenance, renovation and improvement in 
classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and other instructional 
facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications 
technology equipment or services. We will refer to grants to carry out 
construction as construction grants.
    A TCCU that does not have a current development grant under either 
the TCCU Program or the Strengthening Institutions Program may apply 
for both a TCCU Program development grant and a TCCU Program 
construction grant. A TCCU that currently has a development grant 
awarded under the TCCU Program may apply for a TCCU Program 
construction grant. However, a TCCU that has a current grant under the 
Strengthening Institutions Program may not receive a TCCU Program 
construction or development grant in FY 2002. A TCCU seeking both a 
TCCU Program development grant and construction grant must submit a 
separate application for each type of grant. Applicants for 
construction grants will use the same application as applicants for 
development grants.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $365,000-$400,000 per year for the 5-
year development grant; and $800,000-$1,200,000 for 1-year construction 
grants.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $400,000 per year for 5-year 
development grant and $1 million for 1-year construction grants.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1 development grant and 6 construction 
grants.
    Project Period: 60 months for development grants and 12 months for 
construction grants.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. Applicants should periodically check the title III, part A 
web site for further information on this program. The address is: 
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/idues/title3a.html.

    Page Limit: We have established mandatory page limits for the 
individual development grant, the cooperative arrangement development 
grant, and the construction grant applications. You must limit the 
application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 100 pages for 
the individual development grant or the individual construction grant 
and 140 pages for the cooperative arrangement development grant, using 
the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" 
margins top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles and headings. 
However, you may single space footnotes, quotations, references, 
captions, charts, forms, tables, figures and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to the application cover sheet (ED 
424) or the assurances and certifications. However, the page limitation 
applies to all other parts of the application.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.

Special Funding Considerations

    1. An applicant that does not have a development or construction 
grant will have a priority over those applicants that have one or both 
grants.
    2. In tie-breaking situations described in 34 CFR 607.23, we will 
award one additional point to an applicant institution that has an 
endowment fund for which the 1998-1999 market value per full-time 
equivalent (FTE) student was less than the comparable average per FTE 
student at a similar type institution. We will also award one 
additional point to an applicant institution that had 1998-1999 
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 
national averages for the year 1998-1999.
    If a tie remains, after applying the additional point or points, we 
will determine the ranking of applicants based on the lowest combined 
library expenditures per FTE student and endowment values per FTE 
student.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 82, 85, 
86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 
607.
    Applicability of Executive Order 13202: Applicants that apply for 
construction funds under these programs must comply with the Executive 
Order 13202 signed by President Bush on February 17, 2001 and amended 
on April 26, 2001. This Executive order provides that recipients of 
Federal construction funds may not ``require or prohibit bidders, 
offerors, contractors, or subcontractors to enter into or adhere to 
agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other 
related construction project(s)'' or ``otherwise discriminate against 
bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors for becoming or 
refusing to become or remain signatories or otherwise to adhere to 
agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other 
construction project(s).'' However, the Executive order does not 
prohibit contractors or subcontractors from voluntarily entering into 
these agreements.
    Projects funded under this program that include construction 
activity will be provided a copy of this Executive Order and will be 
asked to certify that they will adhere to it.

Instructions for Transmittal of Applications

    Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for 
transmitting applications differ from those in the EDGAR (34 CFR 
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (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.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2002, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Title III, Part A Programs (CFDA Nos. 84.031A, 
84.031N, 84.031T, and 84.031W) are included in the pilot project. If 
you are an applicant under a Title III, Part A Program, you may submit 
your application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the 
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your 
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the 
following:
     Your participation is strictly voluntary.

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     You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
     You can submit all grant documents electronically, 
including the Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Within three working days of submitting your electronic 
application fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Assistance 
(ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative 
signs this form.
    3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via 
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to your application).
    4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED 
424.
    5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Title III, 
Part A Programs at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-application 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.
    For Applications or Further Information Contact: Darlene B. 
Collins, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW, 6th Floor, 
Washington, DC 20202-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7777 or via Internet: 
[email protected].
    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 program contact person listed under FOR 
APPLICATIONS OR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, 
the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative 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 site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. 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


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057-1059d.

    Dated: April 26, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-10711 Filed 4-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U