[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3499-3502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-749]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Gaining 
Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.334S 
(State grants) and 84.334A (Partnership grants).


DATES: Applications Available: January 23, 2006. Deadline for 
Transmittal of Applications: March 9, 2006. Deadline for 
Intergovernmental Review: May 2, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: (1) A State; or (2) a partnership consisting 
of (A) one or more local educational agencies acting on behalf of (i) 
one or more elementary schools or secondary schools, and (ii) the 
secondary schools that students from the schools described in (i) would 
normally attend; (B) one or more degree granting institutions of higher 
education; and (C) at least two community organizations or entities, 
such as businesses, professional associations, community-based 
organizations, philanthropic organizations, State agencies, 
institutions or agencies sponsoring programs authorized under subpart 4 
of part A of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 
or other public or private agencies or organizations.

    Note: For State grants, the fiscal agent/applicant must be a 
single State agency as designated by the State's governor. For 
partnership grants, the fiscal agent/applicant must be either an 
institution of higher education that is not pervasively sectarian or 
a local educational agency.

    Estimated Available Funds: $24,500,000 for partnership grants and 
$12,000,000 for State grants.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$7,000,000 for partnership 
grants and $500,000-$3,000,000 for State grants.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,200,000 for partnership grants 
and $3,000,000 for State grants.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application for a State grant 
that proposes a budget exceeding $3,000,000 for a single budget period 
of 12 months. We will reject any application for a partnership grant 
that proposes a budget exceeding $800 per student for a single budget 
period of 12 months. We also will reject any State or partnership grant 
application that proposes an increase in its budget after the first 12-
month budget period. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education may change any of these maximum amounts through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4 State grants and 20 partnership 
grants.

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

    Project Period: Up to 72 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Gaining Early Awareness and 
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is to support early 
college preparation and awareness activities for low-income students.
    Priority: Under this competition we are particularly interested in 
applications that address one or both of the following priorities.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2006 these priorities are 
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1

    Applicants are encouraged to include plans to develop and 
administer an assessment in the tenth and/or eleventh grade to 
determine whether GEAR UP students are adequately prepared for 
postsecondary education. Assessments would include math and language 
skills, and other content areas or skills the applicant believes are 
sound indicators of preparedness for college-level work. The results of 
such an assessment would then be used as a substitute for placement 
tests that members of the cohort who are admitted to a partner 
institution of higher education would otherwise be required to take, 
and to guide intervention strategies that focus on the needs of 
individual GEAR UP students to help ensure that, by the time they 
graduate from high school, they are prepared for college.
    The Secretary will review the results of this invitational priority 
(including the number of applicants who include information responsive 
to this priority and whether any grantees develop and administer an 
assessment), and may propose to modify the regulations for the GEAR UP 
program (34 CFR part 694) to require that grantees conduct this type of 
an assessment of the students receiving services through GEAR UP 
partnership or State grants.

Invitational Priority 2

    Partnership applicants are encouraged to include plans to establish 
and maintain a financial assistance program that awards college 
scholarships to GEAR UP students consistent with the requirements 
governing GEAR UP scholarships that State grantees must meet in section 
404E of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. That provision 
includes requirements regarding the amounts of the scholarships and 
student eligibility. Applicants proposing plans that include this 
priority should be sure to consider how the financial assistance 
program will be administered after Federal funding for the grant has 
ended. Since any Federal funds or non-Federal matching contributions to 
be used for scholarships in future years must be obligated during the 
appropriate budget period, the requirement of an obligation requires 
that these funds be placed in a trust or other irrevocable instrument 
for the benefit of the GEAR UP students until such time as the funds 
are awarded to individual students.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-21.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82,

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84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 694.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $24,500,000 for partnership grants and 
$12,000,000 for State grants.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000--$7,000,000 for partnership 
grants and $500,000--$3,000,000 for State grants.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,200,000 for partnership grants 
and $3,000,000 for State grants.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application for a State grant 
that proposes a budget exceeding $3,000,000 for a single budget period 
of 12 months. We will reject any application for a partnership grant 
that proposes a budget exceeding $800 per student for a single budget 
period of 12 months. We also will reject any State or partnership grant 
application that proposes an increase in its budget after the first 12-
month budget period. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education may change any of these maximum amounts through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4 State grants and 20 partnership 
grants.


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


    Project Period: Up to 72 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: (1) A State; or (2) a partnership 
consisting of (A) one or more local educational agencies acting on 
behalf of (i) one or more elementary schools or secondary schools, and 
(ii) the secondary schools that students from the schools described in 
(i) would normally attend; (B) one or more degree granting institutions 
of higher education; and (C) at least two community organizations or 
entities, such as businesses, professional associations, community-
based organizations, philanthropic organizations, State agencies, 
institutions or agencies sponsoring programs authorized under subpart 4 
of part A of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 
or other public or private agencies or organizations.


    Note: For State grants, the fiscal agent/applicant must be a 
single State agency as designated by the State's Governor. For 
partnership grants, the fiscal agent/applicant must be either an 
institution of higher education that is not pervasively sectarian or 
a local educational agency.


    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 404C of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, as amended, requires grantees under this program to 
provide not less than 50 percent of the total cost of the project over 
six years. By regulation, a partnership may propose a non-Federal 
contribution of less than 50 percent, but not less than 30 percent of 
the total cost of the project, if the partnership includes three or 
fewer institutions of higher education as members and meets the high-
need criteria in 34 CFR 694.7(b)(2). The non-Federal share of project 
costs may be in cash or in-kind. Applicants will be held to the 
matching commitment proposed in the application for funding, even if 
the proposed match is higher than the percent required by statute.
    3. Other: For State grants, at least 25 percent, and not more than 
50 percent of grant funds must be spent on early college preparation 
and awareness, and at least 50 percent of grant funds must be spent on 
postsecondary scholarships to eligible GEAR UP students. The Secretary 
may waive the scholarship percentage requirement if the applicant 
demonstrates that it has another means of providing the students with 
financial assistance.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You may obtain an 
application package via the Internet by downloading the package from 
the program Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html.
    You also may obtain a copy of the application package at the 
following address: Angela Oliphant, Gaining Early Awareness and 
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., suite 6101, Washington, DC 20006-8524. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7676.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Page Limit: The application narrative addresses the selection 
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must 
limit the application narrative found in Part 4 of the application to 
the equivalent of no more than 40 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space all text in the application narrative, 
including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and 
captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger.
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page abstract.
    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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: January 23, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 9, 2006. 
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 2, 2006.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: These programs are subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application packages for these 
programs.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding

[[Page 3501]]

restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify for 
an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the GEAR UP State and Partnership 
Competitions--CFDA Numbers 84.334S and CFDA 84.334A must be submitted 
electronically using e-Application available through the Department's 
e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this program after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application 
process.
     The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site 
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is 
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the GEAR UP Title Page Form, Project Budget Summary Forms and all 
necessary assurances and certifications.
     You must attach any narrative sections of your application 
as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable 
Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file 
types specified above or submit a password protected file, we will not 
review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment, that will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the GEAR UP Title Page Form to the 
Application Control Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print the GEAR UP Title Page Form from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign the GEAR 
UP Title Page Form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the GEAR UP Title Page Form.
    (4) Fax the signed GEAR UP Title Page Form to the Application 
Control Center at (202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of 
one business day to enable you to transmit your application 
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this 
extension if:
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore 
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all 
registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions 
referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the 
Department's e-Application system.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the e-Application system because:
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Department's e-Application system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Angela Oliphant, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., suite 6101, Washington, DC 
20006-8524. Fax: (202) 502-7675.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your

[[Page 3502]]

application to the Department. You must mail the original and two 
copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the applicable following address: By mail through 
the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: 84.334S or 84.334A (as appropriate), 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260, or By mail through a 
commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control 
Center, Attention: 84.334S or 84.334A (as appropriate), 7100 Old 
Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.


    a. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
84.334A or 84.334S (as appropriate), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, 
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--on the GEAR UP Title Page Form the CFDA number--and suffix 
letter, if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from the Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: The objectives of the GEAR UP program are: 
(1) To increase the academic performance and preparation for 
postsecondary education of participating students; (2) to increase the 
rate of high school graduation and participation in postsecondary 
education of participating students; and (3) to increase educational 
expectations for participating students and student and family 
knowledge of postsecondary education options, preparation, and 
financing.
    To assess the performance of the program in achieving these 
objectives, the Department has developed a number of performance 
measures that are included in the application package. All grantees 
will be expected to submit an annual performance report documenting 
their success in addressing these performance measures.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Oliphant, Gaining Early 
Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., suite 6101, Washington, DC 20006-8524. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7676.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-3339.
    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 in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: January 18, 2006.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
 [FR Doc. E6-749 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P