[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10017-10020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2804]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview 
Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.141A.

Dates:
    Applications Available: February 28, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 14, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 13, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) or 
private non-profit organizations (including faith-based organizations) 
that plan their projects in cooperation with an IHE and prepare to 
operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of the IHE.
    Estimated Available Funds: $3,600,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$475,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $360,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $475,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.


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


    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of HEP is to help migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers and their children obtain a general education 
diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency 
established by the State in which the HEP project is conducted, and to 
gain employment or be placed in an IHE or other postsecondary education 
or training.
    Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference 
priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii) the competitive 
preference priority for ``novice applicant'' is from the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 
75.225(a)). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) of EDGAR, the 
competitive preference priority for ``prior experience of service 
delivery'' is from section 418A(e) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070d-2).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional five points to an application meeting the ``novice 
applicant'' competitive preference priority, and up to a maximum of 15 
additional points to an application meeting the ``prior experience of 
service delivery'' competitive preference priority.
    These priorities are:

Novice Applicant

    The applicant must be a ``novice applicant'' as defined in 34 CFR 
75.225(a), which refers to an applicant that has never received a grant 
under this program, has never been a member of a group application that 
was funded under this program, and has never had an active 
discretionary grant from the Federal Government in the five years 
before the submission due date of this current competition.

Prior Experience of Service Delivery

    In accordance with section 418A(e) of the HEA, expiring HEP 
projects are eligible to receive up to 15 maximum points for prior 
experience. The Secretary will consider the applicant's prior 
experience in implementing its expiring HEP project based on 
information contained in documents previously provided to the 
Department, such as annual performance reports, project evaluation 
reports, site visit reports, and the previously approved HEP 
application.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070d-2.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) 34 CFR part 206. (c) The definition 
of a migratory agricultural worker in 34 CFR 200.81. (d) 20 CFR 669.110 
and 669.320.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $3,600,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$475,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $360,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $475,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.


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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or private non-profit organizations 
(including faith-based organizations) that plan their projects in 
cooperation with an IHE and prepare to operate some aspects of the 
project with the facilities of the IHE.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: David De Soto, U.S. 
Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 3E225, Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 
260-8103 or by e-mail: [email protected].

[[Page 10018]]

    The application package also can be obtained electronically at the 
following address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/hep/applicant.html.
    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 competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 25 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 (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative (Part III), including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you 
may single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. 
Charts, tables, figures, and graphs presented in the application 
narrative count toward the page limit.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Appendices must be limited to 15 pages and may include the 
following: resumes, job descriptions, letters of support, bibliography.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that:
     Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
     Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 28, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 14, 2006.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 13, 2006.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 part 79. Information 
about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive 
Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new governmentwide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. The HEP-CFDA Number 84.141A is one of 
the programs included in this project. We request your participation in 
Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the HEP at: 
http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA 
number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see 
http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted). These steps include (1) registering 
your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR 
by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the new 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/assets/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You must also provide on your 
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please 
note that the registration process may take five or more business days 
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to 
allow you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to 
submit your application electronically, 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

[[Page 10019]]

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.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability

    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.


    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 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: 
(CFDA Number 84.141A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-
4260; or

    By mail through a commercial carrier:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center--Stop 4260, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.141A), 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.


    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) 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: 
(CFDA Number 84.141A), 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--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) 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 competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.20 of EDGAR 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 Notice 
(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: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed the following performance 
measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of HEP: (1) The number 
and percent of HEP participants who complete the course of study and 
receive a GED, and
(2) the number and percent of HEP participants with a GED who enter

[[Page 10020]]

postsecondary education programs, career positions, or the military.
    All grantees will be required to submit an annual performance 
report documenting their success in addressing these performance 
measures.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David De Soto, U.S. Department of 
Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3E225, Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone Number: (202) 260-8103, or 
by e-mail: [email protected].
    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 this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the 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: February 22, 2006.
Henry L. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E6-2804 Filed 2-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P