[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 116 (Thursday, June 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28913-28918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14357]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; 
Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans 
(PPOHA) Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2009

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031M.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: June 18, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 20, 2009.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 16, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities 
for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program provides grants to: (1) Expand 
postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for, and improve the 
academic attainment of, Hispanic students; and (2) expand the 
postbaccalaureate academic offerings as well as enhance the program 
quality in the institutions of higher education that are educating the 
majority of Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of 
Hispanic and low-income students complete postsecondary degrees.

PPOHA Program Requirements

    Background: The PPOHA Program is a new program established under 
sections 511 through 514 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA). The PPOHA Program supports Hispanic-serving institutions 
that offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or degree granting program. 
To define the term ``Hispanic-serving institution'' for purposes of the 
PPOHA Program, Congress adopted the definition of that term in the 
existing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program authorized by 
sections 501 to 504 of the HEA. In addition, the PPOHA Program provides 
development grants like the HSI Program. Moreover, Congress also 
applied the general provisions of the HSI Program to the PPOHA Program. 
See Title V, Part C, sections 521-528, of the HEA. In light of the 
overlap of these definitions and requirements, the Secretary has 
determined that it is appropriate to adopt some of the requlatory 
requirements relating to eligibility criteria and tie-breaking factors 
from the HSI Program for use for the first grant competition in the 
PPOHA Program.
    Eligibility Criteria (Use of 34 CFR 606.2(a) and (b), 606.3 through 
606.5). For purposes of the PPOHA Program, an eligible institution is 
an institution of higher education that: (1) Is an Hispanic-serving 
institution as defined in section 502 of the HEA; and (2) offers a 
postbaccalaureate certificate or degree granting program. As noted 
earlier in this notice, the term ``Hispanic-serving institution'' under 
section 502 of the HEA has already been defined in the regulations for 
the HSI Program. For the competition announced in this notice, the 
Secretary has decided to use the specific eligibility criteria for 
Hispanic-serving institution in 34 CFR 606.2(a) and (b) and 606.3, 
606.4 and 606.5 of those regulations. The use of these

[[Page 28914]]

regulations will enable applicants to determine whether they meet the 
definitional requirements of an Hispanic-serving institution under this 
program.
    Tie-breaker for Development Grants (Use of 34 CFR 606.23(b)(1) and 
(b)(2)). The PPOHA Program will be providing Development Grants like 
those currently awarded under the HSI Program. In light of the similar 
eligibility criteria for these two programs, the Secretary has decided 
to adopt for this first PPOHA Program competition the regulations for 
tie-breakers used in the HSI Program. These tie-breaker regulations are 
set forth in the Review and Selection Process section of this notice 
(section v.2.b.).
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed program requirements. Section 
437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from 
rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first grant 
competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. 
This is the first grant competition for this program under section 511 
through 514 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and 
therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant 
awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on using the 
eligibility criteria from 34 CFR 606.2(a) (except (a)(2)) and (b) and 
606.3 through 606.5 and the tie-breaker for development grants 
regulations from 34 CFR 606.23(b)(1) and (b)(2) for the PPOHA Program. 
These eligibility criteria and regulations will apply to the PPOHA 
Program FY 2009 grant competition only.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1102-1102c.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) 34 CFR 606.2(a) (except (a)(2)) and 
(b), 606.3, 606.4, 606.5, and 606.23(b)(1) and (b)(2).

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: $11,500,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $385,000-575,000.
    Estimate Average Size of Awards: $500,000 (for an Individual 
Development Grant).
    Maximum Awards: We will not fund any application for a PPOHA 
Program individual development grant at an amount exceeding $575,000 
for a single budget period of 12 months. During our initial review of 
applications, we may choose not to further consider or review an 
application with a budget that exceeds the maximum amount. The 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 23 Individual Development Grants.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. Applicants should periodically check the PPOHA Program Web 
site for further information. The address is: http://www.ed.gov/programs/ppoha/index.html.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) 
that offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or postbaccalaureate degree 
program and qualify as eligible Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) 
under section 502 of the HEA. To qualify as an eligible HSI for the 
PPOHA Program under section 502 of the HEA, an IHE must--
    (a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as required by section 
502(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));
    (b) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA, average 
educational and general expenditures that are low, per full-time 
equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average 
educational and general expenditures per full-time equivalent 
undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar instruction 
(20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));

    Note: To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students (paragraph 
(a) of this section) and low average educational and general 
expenditures per FTE undergraduate student (paragraph (b) of this 
section), an IHE must be designated as an ``eligible institution'' 
in accordance with 34 CFR 606.3 through 606.5 and the notice 
inviting applications for Designation as Eligible Institutions for 
FY 2009 (74 FR 3579).

    (c) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable 
authority as to the quality of education or training offered, or is 
making reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an 
agency or association (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));
    (d) Be legally authorized to provide, and provides within the 
State, an educational program for which the institution awards a 
bachelor's degree (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)); and
    (e) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at 
least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year 
immediately preceding the date of application (20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a)(5)(B)).

    Note 1: Funds for the PPOHA Program will be awarded each fiscal 
year; thus, for this program, the ``end of the award year 
immediately preceding the date of application'' refers to the end of 
the fiscal year prior to the application due date. The end of the 
fiscal year occurs on September 30 for any given year. Therefore, 
for purposes of making the determination described in paragraph (e) 
of this section, IHEs must report their undergraduate Hispanic FTE 
percent based on the student enrollment count closest to, but not 
after, September 30, 2008.


    Note 2: In considering applications for grants under this 
program, the Department will compare the data and documentation the 
institution relied on in its application with data reported to the 
Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 
the IHE's State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional 
annual report. If different percentages or data are reported in 
these various sources, the institution must, as part of the 
eligibility process, explain the reason for the differences. If the 
IPEDS data show that less than 25 percent of the institution's 
undergraduate full-time equivalent (FTE) students are Hispanic, the 
burden is on the institution to show that the IPEDS data are 
inaccurate. If the IPEDS data indicate that the institution has an 
undergraduate FTE less than 25 percent, and the institution fails to 
demonstrate that the IPEDS data are inaccurate, the institution will 
be considered ineligible.


    Note 3: As noted elsewhere in this notice, to be eligible for a 
grant under the PPOHA Program, an institution must be designated as 
an eligible institution under 34 CFR 606.5. For this competition, 
the Notice Inviting Applications for Designation as Eligible 
Institutions for FY 2009 was published in the Federal Register on 
January 21, 2009 (74 FR 3579), and the deadline for applications was 
February 20, 2009. Only institutions that submitted the required 
application and received designation through that process are 
eligible to submit an application for this competition.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: An eligible HSI will not be awarded more than one 
Individual Development Grant under the PPOHA Program (20 U.S.C. 
1101c(c)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: Dr. Maria E. Carrington, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6033, 
Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7548 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the

[[Page 28915]]

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible 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 (Part III) is where you, the 
applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We have established mandatory page limits 
for the PPOHA Program--Individual Development Grant application. You 
must limit the section of the narrative that addresses the selection 
criteria to no more than 50 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, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, captions, and all text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs, which may be single-spaced.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger; or, no 
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the budget narrative justification; the assurances 
and certifications, or the one-page abstract.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 18, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 20, 2009.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application site (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format 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 of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accessible or auxiliary 
aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 16, 2009.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is 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 package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 Promoting Postbaccalaureate 
Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program--CFDA Number 84.031M must 
be submitted electronically using e-Application, accessible through the 
Department's e-Grants Web site 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this 
program after 4:30:00 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 hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of 
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m. 
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. 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 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), 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 in this paragraph 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 SF 424 to the

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Application Control Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 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 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application 
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) E-Application 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) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 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 e-Application is unavailable due 
to technical problems with the system 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 e-Application.
    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 e-Application because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
e-Application; 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 
prevents 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: Dr. Maria E. Carrington, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6033, 
Washington, DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7861.
    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 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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.031M), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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.
    (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.
    (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 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: 
(CFDA Number 84.031M), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this grant notification 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

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from section 75.210 of the Education Department General Administrative 
Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.210) and are as follows. Applicants must 
address each of the selection criteria (separately for each proposed 
activity). The total weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; 
the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses.
    (a) Need for project. (Maximum 20 points) In determining the need 
for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (10 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (5 
points)
    (iii) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the

[[Page 28917]]

nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)
    (b) Quality of the project design. (Maximum 15 points) In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(10 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs. (5 points)
    (c) Quality of project services. (Maximum 15 points) In determining 
the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for 
ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants 
who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented 
based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In 
addition, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services. (10 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and 
effective practice. (5 points)
    (d) Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 10 points) In 
determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers 
the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary 
considers:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator. (5 points)
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel. (5 points)
    (e) Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 points) In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers:
    (i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project. (3 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project. (2 points)
    (f) Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 20 points) In 
determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (10 points)
    (ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and 
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 
points)
    (iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project. (5 points)
    (g) Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 15 points) In 
determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (5 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible. (5 points)
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process:
    (a) Applicants must provide, as an attachment to the application, 
the documentation the institution relied upon in determining that at 
least 25 percent of the institution's undergraduate FTE students are 
Hispanic.

    Note: The 25 percent requirement applies only to undergraduate 
Hispanic students and is calculated based upon FTE students. 
Instructions for formatting and submitting the verification 
documentation to e-Application are in the application package for 
this competition.

    (b) Tie-breaker for Development Grants. In tie-breaking situations 
for development grants, the Department will award one additional point 
to an application from an IHE that has an endowment fund for which the 
market value per FTE student is less than the comparable average per 
FTE student at a similar type IHE. We will also award one additional 
point to an application from an IHE that had expenditures for library 
materials per FTE student that are less than the comparable average per 
FTE student at a similar type IHE. (34 CFR 606.23(b)(1) and (b)(2))
    For the purpose of these funding considerations, we will use 2006-
2007 data.
    If a tie remains after applying the tie-breaker mechanism above, 
priority will be given for Individual Development Grants to applicants 
that have the lowest endowment values per FTE student. (34 CFR 
606.23(b)(1))

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 notify you informally, also.
    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 in 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 directed by the Secretary 
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent 
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements 
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
the PPOHA Program:
    (a) The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the 
number of full-time degree-seeking graduate and professional students 
enrolled at HSIs currently receiving an award under this program.
    (b) The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the 
number of master's, doctoral and first-professional degrees, and 
postbaccalaureate certificates awarded at HSIs currently receiving an 
award under this program.
    (c) Cost per successful outcome: Federal cost per master's degree,

[[Page 28918]]

doctoral and first-professional degree, and post baccalaureate 
certificate at HSIs currently receiving an award under this program.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For Further Information Contact: Dr. Maria E. Carrington, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6033, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7548 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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.

    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy 
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the 
functions of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

    Dated: June 15, 2009.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9-14357 Filed 6-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P