[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34676-34683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14737]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Gaining Early Awareness and 
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR 
UP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 
2011

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.334S 
(State grants).

DATES: Applications Available: June 14, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 14, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 12, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The GEAR UP Program is a discretionary grant 
program that provides financial support for academic and related 
support services that eligible low-income students, including students 
with disabilities, need to enable them to obtain a secondary school 
diploma and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education.
    Priorities: This notice contains four competitive preference 
priorities and one invitational priority.
    Background: The President has set a clear goal for our education 
system: By 2020, the United States will once again lead the world in 
college completion. To achieve this goal, the Department has 
consistently encouraged four key reforms to improve elementary and 
secondary education--in particular the Department is seeking to: 
Improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders and promote 
equity in the distribution of effective teachers and school leaders; 
strengthen the use of data to improve teaching and learning; provide 
high-quality instruction based on rigorous college- and career-ready 
standards and measure students' mastery of standards using high-quality 
assessments aligned with those standards; and turn around the lowest-
performing schools.
    The Department views the GEAR UP program as a critical component in 
the effort to improve the quality of secondary schools so that more 
students are well prepared for college and careers. In order to more 
strategically align GEAR UP with these overarching reform strategies 
for school improvement, the Department is announcing four competitive 
preference priorities for this competition. The Department also 
proposes one invitational priority for this competition.
    We are using three priorities from the Department's notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 
78486).
    The Department is using Competitive Preference Priority 2--Turning 
Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools because an essential 
element in strengthening our education system is dramatic improvement 
of student performance in each State's persistently lowest-achieving 
schools. These schools often require intensive interventions to improve 
the school culture and climate, strengthen the school staff and 
instructional program, increase student attendance and enrollment in 
advanced courses, provide more time for learning, and ensure that 
social services and community support are available for students in 
order to raise student achievement, graduation rates, and college 
enrollment rates. In addition, students in these schools can benefit 
from participating in programs, such as GEAR UP, that offer additional 
services designed to increase student success. The Department is 
interested in seeing strong plans to support improvements in student 
achievement and outcomes within these schools.
    The Department is using Competitive Preference Priority 3--Enabling 
More Data-Based Decisionmaking because the Department believes that the 
effective

[[Page 34677]]

use of data for informed decisionmaking is essential to the continuous 
improvement of educational results. Specifically, this priority is for 
projects that are designed to provide educators, as well as families 
and other key stakeholders, with high-quality data and the capacity and 
training to use those data. The data may be used to respond to the 
learning and academic needs of students, increase student achievement 
(as defined in this notice), improve educator effectiveness, inform 
professional development practices and approaches, understand the 
culture and climate of their schools and institutions, and make 
informed decisions that increase overall program effectiveness. We 
believe that inclusion of this competitive preference priority is 
important because accurate, timely, relevant, and appropriate data are 
key to knowing what is working for students and what is not. Data can 
tell us which students are on track to college- and career-readiness 
and which students need additional support, which instructional 
strategies are working, which schools or institutions are successfully 
improving student learning and performance, and which teachers or 
faculty excel in increasing student achievement so that they can, for 
example, be given the opportunity to coach others or to lead 
communities of professional practice.
    Finally, we are using Competitive Preference Priority 4--
Implementing Internationally Benchmarked, College- and Career-Ready 
Elementary and Secondary Academic Standards because the Department 
believes that the adoption of common, internationally benchmarked, 
college- and career-ready academic standards for elementary and 
secondary school students is key to ensuring that high schools graduate 
students with the skills and knowledge that prepare them to enroll in 
postsecondary education without the need for remediation and to 
successfully earn a postsecondary credential. Holding students to 
college- and career-ready academic standards, and providing them with 
the instructional materials and support they need to meet those 
standards, is particularly important for the low-income students served 
by GEAR UP who otherwise would be less likely to be ready for and 
successful in postsecondary education. Therefore, the Department is 
giving priority to States that have adopted such standards and that are 
proposing projects that will support their implementation by, for 
example, providing assistance to local educational agencies in 
transitioning to these new standards and including assistance in 
developing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, 
assessments aligned with the standards, teacher and principal 
preparation and professional development programs, and other strategies 
that translate the standards into classroom practice. The Department 
would like to see GEAR UP State applicants develop plans that would 
help students in schools served by their GEAR UP projects in meeting 
these new standards.
    Competitive Preference Priorities. The first competitive preference 
priority is from section 404A(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1070a-21) and the GEAR UP program 
regulations in 34 CFR 694.19. The remaining three competitive 
preference priorities are from the notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). For FY 2011 
and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award up to an additional 12 points to an application, depending on how 
well the application meets each priority.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Successful Completion of Prior GEAR 
UP Projects (Up to 2 Additional Points)

    Consistent with section 404A(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act, as 
amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (Pub. L. 110-315)(HEA), 
and 34 CFR Sec.  694.19, the Secretary gives priority to an eligible 
applicant for a State GEAR UP grant that has both: (a) Carried out a 
successful State GEAR UP grant prior to August 14, 2008, determined on 
the basis of data (including outcome data) submitted by the applicant 
as part of its annual and final performance reports, and the 
applicant's history of compliance with applicable statutory and 
regulatory requirements; and (b) a prior, demonstrated commitment to 
early intervention leading to college access through collaboration and 
replication of successful strategies.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Turning Around Persistently Lowest-
Achieving Schools (Up to 3 Additional Points)

    Projects that are designed to address one or more of the following 
priority areas:
    (a) Improving student achievement (as defined in this notice) in 
persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this notice).
    (b) Increasing graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and 
college enrollment rates for students in persistently lowest-achieving 
schools (as defined in this notice).

    Note: States proposing to work in persistently lowest- achieving 
schools under this priority should consider providing a list of 
qualifying schools along with descriptions of the strategies that 
the State proposes to implement within these specific schools in 
order to improve one or more of the following: student achievement 
(as defined in this notice), graduation rates (as defined in this 
notice), or college enrollment rates.

Competitive Preference Priority 3--Enabling More Data-Based Decision-
Making (Up to 3 Additional Points)

    Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use 
high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant 
outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this 
notice), in one or more of the following priority areas:
    (a) Improving instructional practices, policies, and student 
outcomes in elementary or secondary schools.
    (b) Improving postsecondary student outcomes relating to 
enrollment, persistence, and completion and leading to career success.
    (c) Providing reliable and comprehensive information on the 
implementation of Department of Education programs, and participant 
outcomes in these programs, by using data from State longitudinal data 
systems or by obtaining data from reliable third-party sources.

    Note: Applicants proposing to use data to improve decision-
making might want to consider demonstrating their ability to access 
the State's longitudinal data system for reporting postsecondary 
student outcomes and student outcomes in elementary and secondary 
schools. Examples of other data-based activities could include using 
course-taking trend data to structure interventions tailored to keep 
students `on-track' to graduate from high school and prepared for 
postsecondary education or using such data to develop early warning 
indicator systems designed to prevent students from dropping out.

Competitive Preference Priority 4--Implementing Internationally 
Benchmarked, College-and Career-Ready Elementary and Secondary Academic 
Standards (Up to 4 Additional Points)

    Projects that are designed to support the implementation of 
internationally benchmarked, college- and career-ready academic 
standards held in common by multiple States and to improve

[[Page 34678]]

instruction and learning, including projects in one or more of the 
following priority areas:
    (a) The development or implementation of curriculum or 
instructional materials aligned with those standards.
    (b) The development or implementation of professional development 
or preparation programs aligned with those standards.
    (c) Strategies that translate the standards into classroom 
practice.

    Note: We interpret the GEAR UP statute and applicable cost 
principles contained in U.S. Office of Management and Budget 
Circular A-87 as not authorizing a State grantee to use GEAR UP 
program funds to either develop the assessments or implement other 
activities in this priority unless doing so focuses only on the 
eligible students in local educational agencies (LEAs) participating 
in the State's GEAR UP project. However, a State grantee may use 
Federal funds to help participating LEAs implement any part of the 
State's or LEA's strategies for meeting this competitive preference 
priority. Similarly, a State also may use GEAR UP program funds to 
assist LEAs that have received funding under the Investing in 
Innovation (i3) program to implement strategies and activities that 
align with State strategies for preparing eligible GEAR UP students 
to attend and succeed in postsecondary education. These strategies 
may include the development of graduation and career plans.

    Invitational Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    This priority is:

Invitational Priority--Financial Access and College Savings Accounts

Background
    Research indicates that students with savings accounts may be up to 
seven times more likely to attend college, even when controlling for 
other factors (Elliot, Jung, and Friedline, 2010: http://csd.wustl.edu/Publications/Documents/WP10-01.pdf). Yet 25 percent of U.S. households 
(and 50 percent of Black and Hispanic households) are unbanked or 
underbanked, meaning that they either do not have a Federally-insured 
deposit account, or that they have an account but still rely on costly 
alternative financial services. Young adults are disproportionately 
unbanked and underbanked (http://www.economicinclusion.gov/). At the 
same time, a lack of financial literacy--such as overestimating the 
price of college, not applying for Federal student aid, and taking 
private education loans before exhausting Federal loans--is a major 
roadblock on the path to college access and success for too many 
students and families (http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2010-3/072610c.html). Partially as a result of these 
findings, the Secretary of Education and the Chairmen of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union 
Administration announced in November 2010 a new interagency agreement 
to increase partnerships among schools, financial institutions, and 
other stakeholders to help students gain access to deposit accounts, 
learn about money, and save for college. The Department's press 
statement on this partnership can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/fdic-and-ncua-chairs-join-education-secretary-announce-partnership-promote-finan and the Secretary's recently recorded video 
encouraging participation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxOoXeOkh_w.
    Section 404D(b) of the HEA expressly authorizes GEAR UP program 
grantees to design projects that promote participating students' 
secondary school completion and enrollment in postsecondary education 
by means that include promotion of financial literacy and economic 
literacy education or counseling. Accordingly, and in keeping with the 
goals of the new interagency agreement, the Secretary specifically 
invites applications that address the following invitational priority.

Invitational Priority

    The Secretary invites applications that propose, as part of their 
strategy for ensuring secondary school completion and postsecondary 
education enrollment of participating students, financial and economic 
literacy activities that include:
     Creation or enhancement of partnerships with financial 
institutions and/or other stakeholders that would (1) provide students 
with safe and affordable deposit accounts at Federally-insured banks or 
credit unions, or other safe, affordable, and appropriate financial 
services, and (2) evaluate the success of these partnerships in meeting 
this objective; and
     Creation of financial or other incentives to increase 
savings by GEAR UP students and families of participating GEAR UP 
students.
    Definitions: These definitions are from the notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 
78486) and apply to the competitive preference priorities in this 
notice.
    Graduation rate means a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate 
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and may also include an extended-
year adjusted cohort graduation rate consistent with 34 CFR 
200.19(b)(1)(v) if the State in which the proposed project is 
implemented has been approved by the Secretary to use such a rate under 
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), 
as amended.
    Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the 
State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that (a) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of 
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or 
the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is 
greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as 
defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number 
of years; and (ii) any secondary school that is eligible for, but does 
not receive, Title I funds that: (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five 
percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary 
schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I 
funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school 
that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is 
less than 60 percent over a number of years.
    To identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools, a State must 
take into account both: (i) The academic achievement of the ``all 
students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's 
assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language 
arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) the school's lack of progress 
on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all students'' 
group.
    Privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its 
implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 
552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State and local requirements 
regarding privacy.
    Student achievement means--
    (a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) A student's score on the 
State's assessments under the ESEA; and, as

[[Page 34679]]

appropriate, (2) other measures of student learning, such as those 
described in paragraph (b) of this definition, provided they are 
rigorous and comparable across schools. (b) For non-tested grades and 
subjects: alternative measures of student learning and performance, 
such as student scores on pre-tests and end-of-course tests; student 
performance on English language proficiency assessments; and other 
measures of student achievement that are rigorous and comparable across 
schools.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-21--1070a-28.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this 
program in 34 CFR part 694. (c) The notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). Note: The 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except Federally 
recognized Indian Tribes.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $72,552,000. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make 
additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$5,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $4,836,800.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application for a State grant 
that proposes a budget exceeding $5,000,000 for a single budget period 
of 12 months. We also will reject any State grant application that 
proposes an increase in its budget after the first 12-month budget 
period. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change 
the maximum amounts through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 15.

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

    Project Period: Up to 84 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: States.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 404C(b)(1) of the HEA 
requires grantees under this program to provide from State, local, 
institutional, or private funds, not less than 50 percent of the cost 
of the program (or $1 of non-Federal funds for every $1 of Federal 
funds awarded), which may be provided in cash or in-kind. The provision 
also provides that the match may be accrued over the full duration of 
the grant award period, except that the grantee must make substantial 
progress toward meeting the matching requirement in each year of the 
grant award period.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Under section 404B(e) of the HEA, grant 
funds awarded under this program must be used to supplement, and not 
supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds that would otherwise be 
expended to carry out activities assisted under this program (20 U.S.C. 
1070a-22).
    3. Other: Under Section 404E(b)(1) of the HEA for State grants, a 
State must use not less than 25 percent and not more than 50 percent of 
the grant funds for activities targeted at the LEA level as described 
in section 404D (excluding the reservation of funds for postsecondary 
scholarships provided for in section 404D(a)(4) and with the remainder 
of grant funds spent on postsecondary scholarships to eligible GEAR UP 
students as described in section 404E. However, section 404E(b)(2), of 
the HEA permits the Secretary to allow a State to use more than 50 
percent of grant funds received under this program for activities 
targeted at the LEA level if the State demonstrates in its grant 
application that it has another means of providing the students with 
the financial assistance described in section 404E.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can 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 can request a copy of the application package from the 
following: Pariece Wilkins, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for 
Undergraduate Programs, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, 
NW., room 7025, Washington, DC 20006-8524. Telephone: (202) 219-7104 or 
by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
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 is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. You must limit the application narrative (Part II) to no 
more than 45 pages. However, if you choose to address the invitational 
priority and/or the competitive preference priorities, you must limit 
your discussion on the invitational priority to only 4 additional pages 
and discussion on the competitive preference priorities to only 20 
additional pages above the 40-page narrative limitation. For purpose of 
determining compliance with the page limit, each page on which there 
are words will be counted as one full page. Applicant must use 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, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     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 limits do not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the budget narrative and summary form; 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 14, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 14, 2011.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). 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

[[Page 34680]]

submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. 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 accommodation 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 12, 2011.
    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 of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. 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 Grant competition, 
CFDA number 84.334S must be submitted electronically using the 
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at 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.
    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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the GEAR UP 
State Grant competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA 
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search 
(e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326A).
    Please note the following:
     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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and 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 accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and 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 submission 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at http://www.G5.gov.
     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 upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) 
format only. If you upload a file type other than a .PDF or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material.

[[Page 34681]]

     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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 Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and 
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with 
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov 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 Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov 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: Pariece Wilkins, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 7025, Washington, DC 
20006-8524. FAX: (202) 219-7074.
    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 84.334S), 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 84.334S), 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 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 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the

[[Page 34682]]

applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use 
of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant 
conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant 
failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of 
unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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 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: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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 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.
    The effectiveness of this program depends on the rate at which 
program participants complete high school and enroll in and complete a 
postsecondary education. Under the Government Performance and Results 
Act of 1993 (GPRA), we developed the following performance measures to 
track progress toward achieving the program's goals:
    1. The percentage of GEAR UP students who pass Pre-algebra by the 
end of 8th grade.
    2. The percentage of GEAR UP students who pass Algebra 1 by the end 
of 9th grade.
    3. The percentage of GEAR UP students who take two years of 
mathematics beyond Algebra 1 by the 12th grade.
    4. The percentage of GEAR UP students who graduate from high 
school.

    Note: For each GEAR UP project, the high school graduation rate 
is defined in the State's approved accountability plan under Part A 
of Title I of ESEA.

    5. The percentage of GEAR UP students and former GEAR UP students 
who are enrolled in college.
    6. The percentage of GEAR UP students who place into college-level 
Math and English without need for remediation.
    7. The percentage of current GEAR UP students and former GEAR UP 
students enrolled in college who are on track to graduate college.
    8. The percentage of students and parents of GEAR UP students who 
demonstrate knowledge of available financial aid and the costs and 
benefits of pursuing postsecondary education.

    Note: The Department will ask grantees to track and report on 
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion, and 
will update the survey currently used by grantees to assess 
knowledge of financial aid and the costs and benefits of pursuing 
postsecondary education.

    9. The percentage of GEAR UP students who have knowledge of, and 
demonstrate, necessary academic preparation for college.

    Note: This measure will be calculated using factors such as the 
percentage of GEAR UP students on track for graduation at the end of 
each grade, the percentage of GEAR UP students who complete the PLAN 
or PSAT by the end of the 10th grade, the percentage of GEAR UP 
students who complete the SAT or ACT by the end of 11th grade, and 
the percentage of GEAR UP students who have an unweighted grade 
point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale by the end of 
the 11th grade.

    10. The percentage of parents of GEAR UP students who actively 
engage in activities associated with assisting students in their 
academic preparation for college.
    In addition, to assess the efficiency of the program, we track the 
average cost in Federal funds, of achieving a successful outcome, where 
success is defined as enrollment in postsecondary education of GEAR UP 
students immediately after high school graduation. These performance 
measures constitute GEAR UP's indicators of the success of the program. 
Grant recipients must collect and report data on steps they have taken 
toward achieving these goals. Accordingly, we request that applicants 
include these performance measures in conceptualizing the design, 
implementation, and evaluation of their proposed projects.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

[[Page 34683]]

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pariece Wilkins, Gaining Early 
Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 7025, Washington, DC 20006-8524. 
Telephone: (202) 219-7104 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: 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 via the Federal Digital System 
at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
this site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: http://www.federalregister.gov.

David A. Bergeron,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-14737 Filed 6-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P