[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 78 (Wednesday, April 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22643-22649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09198]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Training Program for Federal TRIO 
Programs

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs 
(Training Program). Notice inviting applications for new awards for 
fiscal year (FY) 2014.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.103A.

Dates:
    Applications Available: April 23, 2014.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 23, 2014.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 22, 2014.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Training Program provides grants to train 
the staff and leadership personnel employed in, participating in, or 
preparing for employment in, projects funded under the Federal TRIO 
Programs to improve the operation of these projects.
    Priorities: This notice contains five absolute priorities and two 
competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv) and 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priorities 
are from section 402G(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA), and the regulations for this program (34 CFR 642.24). 
The competitive preference priorities are 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), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).

    Note:  Each year, the Training Program projects must offer 
training covering every topic listed within the applicable priority 
or priorities. And, each year, one or more Training Program projects 
must provide training for new project directors. Each applicant must 
identify in its application how it will meet this requirement as 
provided in 34 CFR 642.11.

    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2014 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet these priorities. 
Each application must address one of these absolute priorities. An 
applicant must submit a separate application for each absolute priority 
it proposes to address.
    These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1. Training to improve: reporting student and 
project performance and the rigorous evaluation of project performance 
in order to design and operate a model project funded under the Federal 
TRIO Programs.
    Number of expected awards: 1.
    Maximum award amount: $250,000.
    Absolute Priority 2. Training on: budget management, and the 
statutory and regulatory requirements for operation of projects funded 
under the Federal TRIO Programs.
    Number of expected awards: 1.
    Maximum award amount: $250,000.
    Absolute Priority 3. Training on: assessment of student needs; 
retention and graduation strategies, including both secondary and 
postsecondary retention and graduation strategies; and the use of 
appropriate educational technology in the operation of projects funded 
under the Federal TRIO programs.
    Number of expected awards: 1.
    Maximum award amount: $325,000.
    Absolute Priority 4. Training on: assisting students in receiving 
adequate financial aid from programs assisted under title IV of the HEA 
and from other programs; college and university

[[Page 22644]]

admissions policies and procedures; and proven strategies to improve 
the financial literacy and economic literacy of students, including 
topics such as basic personal finance information, household money 
management and financial planning skills, and basic economic decision 
making skills.
    Number of expected awards: 1.
    Maximum award amount: $250,000.
    Absolute Priority 5. Training on: strategies for recruiting and 
serving hard to reach populations--including students who are limited 
English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally 
underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with 
disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths (as this 
term is defined in Section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a), students who are in foster care or 
are aging out of the foster care system, or other disconnected 
students.
    Number of expected awards: 1.
    Maximum award amount: $325,000.
    Competitive Preference Priorities:
    For FY 2014 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 five points to an application that meets 
Competitive Preference Priority 1 and up to an additional five points 
to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2, 
depending on how well the application meets each of these priorities. 
An applicant submitting an application under Absolute Priorities 1, 2, 
3, or 5 may apply using only Competitive Preference Priority 2. An 
applicant submitting an application under Absolute Priority 4 may apply 
using one or both of the Competitive Preference Priorities. Therefore, 
the maximum number of competitive preference points an application 
under Absolute Priorities 1, 2, 3, or 5 can receive under this 
competition is 5 while the maximum number of competitive preference 
points an application under Absolute Priority 4 can receive under this 
competition is 10.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Increasing Postsecondary Success (up 
to 5 additional points).
    Background:
    Meeting the President's goal of restoring the United States to 
first in the world in the percentage of citizens holding college 
degrees or other postsecondary credentials will require significantly 
increasing the number of high-need students who graduate from high 
school prepared to succeed in higher education and careers and who have 
access to college or rigorous postsecondary career or technical 
training leading to a degree or certificate. It will also require 
increasing the rates at which young people and adults enroll in, 
persist in, and complete college or other postsecondary training. This 
priority is designed to support efforts to reach the President's goal.
    We are using Competitive Preference Priority 1--Increasing 
Postsecondary Success because the Department believes that the TRIO 
programs can play an important role in improving the postsecondary 
outcomes of its participants by placing greater emphasis on providing 
innovative college selection counseling strategies to match students 
with more selective institutions. Research indicates that many high-
achieving low-income students do not enroll in the most selective 
colleges for which they are qualified, but that, when they do enroll in 
such institutions, they tend to have greater success.1 2 
Understanding that TRIO programs serve students with varying levels of 
academic achievement, we are interested in projects that will provide 
training to TRIO program staff on advising students on college 
selection for a broad range of high-need students, not just those who 
have the best academic performance.
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    \1\ Jonathan Smith, Matea Pender, Jessica Howell, ``The Full 
Extent of Student-College Academic Undermatch, College Board 
Advocacy and Policy Center, January 2012, http://www.aefpweb.org/sites/default/files/webform/Extent%20of%20Undermatch.pdf
    \2\ William G. Bowen, Matthew M. Chingos & Michael S. McPherson, 
Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public 
Universities, Princeton University Press, 2011.
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    The Department encourages projects that provide training to TRIO 
staff on college selection counseling strategies to assist TRIO program 
participants in applying for, and enrolling in, institutions of higher 
education that are most closely aligned with the participant's levels 
of academic preparation. For example, applicants could describe the 
extent to which their projects combine training on traditional 
approaches to college advising, such as assistance with test 
preparation, research and admissions applications, and financial aid 
applications, with training on strategies to match students to 
institutions that are appropriate for their qualifications.
    Competitive Preference Priority 1:
    Projects that are designed to increase the number and proportion of 
high-need students who persist in and complete college or other 
postsecondary education and training.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Improving Productivity (up to 5 
additional points).

    Background:
    We are using Competitive Preference Priority 2--Improving 
Productivity because we believe that it is more important than ever to 
support TRIO projects that are designed to significantly increase 
efficiency in the use of resources while improving student outcomes. A 
key performance measure for the Training Program is its cost 
effectiveness, based on the number of TRIO project personnel receiving 
training each year. Furthermore, cost per participant is considered in 
all TRIO programs. Applicants proposing projects designed to offer 
increased opportunities for high-quality training for more 
individuals--that is, to decrease the training cost per participant 
while improving participant outcomes--will be more likely to perform 
well on this efficiency measure.
    The Department continues to emphasize productivity in all TRIO 
programs for 2014. Accordingly, both new and current grantees will need 
assistance learning about, selecting, and implementing strategies that 
can help them be more productive while improving student outcomes. In 
light of this emphasis, we are interested in Training Program projects 
that propose to work with TRIO projects on strategies that improve 
productivity.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2:
    Projects that are designed to significantly increase efficiency in 
the use of time, staff, money, or other resources while improving 
student learning or other educational outcomes (i.e., outcome per unit 
of resource). Such projects may include innovative and sustainable uses 
of technology, modification of school schedules and teacher 
compensation systems, use of open educational resources (as defined in 
this notice), or other strategies.

    Note 1: The types of projects identified above are suggestions 
for ways to improve productivity. We recognize that some of these 
examples, such as modification of teacher compensation systems, may 
not be relevant within the context of a particular application. 
Therefore, applicants addressing this priority may explain how they 
will provide training opportunities to the same or an increased 
number of individuals at a lower cost per participant while 
improving the quality of their training support. Applicants might 
also want to consider how they will provide training to TRIO staff 
to serve the same or an increased number of program participants at 
a lower cost per participant while improving the quality of their 
services.


[[Page 22645]]


    Maximum number of applications: In accordance with 34 CFR 642.7, 
each application must clearly identify the specific absolute priority 
for which a grant is requested and must address each of the topics 
listed under that specific absolute priority. An application for a 
grant under a specific absolute priority must address only that 
absolute priority. A grantee who wants to apply under more than one 
absolute priority must submit separate applications for each absolute 
priority. If an applicant submits more than one application for the 
same absolute priority, we will accept only the application with the 
latest ``date/time received'' validation and we will reject all other 
applications the applicant submits for that priority.
    For example, an application for a grant under Absolute Priority 1 
must address only training described under that priority.
    Definitions:
    This definition is 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 corrected on 
May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637), and it applies to the competitive 
preference priorities in this competition.
    Open educational resources means teaching, learning, and research 
resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under 
an intellectual property license that permits their free use or 
repurposing by others.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 1070a-17.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension and 
debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations for this 
program in 34 CFR part 642. (d) 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 
corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).

    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 only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1.4 million.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2015 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding the maximum award amount for the applicable priority, 
listed as follows, for a single budget period of 12 months:
     Absolute Priority 1: $250,000.
     Absolute Priority 2: $250,000.
     Absolute Priority 3: $325,000.
     Absolute Priority 4: $250,000.
     Absolute Priority 5: $325,000.
    The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the 
maximum award amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education and other 
public and private nonprofit institutions and organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Suzanne Ulmer, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 
20006-8510. Telephone: (202) 502-7600 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), 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 compact disc) 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 III) to no 
more than 50 pages. However, any application addressing the competitive 
preference priorities may include up to four additional pages for each 
priority addressed in a separate section of the application submission 
to discuss how the application meets the competitive preference 
priority or priorities. These additional pages cannot be used for or 
transferred to the project narrative. Partial pages will count as a 
full page toward the page limit. For the purpose of determining 
compliance with the page limit, each page on which there are words will 
be counted as one full page. Applicants 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. Page numbers and an 
identifier may be within the 1'' margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the project narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
figures and graphs. Text in charts and tables may be single-spaced. You 
should also include a table of contents in the project narrative, which 
will not be counted against the page limit.
     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 Part I--the Application for 
Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); Part II--the Budget Information 
Summary form (ED Form 524); Part III-A--the Program Profile form; Part 
III-B--the one-page Project Abstract form; and Part IV--the Assurances 
and Certifications. If you include any attachments or appendices, these 
items will be counted as part of Part III--the Project Narrative for 
the purpose of the page-limit requirement. You must include your 
complete response to the selection criteria and priorities in Part 
III--the Project Narrative.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 23, 2014.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 23, 2014.
    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

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mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic 
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 
one of the program contact persons 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: July 22, 2014. 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 specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR 
part 642.31. We reference additional regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: 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 System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly 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 SAM 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 to two business days.
    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 SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, 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 registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    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 at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    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 Training Program, CFDA Number 
84.103A, 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 email 
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 Training 
Program at 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 (e.g., search for 84.103, 
not 84.103A).
    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 4:30:00 
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 4:30:00 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 
4:30:00 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 program 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

[[Page 22647]]

Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at 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) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive 
or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF 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 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 email. 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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact one of the 
program contact persons 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 4:30:00 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 
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: Eileen Bland, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 
20006-8510. FAX: (202) 502-7857.
    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 84.103A),
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 84.103A),
550 12th Street SW.,
Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.

    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between

[[Page 22648]]

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.


    Note: Applicants must include in the one-page abstract submitted 
with the application a statement indicating which competitive 
preference priorities they have addressed. The priorities addressed 
in the application must also be listed on the Training Program 
Profile Sheet.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
in 34 CFR 642.21 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 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).
    For this competition, a panel of non-Federal reviewers will review 
each application in accordance with the selection criteria in 34 CFR 
642.21. The individual scores of the reviewers will be added and the 
sum divided by the number of reviewers to determine the peer review 
score received in the review process. Additionally, in accordance with 
34 CFR 642.22, the Secretary will award prior experience points to 
eligible applicants by evaluating the applicant's current performance 
under its expiring Training Program grant. Pursuant to 34 CFR 
642.22(b)(1), prior experience points, if any, will be added to the 
application's averaged peer review score to determine the total score 
for each application.
    Under Section 402A(c)(3) of the HEA, the Secretary is not required 
to make awards under the Training Program in the order of the scores 
received.
    In the event a tie score exists, the Secretary will select for 
funding the applicant that has the greatest capacity to provide 
training to eligible participants in all regions of the Nation in order 
to assure accessibility to the greatest number of prospective training 
participants, consistent with 34 CFR 642.20(e).
    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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your 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) 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 success of the Training Program is 
measured by its cost-effectiveness based on the number of TRIO project 
personnel receiving training each year; the percentage of Training 
Program participants that, each year, evaluate the training as 
benefiting them in increasing their qualifications and skills in 
meeting the needs of disadvantaged students; and the percentage of 
Training Program participants that, each year, evaluate the training as 
benefiting them in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the 
Federal TRIO Programs. All grantees will be required to submit an 
annual performance report documenting their success in training 
personnel working on TRIO-funded projects, including the average cost 
per trainee and the trainees' evaluations of the effectiveness of the 
training provided. The success of the Training Program also is assessed 
on the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the training projects 
based on project evaluation results.
    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).

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Ulmer or, if unavailable, 
Eileen S. Bland, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 
7000,

[[Page 22649]]

Washington, DC 20006-8510. Telephone: (202) 502-7600 or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 compact disc) on request to 
one of the program contact persons 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: 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 the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: April 17, 2014.
Brenda Dann-Messier,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2014-09198 Filed 4-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P