[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2658-2663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00329]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Educational Opportunity Centers
Program
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
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ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the
Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program, Assistance Listing
Number 84.066A. This notice relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number 1840-0820.
DATES:
Applications Available: January 13, 2021.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 1, 2021.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 28, 2021.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachael Wiley Ed.D, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 271-24, Washington, DC 20202-
4260. Telephone: (202) 453-6078. 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of the EOC Program are to: Provide
information regarding financial and academic assistance available for
qualified individuals who want to enter or continue to pursue a program
of postsecondary education; provide assistance to those individuals in
applying for admission to institutions that offer programs of
postsecondary education, including assistance in preparing necessary
applications for use by admissions and financial aid officers; and
improve the financial and economic literacy of program participants.
Priorities: This notice contains three competitive preference
priorities. Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2 are from the
Secretary's Notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for
Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096) (Supplemental Priorities). Competitive
Preference Priority 3 is from the Secretary's Notice of Administrative
Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs, published
in the Federal Register on March 9, 2020 (85 FR 13640) (Administrative
Priorities).
Note: Applicants must include, in the one-page abstract
submitted with the application, a statement indicating which, if
any, of the competitive preference priorities are addressed. If the
applicant has addressed the competitive preference priorities, this
information must also be listed on the EOC Program Profile Form.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2021 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an application up to
two additional points for each priority, for a total of up to six
additional points, depending on how well the application meets each of
these priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Ensuring that Service Members,
Veterans, and Their Families Have Access to High-Quality Educational
Options (up to 2 points).
Projects that are designed to address the academic needs of
military- or veteran-connected students (as defined in this notice).
Competitive Priority 2: Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to
Obtaining Knowledge and Skills (up to 2 points).
Projects that are designed to create or expand opportunities for
individuals to obtain recognized postsecondary credentials through the
demonstration of prior knowledge and skills, such as competency-based
learning. Such credentials may include an industry-recognized
certificate or certification, a certificate of completion of an
apprenticeship, a license recognized by the State involved or Federal
Government, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
Competitive Priority 3: Applications that Demonstrate a Rationale
(up to 2 points).
Under this priority, an applicant proposes a project that
demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1).
Definitions: The definitions below are from 34 CFR 77.1 and the
Supplemental Priorities.
Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in
the project's logic model is informed by research or evaluation
findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve
relevant outcomes.
Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project
components and relevant outcomes.
Note: In developing logic models, applicants may want to use
resources such as the Regional Educational Laboratory Program's (REL
Pacific) Education Logic Model Application, available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp, to help design their
logic models. Other sources include: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf, and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf.
Military- or veteran-connected student means a student who is a
member of the uniformed services, a veteran of the uniformed services,
or the spouse of a service member or veteran.
Note: For the purpose of this definition, ``student'' may
include a prospective student.
Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention,
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s)
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of the program.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 20 U.S.C. 1070-16.
Note: Projects must be awarded and operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the
U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws.
Application Requirements: For FY 2021 and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, applicants must meet the following application
requirements from 34 CFR 644.11.
An applicant must submit, as part of its application, assurances
that--
(a) At least two-thirds of the individuals it serves under its
proposed EOC project will be low-income individuals who are potential
first-generation college students;
(b) The project will collaborate with other Federal TRIO projects,
GEAR UP projects, or programs serving similar
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populations that are serving the same target schools or target area in
order to minimize the duplication of services and promote
collaborations so that more students can be served;
(c) The project will be located in a setting or settings accessible
to the individuals proposed to be served by the project; and
(d) If the applicant is an institution of higher education, it will
not use the project as a part of its recruitment program.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75 (except for Sec. Sec.
75.215 through 75.221), 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The
Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on
Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part
180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 644. (e)
The Supplemental Priorities. (f) The Administrative Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR 86 apply to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $55,994,306.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $232,050-$1,280,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $273,793.
Maximum Award: The maximum award varies based on whether the
applicant is currently receiving an EOC Program grant, as well as the
number of participants served.
For an applicant that is not currently receiving an EOC
Program grant, the maximum award amount is $232,050. Applicants must
have a per-participant cost of no more than $273 and propose to serve a
minimum of 850 participants.
For an applicant that is currently receiving an EOC
Program grant--
1. The applicant may request a maximum award amount that is an
amount equal to 100 percent of the applicant's base award amount for FY
2020 to serve a minimum number of participants equal to the applicant's
approved FY 2020 participant number; or
2. If the applicant proposes to reduce the number of participants
to be served below the amount served in FY 2020, the proposed number of
participants must be at least 850 and the per-participant cost must not
exceed the applicant's cost per participant for FY 2020 or $273,
whichever is greater. For example, if an applicant's per participant
cost for FY 2020 is $344 and the applicant is proposing to serve 850
participants under the FY 2021 competition, the applicant would be
eligible to request a $292,400 grant ($344 x 850 = $292,400).
Note: Applicants currently receiving an EOC Program grant in FY
2020 are strongly encouraged to continue to serve the same number of
participants under the proposed project.
Estimated Number of Awards: 140.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs; public and private agencies and
organizations, including community-based organizations with experience
in serving disadvantaged youth; secondary schools; and combinations of
such institutions, agencies, and organizations.
Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51,
you may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) Proof
that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant
as an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from
a State taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that
the organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the
State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any
private shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the
applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it
clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4)
any item described above if that item applies to a State or national
parent organization, together with a statement by the State or
parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit
affiliate.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a training
indirect cost rate. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to an
entity's actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated
indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total
direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information
regarding training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 75.562. For more
information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated
indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform
Guidance.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities
described in its application.
4. Other: An applicant may submit more than one application for an
EOC Program grant so long as each application describes a project that
serves a different target area (34 CFR 644.10(a)). The term ``target
area'' is defined as a geographic area served by a project (34 CFR
644.7(b)).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
2. 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.
3. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR
644.31. We reference additional regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
Requirements concerning the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this
program.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you,
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your
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application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative,
which includes the budget narrative, to no more than 60 pages and (2)
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, including 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, and no
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract. However, the
recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
We recommend that any application addressing the competitive
preference priorities include no more than three additional pages for
each priority addressed.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 644.21. We will award up to 100 points to an
application under the selection criteria and up to 6 additional points
to an application under the competitive preference priorities, for a
total score of up to 106 points. The maximum number of points available
for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
(a) Need for the project (24 points). The Secretary evaluates the
need for an EOC project in the proposed target area on the basis of the
extent to which the application contains clear evidence of--
(1) A high number or percentage, or both, of low-income families
residing in the target area;
(2) A high number or percentage, or both, of individuals residing
in the target area with education completion levels below the
baccalaureate level;
(3) A high need on the part of residents of the target area for
further education and training from programs of postsecondary education
in order to meet changing employment trends; and
(4) Other indicators of need for an EOC project, including the
presence of unaddressed educational or socio-economic problems of adult
residents in the target area.
(b) Objectives (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of
the applicant's objectives and proposed targets (percentages) in the
following areas on the basis of the extent to which they are both
ambitious, as related to the need data provided under selection
criterion (a), and attainable, given the project's plan of operation,
budget, and other resources--
(1) Secondary school diploma or equivalent (2 points).
(2) Postsecondary enrollment (3 points).
(3) Financial aid applications (1.5 points).
(4) College admission applications (1.5 points).
(c) Plan of operation (30 points). The Secretary evaluates the
quality of the applicant's plan of operation on the basis of the
following--
(1) The plan to inform the residents, schools, and community
organizations in the target area of the goals, objectives, and services
of the project and the eligibility requirements for participation in
the project (4 points);
(2) The plan to identify and select eligible participants and
ensure their participation without regard to race, color, national
origin, gender, or disability (4 points);
(3) The plan to assess each participant's need for services
provided by the project (2 points);
(4) The plan to provide services that meet the participants' needs
and achieve the objectives of the project (12 points); and
(5) The management plan to ensure the proper and efficient
administration of the project including, but not limited to, the
project's organizational structure, the time committed to the project
by the project director and other personnel, and, where appropriate,
its coordination with other projects for disadvantaged students (8
points).
(d) Applicant and community support (16 points). The Secretary
evaluates the applicant and community support for the proposed project
on the basis of the extent to which the applicant has made provision
for resources to supplement the grant and enhance the project's
services, including--
(1) Facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other resources
committed by the applicant (8 points); and
(2) Resources secured through written commitments from schools,
community organizations, and others (8 points).
(e) Quality of personnel (9 points). (1) The Secretary evaluates
the quality of the personnel the applicant plans to use in the project
on the basis of the following--
(i) The qualifications required of the project director.
(ii) The qualifications required of each of the other personnel to
be used in the project.
(iii) The plan to employ personnel who have succeeded in overcoming
disadvantages or circumstances like those of the population of the
target area.
(2) In evaluating the qualifications of a person, the Secretary
considers his or her experience and training in fields related to the
objectives of the project.
(f) Budget (5 points). The Secretary evaluates the extent to which
the project budget is reasonable, cost-effective, and adequate to
support the project.
(g) Evaluation plan (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality
of the evaluation plan for the project on the basis of the extent to
which the applicant's methods of evaluation--
(1) Are appropriate to the project's objectives;
(2) Provide for the applicant to determine, using specific and
quantifiable measures, the success of the project in--
(i) Making progress toward achieving its objectives (a formative
evaluation); and
(ii) Achieving its objectives at the end of the project period (a
summative evaluation); and
(3) Provide for the disclosure of unanticipated project outcomes,
using quantifiable measures if appropriate.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 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 (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
644.21. 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 644.22, the Secretary will award prior experience points to
applicants that conducted an EOC Program project during budget periods
2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20, based on their documented experience.
Prior experience points, if any, will be added to the application's
averaged reader score to determine the total score for each
application.
If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the same
total scores,
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the Secretary will choose among the tied applications so as to serve
geographic areas and eligible populations that have been underserved by
the EOC Program.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in
appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not
responsible.
4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a judgment about
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before
we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about
you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred
to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting
applications in accordance with--
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR
200.216);
(c) Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in
alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798)
and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at
Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (2 CFR 200.300, 200.303,
200.339, and 200.341);
(d) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(e) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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 multiyear 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the following measure will be used by the
Department to evaluate the success of the EOC Program: Participants'
success in completing a secondary school diploma or its equivalent,
completion of applications for student financial aid, submission of
applications for postsecondary admission, and postsecondary enrollment.
All EOC Program grantees will be required to submit annual performance
reports.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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
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receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.
Christopher J. McCaghren,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2021-00329 Filed 1-12-21; 8:45 am]
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