[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49811-49816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17321]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Postsecondary Success Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications (NIA) for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the 
Postsecondary Success Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.116M. This 
notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control 
number 1894-0006.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: August 12, 2022.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 11, 2022.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 12, 2022.

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 December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979. Please note that these Common 
Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and, 
in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in 
SAM.gov a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to the 
implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). More information 
on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nemeka Mason, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2C102, Washington, DC 20202-
4260. Telephone: (202) 453-5650. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to promote 
postsecondary completion for students close to completion, whether for 
students currently enrolled in higher education, students who are no 
longer enrolled because of challenges they faced during the COVID-19 
pandemic and close to completion, or both. Institutions may opt to 
supplement or expand evidence-based and data-driven activities to 
support retention and completion for both groups. This program aims to 
improve student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit 
accumulation, and completion, by augmenting evidence-based activities 
that are already underway at eligible institutions of higher education 
(IHEs).
    Background: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 appropriated 
$76 million for Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education 
(FIPSE) competitive programs and, within this total, the Joint 
Explanatory Statement designated $5 million for Postsecondary Student 
Success Grants ``to support evidence-based activities to improve 
postsecondary retention and completion rates.'' The Department intends 
to focus this grant program on data-driven and evidence-based efforts 
to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal 
Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, other 
Minority-Serving Institutions, and institutions serving large shares of 
low-income students, to improve existing retention and completion 
efforts and support students on the path to college completion.
    Nationally, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly one in five 
Americans has some college education but no degree.\1\ Fewer than two 
in three students pursuing a bachelor's degree complete their degree 
within 6 years, and only about one in three students at 2-year 
institutions graduates within 150 percent of the expected time to 
completion. Completion rates are lower for Black, Hispanic, Pacific 
Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ U.S. Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United 
States: 2020, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/demo/educational-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html.
    \2\ https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicator_red.asp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The pandemic has further exacerbated some of the college completion 
challenges that students face. As colleges pivoted to online 
instruction and students faced unprecedented and simultaneous health, 
family, and employment challenges, an estimated 1 million students left 
school. Many still have not returned.\3\ Community colleges have seen 
the largest declines in enrollment. Leaving school before earning a 
credential may have particularly significant consequences for students 
who leave school with debt; such borrowers are far more likely to 
default on their student loans, even when their balances are low.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Causey, J., Kim, H., Ryu, M., Scheetz, A., & Shapiro, D. 
(2022, May). Some College, No Credential Student Outcomes, Annual 
Progress Report--Academic Year 2020/21, Herndon, VA: National 
Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/SCNCReportMay2022.pdf.
    \4\ Miller, B. (2017, December 14). Who Are Student Loan 
Defaulters? Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/student-loan-defaulters/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Many institutions have engaged in institutional reform efforts or 
implemented evidence-based activities that helped to improve their 
students' rates of completion. For instance, corequisite remediation 
programs have helped students to stay enrolled and on track for 
completion by allowing them to earn credit while completing 
developmental education courses.\5\ Robust academic advising efforts 
have helped students to establish clear pathways for their degree 
completion, cutting down on unnecessary coursework, encouraging the 
completion of academic coursework and the accumulation of credits, and 
ensuring students return to school.\6\ Initiatives and programs like 
the ``Degrees When Due'' reverse-transfer initiative \7\ have helped 
many institutions of higher education (IHEs) not only to retain 
students, but also to

[[Page 49812]]

reenroll students who stopped out of postsecondary education.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See, for example, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Intervention/1602; https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/90316; or https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/90306.
    \6\ See, for example, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/28; https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Intervention/1072; and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/InterventionReports/WWC-PEPPER_IR-Report_InsideTrack_508.pdf.
    \7\ Institute for Higher Education Policy (n.d.). Degrees When 
Due. https://degreeswhendue.com/#.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We believe the college completion funds available through this 
grant program will help to amplify the work already happening on 
campuses to improve retention and completion and reengage students who 
are close to completion, especially nontraditional students. 
Specifically, the Department encourages applicants that have already 
committed to evidence-based practices for reenrollment and retention, 
completion, and/or closing equity gaps to apply for this grant program. 
Wherever possible, institutions should note their participation in 
networks and communities of practice related to college completion 
efforts as evidence of the institution's commitment to this work and 
capacity both to conduct the work and to share it with partner 
institutions. We also urge applicant institutions to think carefully 
about opportunities to evaluate their strategies as rigorously as 
possible to ensure they produce high-quality information about the 
effectiveness of the intervention as the strength of the institution's 
proposed evaluation plan will be a key factor in reviewing the 
application, as detailed in the selection criteria. Additionally, 
subject to the availability of funding, successful applicants may be 
required to work with a Department technical assistance provider in 
carrying out project evaluations that will build evidence of 
effectiveness.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and one 
invitational priority. We are establishing the absolute priority for 
the FY 2022 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make 
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in 
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions 
Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Projects that are designed to improve postsecondary student 
outcomes and that are supported by evidence that meets the conditions 
in the definition of ``promising evidence'' (as defined in 34 CFR 
77.1(c)). In responding to this priority, applicants must identify one 
or more of the proposed activities (project components) that meet the 
promising evidence standard and include a logic model that demonstrates 
the relationship between such proposed activities and the relevant 
outcomes the project is designed to achieve.
    Invitational Priority: 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:
    Participation by Community Colleges.
    Applications from community colleges (as defined in this notice).
    Definitions: We are establishing definitions for ``Community 
college,'' ``Minority-serving institution,'' ``Prior learning 
assessment,'' and ``Stopped-out student,'' for the FY 2022 grant 
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The remaining definitions are from 34 CFR 
77.1.
    Community college means an institution that meets the definition in 
section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 
1058(f)) or an IHE (as defined in section 101 of the HEA) that awards 
degrees and certificates, more than 50 percent of which are not 
bachelor's degrees (or an equivalent) or master's, professional, or 
other advanced degrees.
    Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare 
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are 
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment 
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. 
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies, 
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental 
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g., 
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression 
discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbooks:
    (i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for 
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the 
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to 
receive the project component (the control group).
    (ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project 
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning 
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental 
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of 
outcomes.
    (iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case 
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in 
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to 
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the 
treatment.
    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 Pacific Education Laboratory's Logic Model 
Application ((https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/products/resource/100677).
    Minority-serving institution means an institution that is eligible 
to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of title 
III, under part B of title III, or under title V of the HEA.
    Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or 
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
    Prior learning assessment means the process by which an 
individual's learning (that may have been acquired through on-the-job 
experiences, corporate training, military training or experience, 
volunteer work, or self-guided study) is assessed and evaluated for 
purposes of granting college credit, certification, or advanced 
standing toward further education or training.
    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).
    Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the 
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant 
outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
reporting a ``strong evidence base'' or ``moderate evidence base'' for 
the corresponding practice guide recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a 
``positive effect'' or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant 
outcome with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially 
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
    (iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate, 
that--
    (A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or 
a well-

[[Page 49813]]

designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical 
controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression methods to 
account for differences between a treatment group and a comparison 
group); and
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome.
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation 
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being 
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet 
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbooks.
    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.
    Stopped-out student means a student who began pursuing 
postsecondary education and left an IHE prior to earning a certificate 
or degree.
    What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means the 
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Standards Handbook, 
Versions 4.0 or 4.1, and WWC Procedures Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 4.1, 
or in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 
2.1 (all incorporated by reference, see Sec.  77.2). Study findings 
eligible for review under WWC standards can meet WWC standards without 
reservations, meet WWC standards with reservations, or not meet WWC 
standards. WWC practice guides and intervention reports include 
findings from systematic reviews of evidence as described in the WWC 
Handbooks documentation.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, 
requirements, and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 
however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements 
regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant 
competition for this program and, therefore, qualifies for this 
exemption. To ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to 
forgo public comment on the priorities, requirements, definitions, and 
selection criteria under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA.
    Program Authority: HEA sections 741-745, 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d, the 
Explanatory Statement accompanying Division H of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103).
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the 
Federal civil rights laws.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 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.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,950,000.
    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: $600,000 to $1,000,000 for 24 months.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $800,000 for 24 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-8.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs that are designated as eligible to 
apply under the HEA title III and V programs. For institutions applying 
as a consortium, the lead applicant must be eligible to apply under the 
HEA title III and V programs.
    Note: The notice announcing the FY 2022 process for designation of 
eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of 
eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal Register on 
December 16, 2021 (86 FR 71470). The Department extended the deadline 
for applications until February 18, 2022, in a notice published in the 
Federal Register on February 7, 2022 (87 FR 6855). Only institutions 
that the Department determines are eligible, or which are granted a 
waiver under the process described in the December 16, 2021, notice, 
and that meet the other eligibility requirements described in this 
notice, may apply for a grant under this program. To determine if your 
institution is eligible for this grant program please visit, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html.
    2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition involves supplement-
not-supplant funding requirements. This program uses the waiver 
authority of section 437(d)(1) of GEPA to establish this as a 
supplement-not-supplant program. Grant funds must be used so that they 
supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the funds that would 
otherwise be available for the activities to be carried out under the 
grant and in no case supplant those funds.
    c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses the waiver 
authority of section 437(d)(1) of GEPA to limit a grantee's indirect 
cost reimbursement to 8 percent of a modified total direct cost base. 
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.
    d. 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. Evaluation: This program uses the waiver authority of section 
437(d)(1) of GEPA to require a grantee to conduct an independent 
evaluation of the effectiveness of its project.
    5. Other Requirement: This program uses the waiver authority of 
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA to require applicants to specify the IHE's 
annual percentage of stop-out students for academic years 2017-2021. 
This information must be included in the program abstract.

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

[[Page 49814]]

December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979. Please note that these Common 
Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and, 
in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in 
SAM.gov a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to the 
implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). More information 
on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.
    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 reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative to no more than 40 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.
     Doublespace (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.
    Note: The Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs Form (ED 
524) Sections A-C are not the same as the narrative response to the 
Budget section of the selection criteria.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this 
program are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points assigned to each criterion 
are indicated in the parentheses next to the criterion. An applicant 
may earn up to a total of 100 points based on the selection criteria. 
All applications will be evaluated based on the selection criteria as 
follows:
    (a) Need for Project. (Maximum of 15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project. (Up to 10 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project will provide services 
or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of educational 
failure. (Up to 5 points)
    (b) Significance. (Maximum of 10 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement. (Up to 5 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the 
needs of the target population. (Up to 5 points)
    (c) Quality of the Project Design. (Maximum 5 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the goals, 
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are 
clearly specified and measurable. (Up to 5 points)
    (d) Quality of Project Services. (Maximum 30 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. (Up to 10 points)
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services. (Up to 10 points)
    (ii) The likelihood that the services to be provided by the 
proposed project will lead to improvements in the skills necessary to 
gain employment. (Up to 10 points)
    (e) Quality of the Management Plan. (Maximum 10 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the 
management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on 
time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, 
timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (Up to 10 
points)
    (f) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (Maximum 30 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (Up to 5 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible. (Up to 5 points)
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that 
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse standards with or without 
reservations as described in the What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as 
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)). (Up to 20 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process: Potential applicants are reminded 
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 
requires

[[Page 49815]]

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).
    A panel of non-Federal reviewers will review and score each 
application in accordance with the selection criteria. A rank order 
funding slate will be made from this review. Awards will be made in 
rank order according to the average score received from the peer 
review.
    Before making awards, we will screen applications submitted in 
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether 
applications have met eligibility and other requirements. This 
screening process may occur at various stages of the process; 
applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a 
grant, regardless of peer reviewer scores or comments.
    Tiebreaker: If there is more than one application with the same 
score and insufficient funds to fund all the applications with the same 
ranking, the application with the highest percentage of degree/
certificate-seeking undergraduate students who are Pell grant 
recipients will be funded.
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 
3474.10, 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 200.206(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) 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
    (d) 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 34 CFR 75.110, the following five 
performance measures will be used in assessing the performance of the 
Postsecondary Success Program:
    (a) Number and percentage of stopped-out students who reenrolled at 
the institution.
    (b) Number and percentage of stopped-out students who were served 
by the grant and who reengaged and earned a certificate, an associate 
degree, or a bachelor's degree.
    (c) Number and percentage of currently enrolled students who were 
served by the grant and who were still

[[Page 49816]]

enrolled at the institution in the following academic year.
    (d) Number and percentage of currently enrolled students who were 
served by the grant and who earned a certificate, an associate degree, 
or a bachelor's degree.
    These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success 
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for an award 
under this program to consider the operationalization of the measures 
in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed 
project.
    If funded, you will be required to collect and report data in your 
project's annual performance report (34 CFR 75.590).

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, 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.

Michelle Asha Cooper,
Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2022-17321 Filed 8-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P