Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 2519—HIGHER EDUCATION INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
§ 2519.100   What is the purpose of the Higher Education programs?
The purpose of the higher education innovative programs for community service is to expand participation in community service by supporting high-quality, sustainable community service programs carried out through institutions of higher education, acting as civic institutions helping to meet the educational, public safety, human, and environmental needs of the communities in which the programs operate.
§ 2519.110   Who may apply for a grant?
The following entities may apply for a grant from the Corporation: (a) An institution of higher education.
(b) A consortium of institutions of higher education.
(c) A higher education partnership, as defined in § 2510.20 of this chapter.
§ 2519.120   What is the Federal Work-Study requirement?
To be eligible for assistance under this part, an institution of higher education must demonstrate that it meets the minimum requirements under section 443(b)(2)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 2753(b)(2)(A)) relating to the participation of students employed under part C of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 2751 et seq. ) (relating to Federal Work-Study programs) in community service activities, or has received a waiver of those requirements from the Secretary of Education.
§ 2519.200   How may grant funds be used?
Funds under a higher education program grant may be used for the following activities: (a) Enabling an institution of higher education, a higher education partnership or a consortium to create or expand an organized community service program that—
(1) Engenders a sense of social responsibility and commitment to the community in which the institution is located; and
(2) Provides projects for the participants described in § 2519.300.
(b) Supporting student-initiated and student-designed community service projects.
(c) Strengthening the leadership and instructional capacity of teachers at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels with respect to service-learning by—
(1) Including service-learning as a key component of the preservice teacher education of the institution; and
(2) Encouraging the faculty of the institution to use service-learning methods throughout the curriculum.
(d) Facilitating the integration of community service carried out under the grant into academic curricula, including integration of clinical programs into the curriculum for students in professional schools, so that students may obtain credit for their community service projects.
(e) Supplementing the funds available to carry out work-study programs under part C of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 2751 et seq. ) to support service-learning and community service.
(f) Strengthening the service infrastructure within institutions of higher education in the United States that supports service-learning and community service.
(g) Providing for the training of teachers, prospective teachers, related education personnel, and community leaders in the skills necessary to develop, supervise, and organize service-learning.
§ 2519.300   Who may participate in a Higher Education program?
Students, faculty, administration and staff of an institution, as well as residents of the community may participate. For the purpose of this part, the term “student” means an individual who is enrolled in an institution of higher education on a full-time or part-time basis.
§ 2519.310   Is a participant eligible to receive an AmeriCorps educational award?
In general, no. However, certain positions in programs funded under this part may qualify as approved AmeriCorps positions. The Corporation will establish eligibility requirements for these positions as a part of the application package.
§ 2519.320   May a program provide a stipend to a participant?
(a) A program may provide a stipend for service activities for a participant who is a student if the provision of stipends in reasonable in the context of a program's design and objectives.
(1) A program may not provide a stipend to a student who is receiving academic credit for service activities unless the service activities require a substantial time commitment beyond that expected for the credit earned.
(2) A participant who is earning money for service activities under the work-study program described in § 2519.200(e) may not receive an additional stipend from funds under this part.
(b) Consistent with the AmeriCorps program requirements in § 2522.100 of this chapter, a program with participants serving in approved full-time AmeriCorps positions must ensure the provision of a living allowance and, if necessary, health care and child care to those participants. A program may, but is not required to, provide a prorated living allowance to individuals participating in approved AmeriCorps positions on a part-time basis, consistent with the AmeriCorps program requirements in § 2522.240 of this chapter.
§ 2519.400   What must an applicant include in an application for a grant?
In order to apply to the Corporation for a grant, an applicant must submit the following: (a) A plan describing the goals and activities of the proposed program.
(b) The specific program, budget, and other information and assurances specified by the Corporation in the grant application package.
(c) Assurances that the applicant will—
(1) Keep such records and provide such information to the Corporation with respect to the program as may be required for fiscal audits and program evaluation;
(2) Comply with the criminal history check requirements for all grant-funded staff employed after October 1, 2009, in accordance with 45 CFR 2540.200-207, as well as the nonduplication, nondisplacement, and grievance procedure requirements of Part 2540.
(3) Prior to the placement of a participant in the program, consult with the appropriate local labor organization, if any, representing employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as the work proposed to be carried out by the program, to prevent the displacement and protect the rights of those employees; and
(4) Comply with any other assurances that the Corporation deems necessary.
§ 2519.500   How does the Corporation review an application?
(a) The Corporation will review an application submitted under this part on the basis of the quality, innovation, replicability, and sustainability of the proposed program and such other criteria as the Corporation establishes in an application package.
(b) In addition, in reviewing applications submitted under this part, the Corporation will take into consideration whether proposed programs—
(1) Demonstrate the commitment of the institution of higher education, other than by demonstrating the commitment of its students, to supporting the community service projects carried out under the program;
(2) Specify how the institution will promote faculty, administration, and staff participation in the community service projects;
(3) Specify the manner in which the institution will provide service to the community through organized programs, including, where appropriate, clinical programs for students in professional schools and colleges;
(4) Describe any higher education partnership that will participate in the community service projects, such as a higher education partnership comprised of the institution, a student organization, a community-based agency, a local government agency, or a nonprofit entity that serves or involves school-age youth, older adults, low-income communities, a department of the institution, or a group of faculty comprised of different departments, schools, or colleges at the institution;
(5) Demonstrate community involvement in the development of the proposal and the extent to which the proposal will contribute to the goals of the involved community members;
(6) Demonstrate a commitment to perform community service projects in underserved urban and rural communities;
(7) Describe research on effective strategies and methods to improve service utilized in the design of the projects;
(8) Specify that the institution will use funds under this part to strengthen the infrastructure in institutions of higher education;
(9) With respect to projects involving delivery of service, specify projects that involve leadership development of school-age youth; or
(10) Describe the needs that the proposed projects are designed to address, such as housing, economic development, infrastructure, health care, job training, education, crime prevention, urban planning, transportation, information technology, or child welfare.
(c) In addition, the Corporation may designate additional review criteria in an application notice that will be used in selecting programs.
§ 2519.600   How are funds for Higher Education programs distributed?
All funds under this part are distributed by the Corporation through grants or by contract.
§ 2519.700   Are matching funds required?
(a) Yes. The Corporation share of the cost of carrying out a program funded under this part may not exceed 50 percent.
(b) In providing for the remaining share of the cost of carrying out a program, each recipient of assistance must provide for that share through a payment in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including facilities, equipment, or services, and may provide for that share through State sources, local sources (including private funds or donated services) or Federal sources (other than funds made available under the national service laws).
(c) However, the Corporation may waive the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section in whole or in part with respect to any program in any fiscal year if the Corporation determines that the waiver would be equitable due to lack of available financial resources at the local level.
§ 2519.710   Are there limits on the use of funds?
Yes. The following limits apply to funds available under this part:
(a)(1) Not more than six percent of the grant funds provided under this part for any fiscal year may be used to pay for administrative costs, as defined in § 2510.20 of this chapter.
(2) The distribution of administrative costs between the grant and any subgrant will be subject to the approval of the Corporation.
(3) In applying the limitation on administrative costs the Corporation will approve one of the following methods in the award document:
(i) Limit the amount or rate of indirect costs that may be paid with Corporation funds under a grant or subgrant to six percent of total Corporation funds expended, provided that—
(A) Organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for Federal awards will be limited to this method; and
(B) Unreimbursed indirect costs may be applied to meeting operational matching requirements under the Corporation's award;
(ii) Specify that a fixed rate of six percent or less (not subject to supporting cost documentation) of total Corporation funds expended may be used to pay for administrative costs, provided that the fixed rate is in conjunction with an overall 15 percent administrative cost factor to be used for organizations that do not have established indirect cost rates; or
(iii) Utilize such other method that the Corporation determines in writing is consistent with OMB guidance and other applicable requirements, helps minimize the burden on grantees or subgrantees, and is beneficial to grantees or subgrantees and the Federal Government.
§ 2519.720   What is the length of a grant?
A grant under this part is for a period of up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance and annual appropriations.
§ 2519.730   May an applicant submit more than one application to the Corporation for the same project at the same time?
No. The Corporation will reject an application for a project if an application for funding or educational awards for the same project is already pending before the Corporation.
§ 2519.800   What are the evaluation requirements for Higher Education programs?
The monitoring and evaluation requirements for recipients of grants and subgrants under part 2516 of this chapter, relating to school-based service-learning programs, apply to recipients under this part.