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###### Department of Education

# AGENCY:

Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

# ACTION:

Notice.

*Overview Information:*                     Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.                

*Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:*                     84.031S.                

# DATES:

*Applications Available:*                         February 14, 2012. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 15, 2012. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 14, 2012.                    

## Full Text of Announcement

## I. Funding Opportunity Description

### Purpose of Program

The HSI Program provides grants to assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students. The HSI Program grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability.

### General Background

In 2008, the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEA). The HEOA made a number of changes to the HSI program. The regulations for the HSI Program in 34 part 606 have not been updated since before the HEA was amended by the HEOA. Therefore, we encourage applicants to carefully read this notice, which references the statutory provisions when the corresponding regulatory provisions for this program have not been updated.

For example, section 501 of the HEOA amended section 503(b) of the HEA to include, among the authorized activities under the HSI Program—

(1) Activities to improve student services, including innovative and customized instruction courses designed to help retain students and move the students into core courses;

(2) Articulation agreements and student support programs designed to facilitate the transfer of students from 2-year to 4-year institutions; and

(3) Providing education, counseling services, or financial information designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students or their families.

(4) The list of authorized activities in section 503(b) of the HEA was also amended to use the term “distance education technologies” in place of “distance learning academic instruction capabilities.” Therefore, notwithstanding the description of authorized activities in § 606.10, applicants may include these activities in their proposals under this competition.

### Priorities

                    This notice contains three competitive preference priorities. These priorities are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).                

### Competitive Preference Priorities

For FY 2012, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from the competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 9 points total to an application, depending on how well the application meets all competitive preference priorities. Applicants must address all competitive preference priorities in order to receive any additional points. Applicants who do not address all three competitive preference priorities will not receive any additional points.

These priorities are:

*Competitive Preference Priority 1: Increasing Postsecondary Success.*

Projects that are designed to increase the number and proportion of high-need students (as defined in this notice) who persist in and complete college or other postsecondary education and training.

*Competitive Preference Priority 2: Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making.*

Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this notice), in the following priority area: improving postsecondary student outcomes relating to enrollment, persistence, and completion and leading to career success.

*Competitive Preference Priority 3: Improving Productivity.*

                    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:**

 The types of projects identified in Competitive Preference Priority 3 are suggestions for ways to improve productivity. The Department recognizes that some of these examples, such as modification of teacher compensation systems, may not be relevant for the context of this program. Accordingly, applicants might want to consider responding to this competitive preference priority in a way that improves productivity in a relevant, higher education context.

### Definitions

                    The following definitions are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637), and apply to the priorities in this notice:                

*High-need children and high-need students*                     means children and students at risk of educational failure, such as children and students who are living in poverty, who are English learners, who are far below grade level, or who are not on track to becoming college- or career-ready by graduation, who have left school or college before receiving, respectively, a regular high school diploma or a college degree or certificate, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting teenagers, who have been incarcerated,                           ( print page 8229)                        who are new immigrants, who are migrant, or who have disabilities.                

*Open educational resources*                     (OER) 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.                

*Privacy requirements*                     means the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State, and local requirements regarding privacy.                

Program Authority:20 U.S.C. 1101-1101d; 1103-1103g.

*Applicable Regulations:*                     (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 606. (c) The notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), 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 (IHEs) only.

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Discretionary grants. Five-year Individual Development Grants and Five-year Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants will be awarded in FY 2012. Planning grants will not be awarded in FY 2012.                

*Estimated Available Funds:*                     $11,676,476.                

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2013 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

*Estimated Range of Awards:*                     $535,000-$775,000.                

*Estimated Average Size of Awards:*                     Individual Development Grants: $560,000. Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: $640,000.                

*Maximum Awards:*                     Individual Development Grants: $650,000. Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: $775,000. We will not fund any application at an amount exceeding these maximum amounts for a single budget period of 12 months. We may choose not to further consider or review applications with budgets that exceed the maximum amounts specified, if we conclude, during our initial review of the application, that the proposed goals and objectives cannot be obtained with the specified maximum amount. The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the                     **Federal Register**                    .                

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     Individual Development Grants: 14. Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: 6.                

# Note:

 The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Applicants should periodically check the HSI program Web site for further information. The address is: www.ed.gov/​programs/​idueshsi/​index.html.

*Project Period:*                     Up to 60 months.                

## III. Eligibility Information

                    1.                     *Eligible Applicants:*                     IHEs that qualify as eligible HSIs are eligible to apply for new Individual Development Grants and Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants under the HSI program. To be an eligible HSI, an IHE must—                

(a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section 502(b) of the HEA (section 502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));

(b) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA, average educational and general expenditures that are low, per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar instruction (section 502(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));

# Note:

 To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students and low average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student, an IHE must be designated as an “eligible institution” in accordance with 34 CFR 606.3 through 606.5 and the notice inviting applications for designation as an eligible institution for the fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted.

                    For purposes of establishing eligibility for this competition, the Notice Inviting Applications for Designation as Eligible Institution for FY 2012 was published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 15, 2011 (76 FR 77982). Only institutions that submitted the required application and received designation through this process are eligible to submit applications for this competition.                

(c) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered, or making reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an agency or association (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));

(d) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide within the State, an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's degree (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA or a junior or community college; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)); and

(e) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application (section 502(a)(5)(B) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)).

# Note 1:

 Funds for the HSI Program will be awarded each fiscal year; thus, for this program, the “end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application” refers to the end of the fiscal year prior to the application due date. The end of the fiscal year occurs on September 30 for any given year.

# Note 2:

                         In considering applications for grants under this program, the Department will compare the data and documentation the institution relied on in its application with data reported to the Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the IHE's State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional annual report. If different percentages or data are reported in these various sources, the institution must, as part of the 25 percent assurance verification, explain the reason for the differences. If the IPEDS data show that less than 25 percent of the institution's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic, the burden is on the institution to show that the IPEDS data are inaccurate. If the IPEDS data indicate that the institution has an undergraduate FTE less than 25 percent, and the institution fails to demonstrate that the IPEDS data are inaccurate, the institution will be considered ineligible.[1] 

### Relationship Between HSI and Title III, Part A Programs

# Note 1:

                         A grantee under the HSI Program, which is authorized by Title V of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, Title III, Part A or Part B Program (section 505 of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101D). The Title III, Part A Programs include: the Strengthening Institutions Program; the American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program; the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Programs; the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program; and the Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions Program. Furthermore, a current HSI Program grantee may not give up its HSI                               ( print page 8230)                            grant in order to receive a grant under any Title III, Part A Program (§ 606.2(c)(1)).                    

# Note 2:

 An HSI that does not fall within the limitation described in Note 1 may apply for a FY 2012 grant under all Title III, Part A Programs, for which it is eligible, as well as under the HSI Program. However, a successful applicant may receive only one grant.

# Note 3:

                         An eligible HSI that submits multiple applications may only be awarded one Individual Development Grant                         *and/or*                         one Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant in a fiscal year (34 CFR 606.9 and 606.13). In addition, the Secretary will not award a second Individual Development Grant to an HSI with a current five-year Individual Development Grant as described in 34 CFR 606.9(b)(1).                    

# Note 4:

 An eligible HSI that submits a Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant with a partnering branch campus that is a part of the same institution will not be awarded a grant (34 CFR 606.7(b)).

                    2.                     *Cost Sharing or Matching:*                     This program does not require cost sharing or matching requirements unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those grant funds with non-Federal funds (section 503(c)(2) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).                

## IV. Application and Submission Information

                    1.                     *Address to Request Application Package:*                     Carnisia M. Proctor, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6060, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7606 or by email: Carnisia.Proctor@ed.gov.                

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 Limits: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria and the competitive priorities that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have established mandatory page limits for both the Individual Development Grant and the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant applications. You must limit the application narrative (Part III) to no more than 55 pages for the Individual Development Grant application and no more than 75 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant application.

# Note:

 Please include a separate heading when responding to the competitive priorities. If you do not wish to address the competitive priorities, you must limit your application narrative to no more than 50 pages for the Individual Development Grant application and no more than 70 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant application using the following standards:
      - A “page” is 8.5” x 11”, on one side only, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

# Note:

 For purposes of determining compliance with the page limits, each page on which there are words will be counted as one full page.
      - Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except                      titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, tables, and graphs. These items may be single-spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative count toward 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 or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424); the Department of Education Supplemental Information form (SF 424); Part II, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524); Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page project abstract, program activity budget detail form and supporting narrative, and the five-year plan. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part III), including the budget narrative of the selection criteria and the competitive priorities. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested in the application package, these items will be counted as part of your application narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria in the application narrative.

# Note:

 The narrative response to the budget selection criteria is not the same as the activity detail budget form and supporting narrative. The supporting narrative for the activity detail budget form lists the requested budget items line by line.

We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.

                    3.                     *Submission Dates and Times:*

*Applications Available:*                     February 14, 2012.                

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     March 15, 2012.                

                    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 7.                     *Other Submission Requirements*                     of this notice.                

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

                    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under                     **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**                     in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 14, 2012.                

                    4.                     *Intergovernmental Review:*                     This competition 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 competition.                

                    5.                     *Funding Restrictions:*                     We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section of this notice.                

                    6.                     *Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry:*                     To do business with the Department of Education, you must—                

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database;

c. Provide you DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

                    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information while your                           ( print page 8231)                        application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.                

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.

The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp.

                    7.                     *Other Submission Requirements:*                     Applications for grants under this competition 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 HSI Program, CFDA Number 84.031S, 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 Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions 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 84.031, not 84.031S).

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 competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home page at http://www.G5.gov. 
      - You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
      - You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: the Application for Federal Assistance (ED 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) 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 the person listed under                     **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**                     in section VII of this notice and provide an                           ( print page 8232)                        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 prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.

If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

Address and mail or fax your statement to: Carnisia M. Proctor, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6060, Washington, DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7861.

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 84.031S), 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 84.031S), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

# Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:

 If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

## V. Application Review Information

                    1.                     *Selection Criteria:*                     The selection criteria for this program are in 34 CFR 606.22. In addition to these selection criteria, we evaluate an applicant's performance under a previous development grant under 34 CFR 606.24.                

                    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).

Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are as follows:

                    (A)                     *Documentation of at least 25 Percent Hispanic Undergraduate FTE students.*                     Applicants must provide, as an attachment to the application, the documentation the IHE relied upon in determining that at least 25 percent of the IHE's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic.                

# Note:

                         The 25 percent requirement applies only to                         *undergraduate*                         Hispanic students and is calculated based upon FTE students as defined in section 502(a)(4) of the HEA. Instructions for formatting and submitting the verification documentation to Grants.gov are in the application package for this competition.                    

                    (B)                     *Tiebreaker for Development Grants.*                     In tie-breaking situations for development grants described in 34 CFR 606.23(b), the HSI Program regulations require that we award one additional point to an application from an IHE that has an endowment fund of which the current market value, per FTE enrolled student, is less than the average current market value of the endowment funds, per FTE enrolled student, at comparable institutions that offer similar instruction. We also award one                           ( print page 8233)                        additional point to an application from an IHE that had expenditures for library materials per FTE enrolled student that are less than the average expenditures for library materials per FTE enrolled student at comparable institutions that offer similar instruction.                

For the purpose of these funding considerations, we use 2009-2010 data.

If a tie remains after applying the tiebreaker mechanism above, priority will be given (a) for Individual Development Grants, to applicants that addressed the statutory priority found in section 521(d) of the HEA, as amended; and (b) for Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants, to applicants in accordance with section 524(b) of the HEA, under which the Secretary determines that the cooperative arrangement is geographically and economically sound or will benefit the applicant HSI.

If a tie still remains after applying the additional point(s) and the relevant statutory priority, we will determine the ranking of applicants based on the lowest endowment values per FTE enrolled student.

                    3.                     *Special Conditions:*                     Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.                

## VI. Award Administration Information

                    1.                     *Award Notices:*                     If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.                

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

                    2.                     *Administrative and National Policy Requirements:*                     We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section of this notice.                

                    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.                

                    3.                     *Reporting:*                     (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).                

                    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to                     *www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms.html.*

                    4.                     *Performance Measures:*                     The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the HSI program:                

1. The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at HSIs.

2. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same two-year Hispanic-serving institution.

3. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same four-year Hispanic-serving institution.

4. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at four-year HSIs graduating within six years of enrollment.

5. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at two-year HSIs graduating within three years of enrollment.

6. Federal cost per undergraduate and graduate degree at institutions in the HSI Program.

                    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 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 Contact

*For Further Information Contact:*                     Carnisia M. Proctor, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6060, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7606 or by email:                     *Carnisia.Proctor@ed.gov.*

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 the program contact person listed under                     *For Further Information Contact*                     in section VII of this notice.                

*Electronic Access to This Document:*                     The official version of this document is the document published in the                     **Federal Register**                    . Free Internet access to the official edition of the                     **Federal Register**                     and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at:                     *www.gpo.gov/​fdsys.*                     At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the                     **Federal Register**                    , in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site.                

                    You may also access documents of the Department published in the                     **Federal Register**                     by using the article search feature at                     *www.federalregister.gov.*                     Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.                

Dated: February 9, 2012.

Eduardo M. Ochoa,

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

# Footnotes

1.                             For purposes of making the determination described in paragraph (e) of the Eligibility Criteria for this competition, IHEs must report their undergraduate Hispanic FTE percent based on the student enrollment count closest to, but not after, September 30, 2010.                    
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[FR Doc. 2012-3421 Filed 2-13-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P