Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 33 / Friday, February 16, 2024 / Notices 12325 

1Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 

(2024). Workplace stress: Understanding the 

problem, Retrieved from: www.osha.gov/workplacestress 

2The World Health Organization (2022). who.int/ 

teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotionprevention/mental-health-in-the-workplace 

3 Gramlich, John, (2023). Mental health and the 

pandemic: What U.S. surveys have found, Retrieved 

from: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/03/ 

02/mental-health-and-the-pandemic-what-u-ssurveys-have-found/ 

4Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 

(2024). Workplace stress: Understanding the 

problem, Retrieved from: www.osha.gov/workplacestress 

Dated: February 13, 2024. 

Kun Mullan, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03274 Filed 2–15–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; Training 

Program for Federal TRIO Programs 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

is issuing a notice inviting applications 

for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 

for the Training Program for Federal 

TRIO Programs (Training Program), 

Assistance Listing Number 84.103A. 

This notice relates to the approved 

information collection under OMB 

control number 1840–0814. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: February 16, 

2024. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 16, 2024. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 17, 2024. 

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 7, 2022 

(87 FR 75045) and available at 

www.federalregister.gov/d/2021–27979. 

Please note that these Common 

Instructions supersede the version 

published on December 27, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Suzanne Ulmer, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

5th floor, Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

Telephone: (202) 453–7691. Email: 

Suzanne.Ulmer@ed.gov; or ReShone 

Moore, Ph.D., U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

5th floor, Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

Telephone: (202) 453–7624. Email: 

reshone.moore@ed.gov. 

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 Training 

Program provides grants to train the 

staff and leadership personnel 

employed in, participating in, or 

preparing for employment in, projects 

funded under the Federal TRIO 

Programs, to improve project operation. 

Priorities: This notice contains six 

absolute priorities and one invitational 

priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(iv) and 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priorities 

are from section 402G(b) of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965, as amended 

(HEA), and the regulations for this 

program at 34 CFR 642.24. The 

invitational priority is intended to 

address mental health challenges faced 

by project directors and employees of 

TRIO projects by providing training and 

informational resources to support their 

mental health. 

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2024 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, 

these priorities are absolute priorities. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider 

only applications that meet one of these 

absolute priorities. 

In accordance with 34 CFR 642.7, 

each application must clearly identify 

the specific absolute priority for which 

a grant is requested. An applicant must 

submit a separate application for each 

absolute priority it proposes to address. 

If an applicant submits more than one 

application for the same absolute 

priority, we will accept only the 

application with the latest ‘‘date/time 

received’’ validation. 

These priorities are: 

Absolute Priority 1: Training to 

improve reporting of student and project 

performance and project evaluation, in 

order to design and operate a model 

program for projects funded under the 

Federal TRIO Programs. 

Absolute Priority 2: Training on 

budget management and the statutory 

and regulatory requirements for the 

operation of projects funded under the 

Federal TRIO Programs. 

Absolute Priority 3: Training on 

assessment of student needs; retention 

and graduation strategies; and the use of 

appropriate educational technology in 

the operation of projects funded under 

the Federal TRIO programs. 

Absolute Priority 4: Training on 

assisting students in receiving adequate 

financial aid from programs assisted 

under title IV of the HEA and from other 

programs, and on college and university 

admissions policies and procedures. 

Absolute Priority 5: Training on 

strategies for recruiting and serving hard 

to reach populations, including students 

who are limited English proficient, 

students from groups that are 

traditionally underrepresented in 

postsecondary education, students with 

disabilities, students who are homeless 

children and youths (as this term is 

defined in section 725 of the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act (42 

U.S.C. 11434a)), students who are foster 

care youth, or other disconnected 

students. 

Absolute Priority 6: Training on 

general project management for new 

project directors. 

Invitational Priority: For FY 2024 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, 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. 

Background: According to the 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OHSA), stress can be 

harmful to our health and increase 

mental health challenges.1 While there 

are many things in life that induce 

stress, work can be one of those factors. 

The World Health Organization reported 

in 2022 that 83 percent of U.S. workers 

suffer from work-related stress and 54 

percent of workers report that work 

stress affects their home life.2 Studies 

indicate the COVID–19 pandemic 

exacerbated the issue.3

The workplace can be a key place for 

resources, solutions, and activities 

designed to improve mental health and 

well-being.4 The TRIO workplace 

provides an opportunity to provide 

needed supports and resources. 

Through this invitational priority, the 

Department encourages applicants to 

provide critical support to assist TRIO 

staff. 

Priority: 

Training on mental health supports 

for TRIO project directors and staff. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a– 

11 and 1070a–17. 

Note: Projects will be awarded and 

must be operated in a manner consistent 

with the nondiscrimination 

requirements contained in Federal civil 

rights laws. 


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Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

parts 75 (except for 75.215 through 

75.221), 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. (d) 

The regulations for this program in 34 

CFR part 642. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to institutions of higher 

education (IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$1,297,761,000 for the Federal TRIO 

Programs for FY 2024, of which we 

intend to use an estimated $4,377,536 

for the Training Program for Federal 

TRIO Programs. The actual level of 

funding, if any, depends on final 

congressional action. However, we are 

inviting applications to allow enough 

time to complete the grant process if 

Congress appropriates funds for the 

Federal TRIO Programs. 

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: 

$309,505–$402,357, depending on the 

absolute priority under which the award 

is funded (see below). 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$355,931. 

Maximum Award and Minimum 

Participants: We will not make an 

award exceeding the maximum award 

amount listed here for a single budget 

period of 12 months. Projects proposed 

under each absolute priority also must 

propose to serve the minimum number 

of applicable participants listed here. 

Under Absolute Priorities 1, 2, and 4, 

the maximum award amount is 

$309,505 and the minimum number of 

participants is 231. Under Absolute 

Priorities 3 and 5, the maximum award 

amount is $402,357 and the minimum 

number of participants is 300. Under 

Absolute Priority 6, the maximum 

award amount is $343,159 and the 

minimum number of participants is 256. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 13, as 

follows: 2 awards each under Absolute 

Priorities 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6; and 3 awards 

under Absolute Priority 4. 

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 and other 

public and private nonprofit institutions 

and organizations. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses a training indirect cost 

rate. This limits indirect cost 

reimbursement to an entity’s actual 

indirect costs, as determined in its 

negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, 

or eight percent of a modified total 

direct cost base, whichever amount is 

less. For more information regarding 

training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 

75.562. For more information regarding 

indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated 

indirect cost rate, please see 

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/ 

intro.html. 

c. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

This program does not include any 

program-specific limitation on 

administrative expenses. All 

administrative expenses must be 

reasonable and necessary and conform 

to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR 

part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 

Guidance. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

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 

December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and 

available at www.federalregister.gov/d/ 

2022–26554, which contain 

requirements and information on how to 

submit an application. Please note that 

these Common Instructions supersede 

the version published on December 27, 

2021. 

2. Intergovernmental Review: This 

program is subject to Executive Order 

12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR 

part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

program. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We specify 

unallowable costs in 34 CFR 642.31. We 

reference additional regulations 

outlining funding restrictions in the 

Applicable Regulations and Application 

Review Information sections of this 

notice. 

4. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative (Part III of the 

application) 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, which 

includes the budget narrative and 

invitational priority, if addressed, to no 

more than 55 pages and (2) use the 

following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ × 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins. 

• Double space all text in the 

application narrative, and single space 

titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, and captions. 

• Use a 12-point font. 

• Use an easily readable font such as 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to Part I, the Application for 

Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); 

Part II, the Budget Information 

Summary form (ED Form 524); Part III– 

A, the Program Profile form; Part III–B, 

the one-page Project Abstract form; or 

Part IV, the Assurances and 

Certifications. The recommended page 

limit also does not apply to a table of 

contents, which we recommend that 

you include in the application narrative. 

5. Content and Form of Application 

Submission: You must indicate the 

absolute priority addressed in your 

application both on the one-page 

abstract and on the Training Program 

Profile Sheet. You must include your 

complete response to the selection 

criteria and absolute priority in the 

application narrative. Other 

requirements concerning the content of 

an application, together with the forms 

you must submit, are in the application 

package for this program. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 

642.21 and 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 for the application. 

(a) Plan of operation. (20 points) 

(1) The Secretary reviews each 

application for information that shows 

the quality of the plan of operation for 

the project. 


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(2) The Secretary looks for 

information that shows— 

(i) High quality in the design of the 

project; 

(ii) An effective plan of management 

that ensures proper and efficient 

administration of the project; 

(iii) A clear description of how the 

objectives of the project relate to the 

purpose of the program; 

(iv) The way the applicant plans to 

use its resources and personnel to 

achieve each objective; and 

(v) A clear description of how the 

applicant will provide equal access and 

treatment for eligible project 

participants who are members of groups 

that have been traditionally 

underrepresented, such as— 

(A) Members of racial or ethnic 

minority groups; 

(B) Women; 

(C) Individuals with disabilities; and 

(D) The elderly. 

(b) Quality of key personnel. (20 

points) 

(1) The Secretary reviews each 

application for information that shows 

the qualifications of the key personnel 

the applicant plans to use on the 

project. 

(2) The Secretary looks for 

information that shows— 

(i) The qualifications of the project 

director; 

(ii) The qualifications of each of the 

other key personnel to be used in the 

project; 

(iii) The time that each person 

referred to in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) and (ii) 

of this section plans to commit to the 

project; and 

(iv) The extent to which the applicant, 

as part of its nondiscriminatory 

employment practices, encourages 

applications for employment from 

persons who are members of groups that 

have been traditionally 

underrepresented, such as— 

(A) Members of racial or ethnic 

minority groups; 

(B) Women; 

(C) Individuals with disabilities; and 

(D) The elderly. 

(3) To determine the qualifications of 

a person, the Secretary considers 

evidence of past experience and 

training, in fields related to the 

objectives of the project, as well as other 

information that the applicant provides. 

(c) Budget and cost effectiveness. (10 

points) 

(1) The Secretary reviews each 

application for information that shows 

that the project has an adequate budget 

and is cost effective. 

(2) The Secretary looks for 

information that shows— 

(i) The budget for the project is 

adequate to support the project 

activities; and 

(ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to 

the objectives of the project. 

(d) Evaluation plan. (10 points) 

(1) The Secretary reviews each 

application for information that shows 

the quality of the evaluation plan for the 

project. 

(2) The Secretary looks for 

information that shows methods of 

evaluation that are appropriate for the 

project and, to the extent possible, are 

objective and produce data that are 

quantifiable. 

(e) Adequacy of resources. (15 points) 

(1) The Secretary reviews each 

application for information that shows 

that the applicant plans to devote 

adequate resources to the project. 

(2) The Secretary looks for 

information that shows— 

(i) The facilities that the applicant 

plans to use are adequate; and 

(ii) The equipment and supplies that 

the applicant plans to use are adequate. 

(f) Quality of the project design. (10 

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 proposed project represents an 

exceptional approach for meeting 

statutory purposes and requirements. 

(g) Quality of project services. (15 

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. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

technical assistance services to be 

provided by the proposed project 

involve the use of efficient strategies, 

including the use of technology, as 

appropriate, and the leveraging of nonproject resources. 

Note: For Selection Criterion (b), 

Quality of key personnel, applicants are 

encouraged to include in their 

application that they are committed to 

paying their trainers a living wage for 

the local area and providing benefits. 

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 requires 

various assurances including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws 

that prohibit discrimination in programs 

or activities receiving Federal financial 

assistance from the Department (34 CFR 

100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

For this competition, a panel of nonFederal reviewers will review each 

application in accordance with the 

selection criteria in 34 CFR 642.21 and 

34 CFR 75.210. The individual scores of 

the reviewers will be added and the sum 

divided by the number of reviewers to 

determine the peer review score 

received in the review process. 

Additionally, in accordance with 34 

CFR 642.22, the Secretary will award up 

to 15 prior experience points to eligible 

applicants by evaluating the applicant’s 

current performance under its expiring 

Training Program grant. Pursuant to 34 

CFR 642.20(d), if there are insufficient 

funds to fund all applications with the 

same peer review score within a 

particular absolute priority, prior 

experience points, if any, will be added 

to the averaged peer review score to 

determine the total score for each 

application. 

Under section 402A(c)(3) of the HEA, 

the Secretary is not required to make 

awards under the Training Program in 

the order of the scores received. 

Additionally, under 34 CFR 642.23, the 

Secretary, to the greatest extent possible, 

makes Training Program awards to 

projects that will provide training 

services in all regions of the Nation in 

order to assure accessibility for 

prospective training participants, in 

accordance with the criteria described 

below. 

In the event a tie score still exists after 

applying prior experience points, the 

Secretary will select for funding the 

applicant that has the greatest capacity 

to provide training to eligible 

participants in all regions of the Nation, 

in order to assure accessibility to the 

greatest number of prospective training 

participants, consistent with 34 CFR 

642.20(e). If it is determined that all tied 

applicants have equal capacity to 

provide training to eligible participants 


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in all regions of the Nation, the 

Secretary will identify and recommend 

an award for— 

First, the applicant in the funding 

band that is from an entity receiving the 

least amount of funding under any of 

the other absolute priorities. 

Second, the applicant with the 

highest average score across all 

applications. 

Third, if there is more than one 

application with the same score and 

insufficient funding to support these 

applications after tie-breaker 1 and tiebreaker 2 have been implemented, the 

applicant proposing to serve the greatest 

number of participants through both 

their on-site and online trainings will be 

the final application identified and 

recommended to receive an award. 

3. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.206, before awarding grants under 

this program 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 will 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 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: For 

purposes of Department reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110, the Department will use 

the following performance measures to 

assess the effectiveness and quality of 

the Training Program: 

(1) Its cost-effectiveness based on the 

number of TRIO project personnel 

receiving training each year; 

(2) The percentage of Training 

Program participants that, each year, 

indicate the training has increased their 

qualifications and skills in meeting the 

needs of disadvantaged students; and 

(3) The percentage of Training 

Program participants that, each year, 

indicate the training has increased their 

knowledge and understanding of the 

Federal TRIO Programs. All grantees 

will be required to include in their 

annual performance report project data 

documenting their success in training 

personnel working on TRIO-funded 

projects, including the average cost per 

trainee and the trainees’ evaluations of 

the effectiveness of the training 

provided. The success of the Training 

Program also is assessed on the 


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quantitative and qualitative outcomes of 

the training projects based on project 

evaluation results. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

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. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to this Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

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Nasser H. Paydar, 

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03277 Filed 2–15–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No.: ED–2024–SCC–0026] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Comment Request; PLUS 

Adverse Credit Reconsideration Loan 

Counseling 

AGENCY: Federal Student Aid (FSA), 

Department of Education (ED). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 

1995, the Department is proposing an 

extension without change of a currently 

approved information collection request 

(ICR). 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before April 16, 

2024 . 

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the 

documents related to the information 

collection listed in this notice, please 

use http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching the Docket ID number ED– 

2024–SCC–0026. Comments submitted 

in response to this notice should be 

submitted electronically through the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://

www.regulations.gov by selecting the 

Docket ID number or via postal mail, 

commercial delivery, or hand delivery. 

If the regulations.gov site is not 

available to the public for any reason, 

the Department will temporarily accept 

comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. 

Please include the docket ID number 

and the title of the information 

collection request when requesting 

documents or submitting comments. 

Please note that comments submitted 

after the comment period will not be 

accepted. Written requests for 

information or comments submitted by 

postal mail or delivery should be 

addressed to the Manager of the 

Strategic Collections and Clearance 

Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W203, 

Washington, DC 20202–8240. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Beth 

Grebeldinger, (202) 377–4018. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department, in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 

(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the 

general public and Federal agencies 

with an opportunity to comment on 

proposed, revised, and continuing 

collections of information. This helps 

the Department assess the impact of its 

information collection requirements and 

minimize the public’s reporting burden. 

It also helps the public understand the 

Department’s information collection 

requirements and provide the requested 

data in the desired format. The 

Department is soliciting comments on 

the proposed information collection 

request (ICR) that is described below. 

The Department is especially interested 

in public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: PLUS Adverse 

Credit Reconsideration Loan 

Counseling. 

OMB Control Number: 1845–0129. 

Type of Review: Extension without 

change of a currently approved ICR. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals or Households Total 

Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 142,824. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 107,119. 

Abstract: Section 428B(a)(1)(A) of the 

Higher Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (HEA), provides that to be 

eligible to receive a Federal PLUS Loan 

under the Federal Family Education 

Loan (FFEL) Program, the applicant 

must not have an adverse credit history, 

as determined pursuant to regulations 

promulgated by the Secretary. In 

accordance with section 455(a)(1) of the 

HEA, this same eligibility requirement 

applies to applicants for PLUS loans 

under the Direct Loan Program. Since 

July 1, 2010, there have been no new 

FFEL Program loans originated and the 

Direct Loan Program is the only Federal 

loan program that offers Federal PLUS 

Loans. 

The adverse credit history section of 

the eligibility regulations in 34 CFR 

685.200(b) and (c) were updated in 2014 

by the Department of Education (the 

Department) when a review of and a 

change to the regulations was made. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1