Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices 69291

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires

that the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) provide interested

Federal agencies and the public an early

opportunity to comment on information

collection requests. OMB may amend or

waive the requirement for public

consultation to the extent that public

participation in the approval process

would defeat the purpose of the

information collection, violate State or

Federal law, or substantially interfere

with any agency’s ability to perform its

statutory obligations. The Leader,

Regulatory Information Management

Group, Office of the Chief Information

Officer, publishes that notice containing

proposed information collection

requests prior to submission of these

requests to OMB. Each proposed

information collection, grouped by

office, contains the following: (1) Type

of review requested, e.g. new, revision,

extension, existing or reinstatement; (2)

Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4)

Description of the need for, and

proposed use of, the information; (5)

Respondents and frequency of

collection; and (6) Reporting and/or

Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites

public comment.

Dated: November 9, 2000.

John Tressler,

Leader, Regulatory Information Management,

Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Office of Educational Research and

Improvement

Type of Review: New.

Title: National Assessment of

Educational Progress (NAEP)

Technology Based Assessment Project,

Pretest and Field Test.

Frequency: Pilot and field test.

Affected Public: Individuals or

household; Not-for-profit institutions;

State, Local, or Tribal Gov’t, SEAs or

LEAs.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour

Burden:

Responses: 5,750.

Burden Hours: 1,438.

Abstract: The NAEP Technology

Based Assessment Project (TBA) is

meant to explore the feasibility and best

methods for assessing mathematics and

writing on line. It is also intended to

explore students’ abilities to solve

problems in technology-rich

environments. It is anticipated that in

the future such technology-based

assessments will reduce assessment

burden by allowing, among other things,

for online administration and scoring of

assessment instruments. The pilot study

uses background questions and items

from suitable subject questionnaires,

including questions about computer use

that are currently cleared for other

NAEP studies.

Requests for copies of the proposed

information collection request may be

accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, or

should be addressed to Vivian Reese,

Department of Education, 400 Maryland

Avenue, SW, Room 4050, Regional

Office Building 3, Washington, DC

20202–4651. Requests may also be

electronically mailed to the internet

address OCIOlIMGlIssues@ed.gov or

faxed to 202–708–9346. Please specify

the complete title of the information

collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the

collection activity requirements should

be directed to Kathy Axt at her internet

address KathylAxt@ed.gov.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–

8339.

[FR Doc. 00–29306 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA NO.: 84.031H]

Strengthening Institutions (SIP),

American Indian Tribally Controlled

Colleges and Universities (TCCU),

Alaska Native and Native HawaiianServing Institutions (ANNH) and

Developing Hispanic-Serving

Institutions (HSI) Programs; Notice

Inviting Applications for Designation

as Eligible Institutions for Fiscal Year

(FY) 2001

Purpose of Programs: Under the

Strengthening Institutions, American

Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and

Universities, and Alaska Native and

Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions

Programs authorized under Part A of

Title III of the Higher Education Act of

1965, as amended (HEA), institutions of

higher education are eligible to apply

for grants if they meet specific statutory

and regulatory eligibility requirements.

Similarly, HSIs are eligible to apply for

grants under the HSI Program,

authorized under Title V of the HEA, if

they meet specific statutory and

regulatory requirements.

In addition, an institution that is

designated as an eligible institution

under those programs may also receive

a waiver of certain non-Federal share

requirements under the Federal

Supplemental Educational Opportunity

Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work Study

(FWS), and Undergraduate International

Studies and Foreign Language Programs

(UISFLP). These first two programs are

student financial assistance programs

authorized under Title IV of the HEA;

the third program is authorized under

Title VI of the HEA. Qualified

institutions may receive these waivers

even if they are not recipients of grant

funds under the Title III Part A or Title

V programs.

Special Note: To become eligible, your

institution must satisfy a criterion related to

needy student enrollment and one related to

Educational and General (E&G) expenditures

for a particular base year. Because we

changed the collection processes for

determining the thresholds for these criteria,

we do not have base year data beyond 1997–

98. In order to award FY 2001 grants in a

timely manner, we will use threshold data

from base year 1997–98 rather than a later

base year. In completing your eligibility

application, therefore, you are to use data

from the base year 1997–98.

Eligible Applicants: To qualify as an

eligible institution under any of the

programs included in this notice, an

accredited institution must, among

other requirements, have a high

enrollment of needy students, and its

E&G expenditures per full-time

equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student

must be low in comparison with the

average E&G expenditures per FTE

undergraduate student of institutions

that offer similar instruction. The

complete eligibility requirements for the

HSI Program are found in 34 CFR 606.2–

606.5, which was published in the

Federal Register of December 15, 1999

(64 FR 70146–70153). The complete

eligibility requirements for the

remaining programs are found in 34

CFR 607.2–607.5, a portion of which

was also amended in the Federal

Register of December 15, 1999 (64 FR

70146, 70153–70155). The regulations

may also be accessed by visiting the

following Department of Education web

site on the World Wide Web:

http:/www.ed.gov/legislation/

FedRegister/finrule/1999–4/

121599a.html

Enrollment of Needy Students: Under

34 CFR 606.3(a) and 607.3(a), an

institution is considered to have a high

enrollment of needy students if—(1) at

least 50 percent of its degree students

received financial assistance under one

or more of the following programs:

Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, FWS, and

Federal Perkins Loan Programs; or (2)

the percentage of its undergraduate

degree students who were enrolled on at

least a half-time basis and received

Federal Pell Grants exceeded the

median percentage of undergraduate

degree students who were enrolled on at

least a half-time basis and received

69292 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices

Federal Pell Grants at comparable

institutions that offered similar

instruction.

To qualify under this latter criterion,

an institution’s Federal Pell Grant

percentage for base year 1997–1998

must be more than the median for its

category of comparable institutions

provided in the table in this notice.

Educational and General

Expenditures Per Full-Time Equivalent

Student: An institution should compare

its 1997–1998 average E&G expenditures

per FTE student to the average E&G

expenditure per FTE student for its

category of comparable institutions

contained in the table in this notice. If

the applicant institution’s E&G

expenditures for the 1997–1998 base

year are less than the average for its

category of comparable institutions, it

meets this eligibility requirement.

An institution’s E&G expenditures are

the total amount it expended during the

base year for instruction, research,

public service, academic support,

student services, institutional support,

operation and maintenance,

scholarships and fellowships, and

mandatory transfers.

The following table identifies the

relevant median Federal Pell Grant

percentages and the relevant average

E&G expenditures per FTE student for

the base year, 1997–98, for the four

categories of comparable institutions:

Type of institution

Median Pell

Grant

percentage

Average E&G

FTE

2-year Public Institutions ......................................................................................................................................... 18.0% $7,092

2-year Non-Profit Private Institutions ....................................................................................................................... 29.9 20,392

4-year Public Institutions ......................................................................................................................................... 24.8 17,715

4-year Non-Profit Private Institutions ....................................................................................................................... 24.5 23,162

Waiver Information: Institutions of

higher education that are unable to meet

the needy student enrollment

requirement or the E&G expenditures

requirement may apply to the Secretary

for waivers of these requirements, as

described in 34 CFR 606.3(b), 606.4 (c)

and (d), 607.3(b), and 607.4(c) and (d).

Institutions requesting a waiver of the

needy student or the E&G expenditures

requirement must include the detailed

information as set forth in the

instructions for completing the

application.

The needy student requirement

waiver authority, provided in 34 CFR

606.3(b)(2) and (3) and 607.3(b)(2) and

(3), refers to ‘‘low-income’’ students and

families. The regulations define ‘‘lowincome’’ as an amount that does not

exceed 150 percent of the amount equal

to the poverty level in the 1997–1998

base year as established by the U.S.

Bureau of the Census, 34 CFR 606.3(c)

and 607.3(c). For the purposes of this

waiver provision, the following table

sets forth the low-income levels for the

various sizes of families:

ANNUAL LOW-INCOME LEVELS FOR 1997–98

Size of family unit

Contiguous 48

States, the District

of Columbia and

Outlying

Alaska Hawaii

1 ................................................................................................................................. $11,835 $14,805 $13,605

2 ................................................................................................................................. 15,915 19,905 18,300

3 ................................................................................................................................. 19,995 25,005 22,995

4 ................................................................................................................................. 24,075 30,105 27,690

5 ................................................................................................................................. 28,155 35,205 32,385

6 ................................................................................................................................. 32,235 40,305 37,080

7 ................................................................................................................................. 36,315 45,405 41,775

8 ................................................................................................................................. 40,395 50,505 46,470

For family units with more than eight

members, add the following amount for

each additional family member: $4,080

for the contiguous 48 states, the District

of Columbia and outlying jurisdictions;

$5,100 for Alaska; and $4,695 for

Hawaii.

The figures shown as low-income

levels represent amounts equal to 150

percent of the family income levels

established by the U.S. Bureau of the

Census for determining poverty status.

The Census levels were published by

the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services in the Federal Register

on March 10, 1997 (62 FR 10856–

10859).

In reference to the waiver option

specified in 606.3(b)(4) and 607.3(b)(4)

of the regulations, information about

‘‘metropolitan statistical areas’’ may be

obtained by requesting the Metropolitan

Statistical Areas, 1999, order number

PB99–501538, from the National

Technical Information Services,

Document Sales, 5285 Port Royal Road,

Springfield, Virginia 22161, telephone

number 1–800–553–6847. There is a

charge for this publication.

Applications Available: November 30,

2000.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications:

• February 2, 2001 for applicant

institutions that wish to apply for fiscal

year 2001 grants under the

Strengthening Institutions, American

Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and

Universities, Alaska Native and Native

Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, or the

HSI Programs.

• May 25, 2001 for applicant

institutions that wish to apply only for

cost-sharing waivers under the FSEOG,

FWS, or UISFLP Programs.

• February 2, 2001 for applicant

institutions that wish to apply for both

a grant and a waiver of the cost-sharing

requirements.

Electronic Submission of

Applications: For FY 2001, we are again

offering applicant institutions the

option of submitting their Designation

of Eligibility application in hard copy or

sending it electronically to our

eligibility web site:

http://webprod.cbmiweb.com/

title3and5/index.html

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices 69293

To enter the web site, you must use

your institution’s unique 8-digit

identifier, i.e. your OPE ID number.

Your business office or student financial

aid office should have the OPE ID

number. If your business office or

student financial aid office does not

have that OPE ID number, contact a

Department of Education staff member

using the e-mail address located at the

end of the Web page or the contact

persons’ telephone numbers or e-mail

addresses included in this notice.

You may find more detailed

instructions for completing the form

electronically under the ‘‘eligibility

2001’’ link at either of the following web

sites:

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/

idues/title3a.html

http://www.ed.gov/hsi

We encourage applicants to complete

their form electronically and to

complete it as soon as possible. For

institutions of higher education that are

unable to meet the needy student

enrollment requirement or the E&G

expenditure requirement and wish to

request a waiver of one or both of those

requirements, you may complete your

designation application form on-line,

print the form, and attach your narrative

waiver request(s) to the printed form

and mail both to the address in the next

paragraph.

Mail your Designation of Eligibility

application request to: U.S. Department

of Education, 1990 K Street, NW,

Request for Eligibility Designation,

Washington, DC 20006–8513.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR

parts 74, 75, 77, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98 and

99 and (b) The regulations for the SIP in

34 CFR part 607, and the HSI Program

in 34 CFR part 606.

For Applications and Further

Information Contact: Thomas M. Keyes

or Margaret A. Wheeler, Institutional

Development and Undergraduate

Education Service, U.S. Department of

Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Request

for Eligibility Designation, Washington,

DC 20006–8513. Mr. Keyes’ telephone

number is (202) 502–7577. Ms.

Wheeler’s telephone number is (202)

502–7583. Mr. Keyes and Ms. Wheeler

may be reached by e-mail at:

thomas_keyes@ed.gov

margaret_wheeler@ed.gov

If you use a telecommunications

device for the deaf (TDD), you may call

the Federal Information Relay Service

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document in an alternative

format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to

the program contact persons listed

under FOR APPLICATIONS AND FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain a copy of the application package

in an alternative format by contacting

those persons. However, the Department

is not able to reproduce in an alternative

format the standard forms included in

the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well

as all other Department of Education

documents published in the Federal

Register, in text or Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet

at either of the following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use PDF you must have Adobe

Acrobat Reader which is available free

at either of the previous sites. If you

have questions about using PDF, call the

U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO),

toll free, at 1–888–293–6498; or in the

Washington, DC area at (202) 572–1530.

Note: 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 on GPO

Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/

index/html

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057,

1059c, and 1065a.

Dated: November 9, 2000.

A. Lee Fritschler,

Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary

Education.

[FR Doc. 00–29302 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4001–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. ER00–3774–000]

Adirondack Hydro Fourth Branch, LLC;

Notice of Issuance of Order

November 9, 2000.

Adirondack Hydro Fourth Branch,

LLC (Adirondack) submitted for filing a

rate schedule under which Adirondack

will engage in wholesale electric power

and energy transactions at market-based

rates. Adirondack also requested waiver

of various Commission regulations. In

particular, Adirondack requested that

the Commission grant blanket approval

under 18 CFR Part 34 of all future

issuances of securities and assumptions

of liability by Adirondack.

On November 1, 2000, pursuant to

delegated authority, the Director,

Division of Corporate Applications,

Office of Markets, Tariffs and Rates,

granted requests for blanket approval

under Part 34, subject to the following:

Within thirty days of the date of the

order, any person desiring to be heard

or to protest the blanket approval of

issuances of securities or assumptions of

liability by Adirondack should file a

motion to intervene or protest with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC

20426, in accordance with Rules 211

and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211

and 385.214).

Absent a request for hearing within

this period, Adirondack is authorized to

issue securities and assume obligations

or liabilities as guarantor, indorser,

surety, or otherwise in respect of any

security of another person; provided

that such issuance or assumption is for

some lawful object within the corporate

purposes of the applicant, and

compatible with the public interest, and

is reasonably necessary or appropriate

for such purposes.

The Commission reserves the right to

require a further showing that neither

public nor private interests will be

adversely affected by continued

approval of Adirondack’s issuances of

securities or assumptions of liability.

Notice is hereby given that the

deadline for filing motions to intervene

or protests, as set forth above, is

December 1, 2000.

Copies of the full text of the Order are

available from the Commission’s Public

Reference Branch, 888 First Street, NE,

Washington, DC 20426. The order may

also be viewed on the Internet at

http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm

(call 202–208–2222 for assistance).

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–29339 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP01–27–000]

Columbia Gas Transmission

Corporation; Notice of Application

November 9, 2000.

On November 3, 2000, Columbia Gas

Transmission Corporation (Columbia),

P.O. Box 1273, Charleston, West

Virginia 25325–1273, filed an

application in Docket No. CP01–27–000

pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural

Gas Act (NGA) and Section 157.18 of