[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 55 (Friday, March 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13657-13659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7140]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration


Program Announcement for Scholarships for Health Professions 
Students From Disadvantaged Backgrounds

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
that applications for fiscal year (FY) 1997 Scholarships for 
Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program are being accepted under the 
authority of section 737 of the Public Health Service Act (the Act), 
Title VII, Part B, as amended by the Health Professions Education 
Extension Amendments of 1992, Pub. L. 102-408, dated October 13, 1992. 
Schools that received funds for academic year 1996-97 will be funded 
based on the information provided in last year's Financial Status 
Report (FSR), and do not need to reapply.

Purpose

    The SDS program provides funds to health professions and nursing 
schools for the purpose of assisting such schools in providing 
scholarships to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are 
enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) as full-time students in the 
schools, as well as to undergraduate students who have demonstrated a 
commitment to pursuing a career in health professions.
    For purposes of the SDS program in FY 1997, an ``individual from 
disadvantaged background'' is defined in 42 CFR part 57.1804, subpart 
S, as one who:
    (1) Comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual 
from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and abilities required to enroll 
in and graduate from a health professions school, or from a program 
providing education or training in allied health professions; or
    (2) Comes from a family with an annual income below a level based 
on low-income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. 
Bureau of the Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer 
Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health 
professions and nursing programs. The Secretary will periodically 
publish these low income levels in the Federal Register.
    The following income figures determine what constitutes a low-
income family for purposes of the SDS program for FY 1997.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Income 
                 Size of parents' family \1\                   level \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................................................    $10,500
2............................................................     13,700
3............................................................     16,300
4............................................................     20,800
5............................................................     24,600
6 or more....................................................    27,600 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes only dependents listed on Federal income tax forms.        
\2\ Adjusted gross income for calendar year 1996, rounded to nearest    
  $100. These low income figures are published in this issue of the     
  Federal Register.                                                     

    Under the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, for FY 1997, 
approximately $18.6 million has been appropriated for this program. Of 
the funds available for FY 1997, 30 percent shall be made available to 
schools agreeing to expend the funds only for nursing scholarships. An 
estimated $5.6 million will support approximately 4,300 scholarships 
averaging $1,300 for students at schools of nursing. The balance of $13 
million will support approximately 4,225 scholarships averaging $3,100 
for eligible health professions students. The period of fund 
availability will be for one academic year.

Use of Funds

    Funds awarded to a school under this program may be used as 
follows:
    (1) To award scholarships to eligible students enrolled in the 
school, to be expended only for tuition expenses, other reasonable 
educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses (as defined by the 
school for all students attending the school) incurred while enrolled 
in a school as a full-time student. The amount of the scholarship may 
not, for any year of attendance, exceed the total amount required for 
the year for the expenses specified above.
    (2) To provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who 
have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing a career in the health 
professions, in order to facilitate the completion of the educational 
requirements for such careers, provided that the total amount used for 
this purpose may not exceed 25 percent of the funds awarded to the 
school under this program.
    Any school receiving SDS funds will be required to maintain 
separate accountability for these funds.

School Eligibility

    Funds under this program will be made available to accredited 
public or nonprofit private health professions schools. For purposes of 
the SDS program, as defined in section 737(a)(3) of the Act, the term 
``health professions schools'' means schools of medicine, nursing, 
osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, 
optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, or allied health or 
schools offering graduate programs in clinical psychology and which are 
accredited as provided in section 799(l)(E) of the Act, schools of 
allied health as defined in section 799(4) of the Act, and which are 
located in States as defined in section 799(9) of the Act, and schools 
of nursing as defined in section 853 of the Act.
    As required by statute, to qualify for participation in the SDS 
program, a school must be:
    (1) carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining students 
from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities; 
and
    (2) carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining minority 
faculty.
    In addition, each school that received funds in FY 1996 must be 
carrying out

[[Page 13658]]

all of the statutory requirements listed below:
    (1) Ensure that adequate instruction regarding minority health 
issues is provided for in the curricula of the school. This does not 
include normal course work, that by definition includes minority health 
issues (e.g., sickle cell anemia in a pathology class), but refers to 
course work reflecting an institutional awareness of the special health 
needs of minority populations;
    (2) Enter into arrangements with one or more health clinics 
providing services to a significant number of individuals who are from 
disadvantaged backgrounds, including members of minority groups, for 
the purpose of providing students of the school with experience in 
providing clinical services to such individuals;
    (3) Enter into arrangements with one or more public or nonprofit 
private secondary educational institutions and undergraduate 
institutions of higher education (feeder schools), for the purpose of 
carrying out programs regarding:
    (a) the educational preparation of disadvantaged students, 
including minority students, to enter the health professions; and
    (b) the recruitment of disadvantaged students, including minority 
students, into the health professions; and
    (4) Establish a mentor program for assisting disadvantaged 
students, including minority students, regarding the completion of the 
educational requirements for degrees from the school. This program may 
include the involvement of students, community health professionals, 
faculty, alumni, past recipients of Health Career Opportunity Program 
(HCOP) funds, faculty/staff of feeder schools, etc., in institutionally 
organized activity (e.g., tutoring, counseling, and summer/bridge 
programs).
    Each school funded for the first time in FY 1997 will also be 
required to carry out each of the activities specified above by not 
later than 12 months from receipt of award. Funds awarded to a school 
under the SDS program may not be used to carry out any of the above 
activities which the school must be doing, or must agree to do. In 
addition, a school will be required to continue to carry out all 
described activities, and also the student/faculty recruitment and 
retention activities, for as long as the SDS program is in operation at 
the school.

Evaluation Criteria for Fiscal Year 1997

    For FY 1997, applications from newly participating schools will be 
evaluated on the degree to which the schools meet the statutory 
requirements listed above. Guidance for presenting the information will 
be provided in the FY 1997 application materials. Schools that received 
funds for academic year 1996-97 will be funded based on the information 
provided in last year's financial status report, and do not need to 
reapply.

Student Eligibility

    As required by statute, to qualify for the SDS program, a student 
must:
    (1) be a resident of the U. S. and either be a U. S. citizen, a 
U.S. national, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in 
the U.S., a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, a citizen of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a citizen of 
the Republic of Palau, or a citizen of the Marshall Islands, or a 
citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia;
    (2) meet the definition of an ``individual from a disadvantaged 
background'' as defined above; and
    (3) (a) be enrolled in or accepted by an eligible school for 
enrollment as a full-time student; or
    (b) be an undergraduate student who has demonstrated a commitment 
to pursuing a career in health professions, including nursing.

Statutory Preference

    The law requires that in providing SDS scholarships, the school 
give preference to students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and 
for whom the cost of attending an SDS school would constitute a severe 
financial hardship. Severe financial hardship will be determined by the 
school in accordance with standard need analysis procedures prescribed 
by the Department of Education for its Federal student aid programs.
    The following Criteria for Undergraduate Students, Definitions, 
Methodology for Implementing the Statutory Special Consideration, the 
Nonstatutory Special Consideration for Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, 
and the Procedures for Calculating Scholarship Awards were established 
in FY 1991 after public comment (at 56 FR 49779) on October 1, 1991, 
and are being extended in FY 1997. The Funding Preference and Priority 
were established in FY 1994 after public comment (at 59 FR 44740) on 
August 30, 1994, and are being extended in FY 1997.

Criteria for Undergraduate Students

    In the instance of (3)(b) above, it has been established that the 
undergraduate students eligible for scholarships must be at feeder 
schools and have signed statements that they are interested in health 
professions or nursing careers.

Definitions

    ``Black'' means a person having origins in any of the black racial 
groups of Africa.
    ``Hispanic'' means a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, 
Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, 
regardless of race.
    ``American Indian or Alaskan Native'' means a person having origins 
in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains 
cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community 
recognition.
    Definitions listed above are contained in Directive No. 15 of 
Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-46, dated May 3, 1974.
    ``Native American'' as defined in Pub. L. 101-527, means American 
Indian, Alaskan Native, Aleut, or Native Hawaiian.
    ``Minority'' with respect to faculty, refers to Blacks, Hispanics, 
Native Americans, Filipinos, Koreans, Pacific Islanders, and Southeast 
Asians whose percentage among the total supply of practitioners in the 
applicable health profession is below that group's percentage in the 
total population.

Methodology for Implementing the Statutory Special Consideration

    In accordance with the statute, in making awards under section 
737(a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to eligible 
schools that have enrollments of underrepresented minorities above the 
national average for its particular discipline.
    For purposes of determining eligibility of a school, Asians will 
not be included in the definition of underrepresented minorities for 
the school. Although certain Asian subgroups (i.e, Filipinos, Koreans, 
Pacific Islanders, and Southeast Asians) are considered to be 
underrepresented in the health professions and are included as 
minorities for purposes of program requirements relating to faculty 
recruitment and retention (see above), national data on these subgroups 
are not available as a basis for establishing national average 
enrollment of underrepresented minorities.
    For purposes of the FY 1997 award cycle, the national average 
enrollments of Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans (in combination) 
are: for medicine 15.2 percent; osteopathic medicine 7.9 percent; 
nursing (RN only) 13.6 percent; dentistry 12.0 percent; pharmacy 11.5 
percent; optometry 9.1 percent; podiatric medicine 9.6 percent; 
veterinary medicine 5.8 percent; public

[[Page 13659]]

health 17.1 percent; allied health 18.2 percent; and clinical 
psychology 18 percent.

Nonstatutory Special Consideration for Baccalaureate Nursing 
Programs

    Among schools of nursing, additional special consideration will be 
given to baccalaureate programs. One of the distinguishing features of 
baccalaureate education is the substantial focus on preparation for 
community health practice. Training nurses for community health 
practice is an integral component of the Department's access strategy.
    It is not required that new applicants request consideration for a 
funding factor. Applications from new schools which do not request 
consideration for funding factors will be reviewed and given full 
consideration for funding.

Procedures for Calculating Awards

    Awards to eligible schools will be calculated by comparing the 
enrollment of disadvantaged students in each eligible school with the 
total enrollment of the disadvantaged students in all eligible schools.
    A school with an enrollment of underrepresented minority students 
which is above the national average (for each discipline) will be given 
double credit (i.e., its enrollment of disadvantaged students would be 
doubled for awarding purposes). A baccalaureate nursing school will be 
given double credit. A baccalaureate nursing school with an 
underrepresented minority enrollment above the national average will be 
given quadruple credit (i.e., its enrollment of disadvantaged students 
will be multiplied by four for awarding purposes).

Other Consideration

    Other funding factors may be applied in determining the funding of 
eligible schools.
    A funding preference is defined as the funding of a specific 
category or group of eligible schools ahead of other categories or 
groups of eligible schools.
    A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment of 
aggregate review scores of individual approved applications when 
applications meet specified criteria.
    It is not required that new applicants request consideration for a 
funding factor. Applications from new schools which do not request 
consideration for funding factors will be reviewed and given full 
consideration for funding.

Funding Preference and Priority

    For fiscal year 1997, among allied health schools or programs, 
preference will be given to the following baccalaureate and graduate 
programs: dental hygiene, medical laboratory technology, occupational 
therapy, physical therapy and radiologic technology. In addition, 
priority among allied health applicants will be given to dental 
hygiene. A priority for dental hygiene will be implemented by taking 
the total funds allocated to the allied health disciplines in the 
initial allocation and recalculating this part of the allocation. 
Dental hygiene schools will receive double credit for their 
disadvantaged enrollments in the reallocation of the allied health 
funds.

National Health Objectives for the Year 2000

    The Public Health Service is committed to achieving the health 
promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 2000, a 
PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The Scholarships 
for Disadvantaged Students program is related to the priority area of 
Academic and Community Partnership Programs. Potential applicants may 
obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report; Stock No. 017-001-
00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report; Stock No. 017-001-
00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9325 (Telephone (202) 783-3238).

Smoke-Free Workplace

    The Public Health Service strongly encourages all award recipients 
to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all 
tobacco products, and Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, 
prohibits smoking in certain facilities that receive Federal funds in 
which education, library, day care, health care, and early childhood 
development services are provided to children.

Application Requests

    Applications are not required from schools of medicine, osteopathic 
medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, podiatric medicine, 
veterinary medicine, nursing, public health, clinical psychology and 
allied health which received SDS awards in FY 1996. Upon request, 
materials will be mailed to schools in the disciplines identified above 
which did not participate in the SDS program in FY 1996.
    Requests for materials and questions regarding business management 
and program policy should be directed to: Office for Campus Based 
Programs, Division of Student Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, 
Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 
8-34, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Telephone: (301) 
443-4776; FAX: (301) 443-0846.
    The deadline date for submitting materials from new schools is 
April 21, 1997. Applications shall be considered as meeting the 
deadline if they are either:
    (1) Received on or before the established deadline date, or
    (2) Sent on or before the established deadline and received in time 
for orderly processing. (Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. 
Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a 
commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered 
postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
    Late applications not accepted for processing will be returned to 
the applicant.
    The materials for this program (SF 269) have been approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act. The OMB clearance number is 0348-0039. In addition, applicants are 
required to provide certification that there is at least one minority 
faculty member on staff at the applicant institution.

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for the 
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program is 93.925. This 
program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented through 
45 CFR part 100).

    This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements.

    Dated: March 13, 1997.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-7140 Filed 3-20-97; 8:45 am]
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