75722 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 

1Farrington et al. (2012); National Research 

Council. (2012). Education for Life and Work: 

Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in 

the 21st Century. Committee on Defining Deeper 

Learning and 21st Century Skills, James W. 

Pellegrino and Margaret L. Hilton, Editors. Board on 

Testing and Assessment and Board on Science 

Education, Division of Behavioral and Social 

Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The 

National Academies Press, pp. 4–5; Strobel, Karen 

R. (2012, May). Academic Motivation and School 

Engagement and their Links to Academic 

Achievement: A Follow up Report. Paper prepared 

for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Palo 

Alto, CA: John W. Gardner Center; Stephens, N.M., 

Hamedani, M.G., & Destin, M. (2014). Closing the 

social-class achievement gap: A differenceeducation intervention improves first-generation 

students’ academic performance and all students’ 

college transition. Psychological Science. http://

www.psychology.northwestern.edu/documents/

destin-achievement.pdf; Walton, G.M. & Cohen, 

G.L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention 

improves academic and health outcomes of 

minority students. Science, 331, 1447–1451. 

http://web.stanford.edu/∼gwalton/home/

Publications_files/Walton_Cohen_2011_Science_

1.pdf. 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; Student 

Support Services Program 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: Student 

Support Services Program (SSS 

Program). 

Notice inviting applications for new 

awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.042A. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: December 18, 

2014. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: February 2, 2015. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: April 2, 2015. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the SSS Program is to increase the 

number of disadvantaged, low-income 

college students, first-generation college 

students, and college students with 

disabilities in the United States who 

successfully complete a program of 

study at the postsecondary level. The 

support services that are provided 

should increase the retention and 

graduation rates for these categories of 

students and facilitate their transfer 

from two-year to four-year colleges and 

universities. The support services 

should also foster an institutional 

climate that supports the success of 

students who are limited English 

proficient, students from groups that are 

historically underrepresented in 

postsecondary education, students with 

disabilities, students who are homeless 

children and youths, students who are 

in foster care or are aging out of the 

foster care system, and other 

disconnected students. Student support 

services should also improve the 

financial and economic literacy of 

students. 

Priorities: This notice contains two 

competitive preference priorities. 

Competitive Preference Priority 1(a) is 

from the Department’s Notice of Final 

Supplemental Priorities and Definitions 

for Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73426). 

Competitive Preference Priority 1(b) is 

from 34 CFR 75.266. In accordance with 

34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Competitive 

Preference Priority 2(a) is from Section 

402D(c)(1) of the Higher Education Act 

of 1965, as amended (HEA). Competitive 

Preference Priority 2(b) is from 34 CFR 

75.266. 

Note: Applicants must include, in the onepage abstract submitted with the application, 

a statement indicating which, if any, of the 

competitive preference priorities are 

addressed. If the applicant has addressed the 

competitive preference priorities, this 

information must also be listed on the SSS 

Program Profile Form. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: For 

FY 2015 and any subsequent year for 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applicants from this 

competition, these priorities are 

competitive preference priorities. Under 

34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to 

6 additional points to an application 

depending on how well the application 

meets these priorities. 

The competitive preference priorities 

are: 

Competitive Preference Priority 1(a)— 

Influencing the Development of NonCognitive Factors (Up to 1 Additional 

Point) 

Background: A promising body of 

research suggests that non-cognitive 

factors can play an important role in 

students’ academic, career, and life 

outcomes.1 Non-cognitive factors 

include a broad range of behaviors, 

strategies, and attitudes, such as 

academic behaviors (including 

attendance and homework completion), 

academic mindsets (including a sense of 

belonging in the academic community 

and believing that academic 

achievement improves with effort), 

perseverance (including tenacity and 

self-discipline), social and emotional 

skills (including cooperation, empathy, 

and adaptability), and approaches 

toward learning strategies (such as 

executive functions, attention, goalsetting, curiosity, problem-solving, selfregulating learning, study skills, and the 

ability to work cooperatively with 

others). 

The development of these skills is 

critical during the postsecondary years 

as students face new academic 

challenges, social comparisons, and 

stereotypes regarding their potential for 

success. How students negotiate these 

changes has major implications for their 

academic futures. For example, 

interventions focused on academic 

mindset have been shown to have a 

measurable impact on grades and course 

persistence, as well as on college 

enrollment and completion among lowincome and minority students. Studies 

have found that students with positive 

academic mindsets work harder, engage 

in more productive academic behaviors, 

and persevere to overcome obstacles to 

success. Conversely, students with 

negative mindsets about school or 

themselves as learners are likely to 

withdraw from the practices that are 

essential for academic success and to 

give up easily when they encounter 

setbacks or difficulty. Strategies focused 

on strengthening perseverance and 

social and emotional skills also have 

demonstrated positive outcomes. 

Ideally, over the course of their K–16 

school experience, children and young 

adults will come to see themselves as 

competent, productive people who are 

able to contribute meaningfully to their 

communities and the larger world. 

Through Competitive Preference 

Priority 1(a), the Department encourages 

applicants to propose strategies focused 

on the development of non-cognitive 

skills to improve postsecondary success. 

The Department is interested in 

receiving applications with strong plans 

to develop the non-cognitive skills of 

students. Applicants addressing this 

priority should demonstrate how their 

proposal will improve student 

outcomes. 

The Department is sufficiently 

interested in this priority topic that we 

may later seek to partner with 

successful applicants to conduct 

research and evaluation. 

Priority: Projects that are designed to 

improve students’ mastery of noncognitive skills and behaviors (such as 

academic behaviors, academic mindset, 

perseverance, self-regulation, social and 

emotional skills, and approaches toward 

learning strategies) and enhance student 

motivation and engagement in learning. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 75723 

2See, for example, Bettinger, E.P., & Baker, R. 

(2011). The effects of student coaching in college: 

An evaluation of a randomized experiment in 

student mentoring. https://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/

default/files/bettinger_baker_030711.pdf. 

Competitive Preference Priority 1(b)— 

Strategies To Influence the Development 

of Non-Cognitive Factors Supported by 

Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness (Up 

to 2 Additional Points) 

In recent years, the Department has 

placed an increasing emphasis on 

promoting evidence-based practices 

through our grant competitions. We 

believe that encouraging applicants to 

focus on proven strategies can only 

enhance the quality of our competitions 

and the outcomes of students who 

participate in our programs. 

Accordingly, for those who apply under 

Competitive Preference Priority 1(a), 

Influencing the Development of Noncognitive Factors, we give additional 

competitive preference to applications 

that submit moderate evidence of 

effectiveness supporting their proposed 

strategy for addressing non-cognitive 

factors. 

Priority: Projects that influence the 

development of non-cognitive factors 

using strategies that are supported by 

moderate evidence of effectiveness (as 

defined in this notice). 

Note: An applicant addressing Competitive 

Preference Priority 1(a) can earn one point 

based on the extent to which their project is 

designed to influence the development of 

non-cognitive factors. Through Competitive 

Preference Priority 1(b), applicants can earn 

two additional points by demonstrating that 

their strategy to address non-cognitive factors 

is based on research that meets the moderate 

evidence of effectiveness standard. 

Applicants seeking to address Competitive 

Preference Priority 1(b) should identify a 

citation for one study that meets the 

definition of moderate evidence of 

effectiveness. Relevant studies will be 

reviewed to determine if they meet the 

definition of moderate evidence of 

effectiveness, including What Works 

Clearinghouse (WWC) standards, with or 

without reservations, which is necessary to 

fulfill the definition of moderate evidence of 

effectiveness. The WWC Procedures and 

Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 

2014), can be found at:http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/ 

wwc/pdf/reference_resources/wwc_

procedures_v3_0_standards_handbook.pdf. 

Applicants may submit a citation for a study 

that supports the applicants’ proposed 

strategies that has already been determined 

by the Department to meet the moderate 

evidence of effectiveness standard, or a study 

that has not yet been reviewed by the 

Department but that the applicant thinks will 

meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness 

standard. A summary of studies of noncognitive strategies that the Department has 

determined meets the moderate evidence of 

effectiveness standard is provided in the 

Appendix to this Notice. 

Applicants proposing strategies to 

improve non-cognitive outcomes should 

implement the intervention from their 

supporting study as closely as possible 

and describe in the narrative response to 

the priority how they will do so. Where 

modifications to the cited intervention 

will be made to account for student or 

institutional characteristics, resource 

limitations, or other special factors, the 

applicant should provide a justification 

or basis for the modifications in the 

narrative response to the priority. 

The link for the citation submitted for 

Competitive Preference Priority 1(b) 

should be provided on the Abstract, as 

well as the SSS Program Profile Form. 

Applicants should specify in their 

narrative response to this priority the 

findings within the study that are cited 

as moderate evidence of effectiveness 

for the proposed strategies to address 

non-cognitive factors and ensure that 

the citation and link are from a publicly 

or readily available source. 

Competitive Preference Priority 2(a)— 

Providing Individualized Counseling for 

Personal, Career, and Academic Matters 

(Up to 1 Additional Point) 

Background: Through Competitive 

Preference Priority 2(a), the Department 

encourages applicants to propose 

strategies focused on individualized 

counseling, because emerging research 

suggests that certain kinds of such 

counseling can improve students’ 

academic performance or persistence.2

The Department is interested in 

receiving applications with strong plans 

to provide individualized counseling to 

students for personal, career, or 

academic matters. Applicants 

addressing this priority should 

demonstrate how their proposal will 

improve student outcomes. The 

Department is sufficiently interested in 

this priority topic that we may later seek 

to partner with successful applicants to 

conduct research and evaluation. 

Priority: Projects that will provide 

individualized counseling for personal, 

career, and academic matters by 

assigned counselors. 

Competitive Preference Priority 2(b)–- 

Individual Counseling Activities Based 

on Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness 

(2 Additional Points) 

Background: In recent years, the 

Department has placed an increasing 

emphasis on promoting evidence-based 

practices through our grant 

competitions. We believe that 

encouraging applicants to focus on 

proven strategies can only enhance the 

quality of our competitions and the 

outcomes of students who participate in 

our programs. Accordingly, for those 

who apply under Competitive 

Preference Priority 2(a), Providing 

Individualized Counseling for Personal, 

Career, and Academic Matters, we give 

additional competitive preference to 

applications that submit moderate 

evidence of effectiveness supporting 

their proposed strategy for providing 

individualized counseling. 

Priority: Projects that provide 

individualized counseling using 

strategies supported by moderate 

evidence of effectiveness (as defined in 

this notice). 

Note: An applicant addressing Competitive 

Preference Priority 2(a) can earn one point 

based on the extent to which their project is 

designed to provide individualized 

counseling. Through Competitive Preference 

Priority 2(b), applicants can earn two 

additional points by demonstrating that their 

individualized counseling strategies are 

based on research that meets the moderate 

evidence of effectiveness standard. 

Applicants seeking to address Competitive 

Preference Priority 2(b) should identify a 

citation for one study that meets the 

definition of moderate evidence of 

effectiveness. Relevant studies will be 

reviewed to determine if they meet the 

definition of moderate evidence of 

effectiveness, including WWC standards, 

with or without reservations, which is 

necessary to fulfill the definition of moderate 

evidence of effectiveness. The WWC 

Procedures and Standards Handbook. The 

WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook 

(Version 3.0, March 2014), can be found at: 

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/reference_

resources/wwc_procedures_v3_0_standards

_handbook.pdf. Applicants may submit a 

citation for a study that supports the 

applicants’ proposed strategies that has 

already been determined by the Department 

to meet the moderate evidence of 

effectiveness standard, or a study that has not 

yet been reviewed by the Department but that 

the applicant thinks will meet the moderate 

evidence of effectiveness standard. A 

summary of studies of individualized 

counseling strategies that the Department has 

already determined meets the moderate 

evidence of effectiveness standard is 

provided in the Appendix to this Notice. 

Applicants’ proposed individualized 

counseling strategies should implement 

the intervention described from their 

supporting study as closely as possible 

and describe in the narrative response to 

the priority how they will do so. Where 

modifications to the cited intervention 

will be made to account for student or 

institutional characteristics, resource 

limitations, or other special factors, the 

applicant should provide a justification 

or basis for the modifications in the 

narrative response to the priority. 

The link for the citation submitted for 

Competitive Preference Priority 2(b) 

should be provided on the Abstract, as 

well as the SSS Program Profile Form. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

75724 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 

3The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and 

Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), can 

be found at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/

reference_resources/wwc_procedures_v3_0_

standards_handbook.pdf. 

4 Id. 

5 Id. 

6 Id. 

Applicants should specify in their 

narrative response to this priority the 

findings within the study that are cited 

as moderate evidence of effectiveness 

for the proposed strategies to provide 

individualized counseling intervention 

and ensure that the citation and link are 

from a publicly or readily available 

source. 

Definitions: These definitions are 

from the Notice of Final Supplemental 

Priorities and Definitions for 

Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73426) and 

from 34 CFR 77.1. 

Moderate evidence of effectiveness 

means one of the following conditions 

is met: 

(i) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the WWC Evidence Standards 

without reservations,3 found a 

statistically significant favorable impact 

on a relevant outcome (with no 

statistically significant and overriding 

unfavorable impacts on that outcome for 

relevant populations in the study or in 

other studies of the intervention 

reviewed by and reported on by the 

WWC), and includes a sample that 

overlaps with the populations or 

settings proposed to receive the process, 

product, strategy, or practice. 

(ii) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the WWC Evidence Standards 

with reservations,4 found a statistically 

significant favorable impact on a 

relevant outcome (with no statistically 

significant and overriding unfavorable 

impacts on that outcome for relevant 

populations in the study or in other 

studies of the intervention reviewed by 

and reported on by the WWC), includes 

a sample that overlaps with the 

populations or settings proposed to 

receive the process, product, strategy, or 

practice, and includes a large sample 

and a multi-site sample (Note: Multiple 

studies can cumulatively meet the large 

and multi-site sample requirements as 

long as each study meets the other 

requirements in this paragraph). 

Quasi-experimental design study 

means a study using a design that 

attempts to approximate an 

experimental design by identifying a 

comparison group that is similar to the 

treatment group in important respects. 

These studies, depending on design and 

implementation, can meet WWC 

Evidence Standards with reservations 5

(they cannot meet WWC Evidence 

Standards without reservations). 

Randomized controlled trial means a 

study that employs random assignment 

of, for example, students, teachers, 

classrooms, schools, or districts to 

receive the intervention being evaluated 

(the treatment group) or not to receive 

the intervention (the control group). The 

estimated effectiveness of the 

intervention is the difference between 

the average outcome for the treatment 

group and for the control group. These 

studies, depending on design and 

implementation, can meet WWC 

Evidence Standards without 

reservations.6

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 

and 20 U.S.C. 1070a–14. 

Applicable Regulations: This NIA is 

being published before the Department 

adopts the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and 

Audit Requirements in 2 CFR part 200. 

We expect to publish interim final 

regulations that would adopt those 

requirements before December 26, 2014, 

and make those regulations effective on 

that date. Because grants awarded under 

this NIA will likely be made after ED 

adopts the requirements in 2 CFR part 

200, we list as applicable regulations 

both those that are currently effective 

and those that will be effective at the 

time ED makes grants. 

The current regulations follow: (a) 

The Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 84, 

86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education 

Department debarment and suspension 

regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. 

At the time we award grants under 

this NIA, the following regulations will 

apply: (a) The Education Department 

General Administrative Regulations 

(EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 

84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education 

Department debarment and suspension 

regulations as adopted in 2 CFR part 

3485 and the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

as adopted in 2 CFR part 3474. 

Regardless of the timing of 

publication, the following also apply to 

this NIA: (a) The regulations for this 

program in 34 CFR part 646 and (b) the 

notice of final supplemental priorities 

and definitions for discretionary grant 

programs, published in the Federal 

Register on December 15, 2014 (79 FR 

73426). 

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 

only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$838,252,000 for the Federal TRIO 

Programs for FY 2015, of which we 

intend to use an estimated $265,706,546 

for new SSS awards under this 

competition and $23,966,448 for 

continuation awards to current SSS 

grantees. 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 FY 2016 from the list of 

unfunded applicants from this 

competition. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$220,000–$360,000. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$282,000. 

Maximum Award: We will reject any 

application that proposes a budget 

exceeding the maximum amount listed 

for a single budget period of 12 months. 

The Assistant Secretary for 

Postsecondary Education may change 

the maximum award amount through a 

notice published in the Federal 

Register. 

FOR APPLICANTS NOT CURRENTLY

RECEIVING A SSS PROGRAM GRANT

Type of project Maximum 

amount * 

Regular SSS Project Serving a 

Minimum of 140 Student Participants ................................. $220,000 

Regular SSS Project Serving a 

Minimum of 100 Student Participants with Disabilities ....... 220,000 

English as a Second Language 

(ESL) SSS Project Serving a 

Minimum of 140 Student Participants ................................. 220,000 

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) 

and Health Science SSS 

Project Serving a Minimum of 

120 Student Participants ....... 220,000 

Teacher Preparation SSS 

Project Serving a Minimum of 

140 Student Participants ....... 220,000 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 75725 

FOR APPLICANTS NOT CURRENTLY RECEIVING A SSS PROGRAM GRANT— 

Continued 

Type of project Maximum 

amount * 

Veterans SSS Project Serving 

a Minimum of 120 Student 

Participants ........................... 220,000 

* Note: For applicants proposing to serve 

fewer than the minimum number of student 

participants specified in the above table, the 

maximum award amount that may be requested is an amount equal to: $1,571 per 

student participant for Regular, ESL, and 

Teacher Preparation projects; $2,200 per student participant for Disabled projects; $1,833 

per student participant for STEM (including 

Health Science) and Veterans projects. 

For Applicants Currently Receiving a 

SSS Program Grant 

The maximum award amount is the 

greater of: (a) $220,000 or (b) 100 

percent of the applicant’s base award 

amount for FY 2012. 

For any currently funded applicant 

that proposes to serve fewer students 

than it served in FY 2012, the maximum 

award amount that may be requested is 

the amount that corresponds with the 

cost per participant previously 

established for the project in FY 2012. 

Note: For an applicant currently receiving 

an individual SSS Program grant that has 

merged into another IHE that is also receiving 

an individual SSS Program grant, the 

maximum award amount for the applicant 

(the merged institution) is 100 percent of the 

combined FY 2012 base grant award amounts 

for both institutions. For grantees that have 

merged, the applicant must propose to serve 

the combined number it served in FY 2012. 

Estimated Number of New Awards: 

1,026. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of 

higher education or combinations of 

institutions of higher education. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 

402D(d)(4) of the HEA requires that all 

successful applicants that use SSS 

Program funds to provide grant aid to 

students pursuant to section 402D(d)(1) 

of the HEA must provide matching 

funds, in cash, from non-Federal funds, 

in an amount that is not less than 33 

percent of the total amount of the SSS 

Program funds used for this aid. This 

matching requirement does not apply to 

a grant recipient that is an IHE eligible 

to receive funds under Part A or Part B 

of Title III or under Title V of the HEA. 

3. Other: An applicant may submit 

multiple applications if each separate 

application describes a project that will 

serve a different campus or a different 

population (Section 402(c)(5)of the 

HEA). Under section 402A(h)(1) of the 

HEA, the term ‘‘different campus’’ 

means a site of an IHE that—(1) is 

geographically apart from the main 

campus of the institution; (2) is 

permanent in nature and (3) offers 

courses in educational programs leading 

to a degree, certificate, or other 

recognized educational credential 

(Section 402(h)(1)of the HEA). 

Under section 402A(h)(2) of the HEA, 

the term ‘‘different population’’ means a 

group of individuals that an eligible 

entity desires to serve through an SSS 

grant that is separate and distinct from 

any other population that the entity has 

applied to serve using Federal TRIO 

Program funds, or, while sharing some 

of the same needs as another population 

that the eligible entity has applied to 

serve using Federal TRIO Program 

funds, has distinct needs for specialized 

services. To implement the requirement 

in Section 402(h)(2) of the HEA for this 

competition, the Secretary is 

designating the populations to be served 

as: Participants who meet the specific 

requirements for SSS services (‘‘regular 

SSS grants’’), participants with 

disabilities (‘‘disabled grants’’), 

participants who need ESL services 

(‘‘ESL grants’’), participants receiving 

services in the STEM fields (‘‘STEM 

grants’’), participants receiving Teacher 

Preparation Services (‘‘Teacher 

Preparation grants’’), and participants 

who have served in the armed forces 

(‘‘Veterans grants’’). These different 

populations need different types of 

services. Accordingly, the Secretary has 

determined that projects serving these 

different populations should be subject 

to different standards for the minimum 

number of participants. An applicant 

may submit more than one application 

as long as each application proposes to 

serve a different population. Any 

applicant that submits more than one 

application must explain why the 

different population of participants 

cannot be served by the project in the 

applicant’s other application(s). For 

project types other than a regular SSS 

project, an applicant must propose to 

serve 100% of the students in the 

specific project type. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: ReShone Moore, Ph.D., U.S. 

Department of Education, 1990 K Street 

NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 

20006–8510. Telephone: (202) 502–7893 

or by email: reshone.moore@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 Limit: The application 

narrative is where you, the applicant, 

address the selection criteria that 

reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. You must limit the project 

narrative (Part III), which includes the 

budget narrative, to no more than 65 

pages, using the following standards. 

However, any application addressing 

the competitive preference priorities 

may include up to four additional pages 

for each subpart of each of these 

priorities (1(a) and 1(b) and 2(a) and 

2(b)), if addressed. Those 16 additional 

pages, eight total for each priority must 

be used to discuss how the application 

meets the competitive preference 

priority. The additional pages allotted to 

address priorities cannot be used for or 

transferred to the project narrative or 

any section of the application. 

Note: For the purpose of determining 

compliance with the page limit, each page on 

which there is text or graphics will be 

counted as one full page. 

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

with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, and both 

sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be 

within the 1’’ margin. 

• Double space (no more than three lines 

per vertical inch) all text in the project 

narrative. 

• Single space is appropriate for titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, references, 

and captions, as well as all text in figures, 

charts and graphs. 

• You should also include a table of 

contents in the project narrative, which will 

not be counted 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 and Arial Narrow) 

will not be accepted. 

The 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 SSS 

Program Profile Form; Part III–B—the 

one-page Project Abstract form; and Part 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

75726 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 

IV—the Assurances and Certifications. If 

you include any attachments or 

appendices, these items will be counted 

as part of Part III—the Project Narrative 

for the purpose of the page-limit 

requirement. You must include your 

complete response to the selection 

criteria and priorities in Part III—the 

Project Narrative. 

We will reject your application if you 

exceed the page limit, or if you apply 

other standards and exceed the 

equivalent of the page limit. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: December 18, 

2014. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: February 2, 2015. 

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 one of the 

program contact persons listed under 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 

ssection 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: April 2, 2015. 

4. 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. 

5. Funding Restrictions: We specify 

unallowable costs in 34 CFR 646.31. We 

reference additional regulations 

outlining funding restrictions in the 

Applicable Regulations section of this 

notice. 

6. Data Universal Numbering System 

Number, Taxpayer Identification 

Number, and System for Award 

Management: 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 System for Award 

Management (SAM) (formerly the 

Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 

Government’s primary registrant 

database; 

c. Provide your DUNS number and 

TIN on your application; and 

d. Maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information 

while your 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 to two 

business days. 

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 two to five weeks for your 

TIN to become active. 

The SAM registration process can take 

approximately seven business days, but 

may take upwards of several weeks, 

depending on the completeness and 

accuracy of the data entered into the 

SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you 

think you might want to apply for 

Federal financial assistance under a 

program administered by the 

Department, please allow sufficient time 

to obtain and register your DUNS 

number and TIN. We strongly 

recommend that you register early. 

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, 

you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the 

information to be available in Grants.gov. and 

before you can submit an application through 

Grants.gov. 

If you are currently registered with 

SAM, 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 registration 

annually. This may take three or more 

business days. 

Information about SAM is available at 

www.SAM.gov. To further assist you 

with obtaining and registering your 

DUNS number and TIN in SAM or 

updating your existing SAM account, 

we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, 

which you can find at: http://www2.ed.

gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html. 

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/

web/grants/register.html. 

7. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under this 

program 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 SSS 

Program, CFDA Number 84.042A, 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 the Student Support 

Services Program 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 84.042, not 

84.042A). 

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 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 75727 

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 program 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 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 (SF 424), the Department of 

Education Supplemental Information for 

SF 424, Budget Information—NonConstruction 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 Format) read-only, 

non-modifiable format. Do not upload 

an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you 

upload a file type other than a readonly, 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 EDspecified 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 one of the program contact 

persons listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 

this notice and provide an 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 prevents 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: Eileen S. Bland, U.S. 

Department of Education, 1990 K Street 

NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 

20006–8510. FAX: (202) 502–7857. 

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 84.042A), 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. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

75728 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 

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 84.042A), 550 12th 

Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 

Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

The Application Control Center 

accepts hand deliveries daily between 

8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 

646.21 and are listed in the application 

package. 

Note: Under the ‘‘Objectives’’ selection 

criterion, 34 CFR 646.21(b), worth eight (8) 

points, applicants must address the 

standardized objectives in 34 CFR 

646.21(b)(1) through (4) related to the 

participants’ academic achievements, 

including retention, good academic standing, 

graduation, and transfer rates. The graduation 

objective should be measured by cohorts of 

students who become SSS Program 

participants in each year of the project and 

should be compared to a relevant and valid 

comparison group. The graduation, 

certificate, and transfer rates for two-year 

institutions should be measured over a fouryear period and that of four-year institutions 

should be measured over a six-year period. 

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). 

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

application in accordance with the 

selection criteria in 34 CFR 646.21. 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 646.22, the Secretary will 

award prior experience points to 

applicants that have conducted a SSS 

Program project within the last three 

Federal government fiscal years, based 

on their documented experience. Prior 

experience points, if any, will be added 

to the application’s averaged reader 

score to determine the total score for 

each application. Of the applications 

that address competitive preference 

priorities 1(b) and 2(b), highly rated 

applications from the review process, 

which at a minimum will include those 

whose funding outcomes could be 

affected by the awarding of points under 

competitive preference priorities 1(b) 

and 2(b), will then have their supporting 

studies reviewed to determine if the 

cited studies submitted by the applicant 

meet the Moderate Evidence of 

Effectiveness standard and are relevant 

to the proposed strategies to address 

non-cognitive factors and/or 

individualized counseling under 

competitive preference priorities 1(a) 

and 2(a). 

If there are insufficient funds for all 

applications with the same total scores, 

the Secretary will choose among the tied 

applications so as to serve geographical 

areas that have been underserved by the 

SSS Program. 

3. Special Conditions: Under current 

34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12 and, when 

grants are made under this NIA, 2 CFR 

3574.10, the Secretary may impose 

specific conditions and, 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 34 

CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable or, 

when grants are awarded, the standards 

in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 

fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; 

or is otherwise not responsible. 

V. 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 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 http://www.ed.

gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/

appforms.html. 

4. Performance Measures: The success 

of the SSS Program is measured by the 

percentage of SSS participants that 

complete a program of postsecondary 

education. The following performance 

measures have been developed to track 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 75729 

progress toward achieving program 

success: 

1. The percentage of SSS Program 

participants who are still enrolled at the 

beginning of the next academic year or 

have earned a degree at the grantee 

institution or transferred from a twoyear to a four-year institution. 

2. The percentage of first-time college 

students served by the SSS Program 

who graduate from the grantee 

institution on time—within four years 

for the bachelor’s degree and within two 

years for the associate’s degree. 

3. The percentage of SSS participants 

taking one or more remedial course(s) 

who attain an associate’s degree or 

transfer from a two-year to a four-year 

institution within three years or 

graduate with a bachelor’s degree within 

five years from the grantee institution. 

4. The cost per successful outcome. 

All SSS Program grantees are required 

to submit an annual performance report 

documenting the persistence and degree 

attainment of their participants. Since 

students take different amounts of time 

to complete their degrees, multiple 

years of performance report data are 

needed to determine the degree 

completion rates of SSS Program 

participants. The Department will 

aggregate the data provided in the 

annual performance reports from all 

grantees to determine the overall 

program accomplishment level. 

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 the 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). 

VI. Agency Contacts 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

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

of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 

7000, Washington, DC 20006–8510. 

Telephone: (202) 502–7893 or by email: 

reshone.moore@ed.gov or, if 

unavailable, Lavelle Wright, U.S. 

Department of Education, 1990 K Street 

NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 

20006–8510. Telephone: (202) 502–7674 

or by email: Lavelle.wright@ed.gov. 

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the 

FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

VII. 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 one of the program contact 

persons 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 the 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: December 16, 2014. 

Lynn B. Mahaffie, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

Appendix 

Summaries of Relevant Studies Reviewed by 

the Department and That Meet the Standard 

for Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness 

Strategies To Develop Non-Cognitive Factors 

Walton, G.M. & Cohen, G.L. (2011). A brief 

social-belonging intervention improves 

academic and health outcomes of 

minority students. Science, 331, 1447– 

1451. http://web.stanford.edu/∼gwalton/

home/Publications_files/Walton_Cohen_

2011_Science_1.pdf. 

This study examined the effects of a series 

of connected activities, together lasting about 

an hour, that aimed to strengthen college 

freshmen’s sense of social belonging and 

academic performance. First, the freshmen 

were given a narrative that described social 

adversity as an experience common to 

students from different racial-ethnic and 

gender groups and short lived during the 

college-adjustment process. Second, they 

read a survey report describing how older 

students of different racial-ethnicity and 

gender backgrounds overcame their freshmen 

year worries about whether they belonged in 

college. Finally, to encourage the ‘‘saying is 

believing’’ phenomenon, the freshmen were 

asked to write an essay about and videorecord how their experiences in college were 

similar to those described in the survey 

report. 

The combination of activities had a 

positive impact on the grade point averages 

(GPA) of African-American students (though 

not white students) in the years afterwards, 

tripling the percentage of African American 

students earning GPAs in the top 25 percent 

of their class and reducing the percentage 

performing in the bottom 25 percent. Three 

years after the intervention, at the end of 

their time in college, participating African 

American students reported less belonging 

uncertainty, self-doubt, and tendency to 

associate their college experiences to racial 

stereotypes. 

Stephens, N.M., Hamedani, M.G., & Destin, 

M. (2014). Closing the social-class 

achievement gap: A difference-education 

intervention improves first-generation 

students’ academic performance and all 

students’ college transition. 

Psychological Science. http://www.

psychology.northwestern.edu/

documents/destin-achievement.pdf. 

Researchers investigated the impact of 

attending a moderated panel discussion for 

incoming freshmen on their adjustment to 

college. The panel featured demographically 

diverse college seniors who responded to 

questions about their experience of and 

adjustment to college. All incoming firstgeneration college students in this study, 

students whose parents did not have 4-year 

college degrees, and a sample of incoming 

non-first-generation college students were 

invited to participate in the study. 

Students attended one of eight moderated 

panel discussions, all featuring the same 

panel of eight demographically diverse 

college seniors (three were first generation, 

five were non-first generation). Panelists 

were instructed to respond to questions 

differently depending upon the group of 

students in attendance. For the students in 

the intervention group, the panelists’ 

responses illustrated how their social class 

backgrounds both positively and negatively 

shaped their college experiences and 

influenced the strategies they adopted for 

success in college. For students in the 

comparison group, the panelists’ stories 

included general content and did not 

highlight the students’ different backgrounds. 

After the panel, all students were invited to 

complete a survey and create a video 

testimonial about the panel’s main teachings. 

At the end of their freshman year, the mean 

GPA of first-generation students receiving the 

intervention was 3.47 in comparison to 3.17 

for first-generation students that did not 

receive the intervention. 

Strategies To Provide Individualized 

Counseling 

Bettinger, E.P., & Baker, R. (2011). The effects 

of student coaching in college: An 

evaluation of a randomized experiment 

in student mentoring. https://cepa.

stanford.edu/sites/default/files/

bettinger_baker_030711.pdf. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2

75730 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 2014 / Notices 

This study examined whether InsideTrack, 

a personalized student coaching service for 

college students, increased rates of staying in 

and graduating from college. Each 

participating institution selected potential 

students to participate based on their own 

criteria (e.g. full-time or part-time, new 

students or upperclassmen, etc.). 

Coaches contacted students via phone, 

email, text messages, and social networking 

sites over the course of two semesters to 

identify strategies for overcoming barriers to 

academic success. Coaches used predictive 

algorithms that took into account students’ 

constraints inside and outside of school (e.g. 

personal time commitments, primary 

caregiving responsibilities, and financial 

obligations) to guide and personalize 

conversations with students. Potential 

students were randomly assigned to receive 

InsideTrack and compared to similar 

students who did not receive additional 

services. 

The study found that students assigned to 

receive InsideTrack were significantly more 

likely than students in the comparison group 

to remain enrolled at their institutions. After 

six months, 81 percent of students who 

received InsideTrack were still enrolled, 

compared to 77 percent of students who did 

not. The proportions enrolled were 66 

percent and 51 percent, respectively, after 12 

months and 44 percent and 37 percent after 

18 months. 

[FR Doc. 2014–29769 Filed 12–17–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2