Common Sense Opportunities Act

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to clarify the treatment of technical errors in applications for Federal TRIO programs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Common Sense Opportunities Act 2. Application status Section 402A(c)(7) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11(c)(7) 8 months 4 months 3. Treatment of technical errors in applications Section 402A(c)(8) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11(c)(8) (D) Treatment of technical errors in applications (i) In general Except as provided in clause (ii), the Secretary may not reject an application for a grant or contract under this chapter solely because such application contains a technical error. (ii) Exception The Secretary may reject an application for a grant or contract under this chapter solely because such application contains a technical error only if— (I) the Secretary provides notice of the technical error by email and phone to the primary contact person, authorized representative, and project director identified in the application and, as part of such notice, specifically identifies the technical error in the text of the application; (II) during a period of not fewer than 7 business days after providing notice to the applicant under subclause (I), and in accordance with clause (iii), the Secretary allows the applicant to submit a revised application that corrects the technical error identified in such notice; and (III) the applicant— (aa) does not submit to the Secretary a revised application that corrects the technical error identified in the notice under subclause (I) before the expiration of the period described in subclause (II); or (bb) submits to the Secretary a revised application that contains a new technical error or does not correct the technical error identified in the notice under subclause (I). (iii) Treatment of revised applications The Secretary shall treat a revised application submitted under clause (ii)(II) in the same manner as a timely submitted application that did not contain the technical error corrected in such revised application. The peer review score of a revised application submitted under clause (ii)(II) shall not be reviewable by any officer or employee of the Department of Education other than the Secretary. (iv) Technical error defined In this subparagraph, the term technical error . 4. Reports to Congress Section 402H(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–18(a)(1) (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking and (2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (F) identify each entity that received a grant or contract under this chapter during the period covered by the report and indicate the dollar amount of each such grant or contract; (G) identify each entity that applied for, but did not receive, a grant or contract under this chapter during the period covered by the report and indicate the reason that the entity did not receive the grant or contract for which it applied; and (H) set forth the information described in subparagraphs (F) and (G) separately for each State and local educational agency concerned. .

Summary: Common Sense Opportunities Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to inform each entity operating programs under the federal TRIO programs (programs designed to identify and provide services for students from disadvantaged backgrounds) of the status of their application for continued funding at least four months (currently eight) prior to the expiration of the funding. The bill establishes a process for applicants to resubmit an application for a grant or contract for higher education resources or student assistance when the application contains a technical error. The bill prohibits ED from rejecting an application solely because it contains a technical error, unless ED notifies the applicant of the error and the applicant does not correct it by the resubmission deadline. ED must submit an annual report that: (1) identifies each entity that received a grant or contract for higher education resources or student assistance and indicates the amount of the grant or contract; and (2) identifies each entity that applied for, but did not receive, such grant or contract and indicates the reason for the rejection of the application. ED must set forth the information separately for each state and local educational agency in the report.