Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/02/08/2019-01700/applications-for-new-awards-high-school-equivalency-program
Timestamp: 2019-02-23 22:46:13
Document Index: 660177211

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 75', 'art 180', 'art 3485', 'art 200', 'art 3474', 'art 206']

Federal Register :: Applications for New Awards; High School Equivalency Program
84 FR 2839
2839-2843 (5 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-01700 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-01700
The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.141A.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Department will hold a pre-application workshop via webinar for prospective applicants on February 20, 2019, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Purpose of Program: The HEP is designed to assist eligible persons to obtain the equivalent of a secondary school diploma and subsequently to gain improved employment, enter into military service, or be placed in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education or training.
Competitive Preference Priority 1—Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills. (0 or 3 points) Start Printed Page 2840
Projects that are designed to address the following priority area will be considered for additional points under Competitive Preference Priority 1:
Projects that are expiring (current HEP grantees in their fifth year) will be considered for additional points under Competitive Preference Priority 2. In accordance with section 418A(e) of the HEA, the Department will award up to 15 points for this priority. The Secretary will consider the applicant's prior experience in implementing its expiring HEP project, based on performance report information to include, but not limited to, the percentage of HEP participants exiting the program having received a High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma and the percentage of HSE diploma recipients who enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 206. (e) The definitions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), of “migratory agricultural worker” (section 1309(2)), “migratory child” (section 1309(3)), and “migratory fisher” (section 1309(4)). (f) The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) definitions in 20 CFR 685.110 and eligibility regulations in 20 CFR 685.320. (g) The Supplemental Priorities.
The ESEA definitions and NFJP definitions and eligibility regulations apply to individuals seeking to qualify for HEP based on past participation in the Migrant Education Program or NFJP.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,431,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $459,000.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $475,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. Under 34 CFR 75.104(b) the Secretary may reject without consideration or evaluation any application that proposes a project funding level that exceeds the stated maximum award amount.
Minimum Award: The Department will not make an award for less than the amount of $180,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. Under section 418A of the HEA, the Secretary is prohibited from making an award for less than the stated award amount. Therefore, we will reject any application that proposes a HEP award that is less than the stated minimum award amount.
1. Eligible Applicants: An IHE or a private nonprofit organization may apply for a grant to operate a HEP project. If a private nonprofit organization other than an IHE applies for a HEP grant, that agency must plan the project in cooperation with an IHE and must propose to operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of that IHE.
4. Other: Projects funded under this competition must budget for a three-day Office of Migrant Education annual meeting for HEP Directors in the Washington, DC area during each year of the project period.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for HEP, your application may include business information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define “business information” and describe the process we use in determining whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended).
Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your application, under “Other Attachments Form,” please list the page number or numbers on which we can find this information. Start Printed Page 2841For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator. (up to 7 points)
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs Start Printed Page 2842or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are in section 418A of the HEA. In accordance with section 418A, the Secretary makes HEP awards based on the number, quality, and promise of the applications. Additionally, the Secretary will consider the need to provide an equitable geographic distribution of HEP awards.
5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department developed the following performance measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of HEP: (1) The percentage of HEP participants exiting the program having received a HSE diploma (GPRA 1), and (2) the percentage of HSE diploma recipients who enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military (GPRA 2).
Applicants must propose annual targets for these measures in their applications. The national target for GPRA 1 for FY 2019 is that 69 percent of HEP participants exit the program having received an HSE credential. The national target for GPRA 2 for FY 2019 is that 80 percent of HEP HSE diploma recipients will enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military. The national targets for subsequent years may be adjusted based on additional baseline data. The panel readers will score related selection criteria on the basis of how well an applicant addresses these GPRA measures. Therefore, applicants will want to consider how to demonstrate a sound capacity to provide reliable data on the GPRA measures, including the project's annual performance targets for addressing the GPRA performance measures, as is required by the Office of Management and Budget approved annual performance report that is included in the application package. All grantees will be required to submit, as part of their annual performance report, information with respect to these GPRA performance measures.
In making a continuation award, 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 Start Printed Page 2843from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
[FR Doc. 2019-01700 Filed 2-7-19; 8:45 am]