Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, 15668-15672 [E7-6092]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 62 (Monday, April 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15668-15672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-6092]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview 
Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.141A
    Dates:
    Applications Available: April 2, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 17, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or 
private non-profit organizations (including faith-based organizations) 
that plan their projects in cooperation with an IHE and propose to 
operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of the IHE.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,693,807.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$475,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $423,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $475,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of HEP is to help migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers and their children obtain a general education 
diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency 
established by the State in which the HEP project is conducted, and to 
gain employment or be placed in an IHE or other postsecondary education 
or training.
    Priorities: This competition includes two competitive preference 
priorities and one invitational priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(ii) the competitive preference priority for ``novice 
applicant'' is from the Education Department General Administrative 
Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.225). In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv) of EDGAR, the competitive preference priority for 
``prior experience of service delivery'' is from Section 418A(e) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070d-2(e)).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2007 these priorities are 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional five points to an application meeting the ``novice 
applicant'' competitive preference priority, and up to a maximum of 15 
additional points to an application meeting the ``prior experience of 
service delivery'' competitive preference priority.
    These priorities are:

Novice Applicant

    The applicant must be a ``novice applicant'' as defined in 34 CFR 
75.225(a).

Prior Experience of Service Delivery

    With respect to applicants with an expiring HEP project, the 
Secretary will consider the applicant's prior experience in 
implementing its expiring HEP project based on information

[[Page 15669]]

contained in documents previously provided to the Department, such as 
annual performance reports, project evaluation reports, site visit 
reports, and the previously approved HEP application.
    Under this competition, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priority.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is an invitational 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that 
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference 
over other applications.
    This priority is:
    Applications that propose to engage faith-based and community 
organizations in the delivery of services under this program.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070d-2.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 206. 
(c) The definition of a migratory agricultural worker in 34 CFR 200.81. 
(d) The regulations in 20 CFR 669.110 and 669.320.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,693,807.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$475,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $423,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $475,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or private non-profit organizations 
(including faith-based organizations) that plan their projects in 
cooperation with an IHE and propose to operate some aspects of the 
project with the facilities of the IHE.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Applications for grants 
under this competition must be submitted electronically through the 
Grants.gov Apply site (https://www.Grants.gov). However, if you would 
like a paper copy of the application to review, you may request one by 
contacting David De Soto, U.S. Department of Education, Office of 
Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, Washington, DC 
20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 260-8103 or by e-mail: 
david.de.soto@ed.gov.
    The application package also can be obtained electronically at the 
following address: https://www.ed.gov/programs/hep/applicant.html.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) 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 competition. Page 
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where 
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use 
to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent 
of no more than 25 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative (Part III), including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you 
may single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. 
Charts, tables, figures, and graphs presented in the application 
narrative count toward the page limit.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Appendices must be limited to 15 pages and may include the 
following: Resumes, job descriptions, letters of support, and 
bibliography.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
     Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
     Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 2, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 17, 2007. 
Applications for grants under this competition 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 by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in 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 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 part 79. Information 
about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive 
Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition 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 High School Equivalency Program, 
CFDA Number 84.141A must be submitted electronically using the 
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at https://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 e-mail 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

[[Page 15670]]

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 High School 
Equivalency Program at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program or competition by the 
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.141, not 84.141A).
    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 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. 
Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your 
application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline 
date. 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 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 [competition] 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 at https://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see https://
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) 
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative 
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. 
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step 
Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/
Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your 
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please 
note that the registration process may take five or more business days 
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to 
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
     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: 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the 
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have 
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
     You must attach any narrative sections of your application 
as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable 
Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file 
types specified in this paragraph 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 e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
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 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 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 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed 
elsewhere in this notice under For Further Information Contact 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 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

[[Page 15671]]

     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 
prevent 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: David De Soto, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone 
(202) 260-8103. Fax: (202) 205-0089.
    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 applicable following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.141A), Washington, DC 20202-4260. or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.141A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

    Regardless of which address you use, 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.
    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 84.141A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.

VI. 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 Notice 
(GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    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: 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 specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed the following performance 
measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the HEP: (1) The 
percentage of HEP participants receiving a GED diploma, and (2) the 
percentage of HEP GED recipients who enter postsecondary education 
programs, career positions, or the military.
    We strongly encourage applicants to demonstrate a sound capacity to 
provide reliable data on these measures in their responses to selection 
criteria ``Quality of Project Design'' and ``Quality of the Project 
Evaluation.''
    All grantees will be required to submit, as part of their annual 
performance report, information with respect to these performance 
measures.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: David De Soto, U.S. Department of 
Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3E344, Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone Number: (202) 260-8103, or 
by e-mail: david.de.soto@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in this section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may 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) on the 
Internet at the

[[Page 15672]]

following site: www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO) toll free at 1-888-293-6498; or in the 
Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.


    Dated: March 28, 2007.
Kerri L. Briggs,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
 [FR Doc. E7-6092 Filed 3-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P