Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information: Erma Byrd Scholarship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, 31418-31420 [E9-15567]
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31418
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 125 / Wednesday, July 1, 2009 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information: Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.116E.
Dates:
Applications Available: July 1, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: July 31, 2009.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program provides
scholarships to individuals pursuing a
course of study that will lead to a career
in industrial health and safety
occupations, including mine safety.
This program is designed to increase the
skilled workforce in these fields at both
the fundamental skills level and the
advanced skills level. The program has
a service obligation component, which
requires recipients of the scholarship to
begin employment in a career position
related to industrial health and safety no
later than six months after completion
of the degree program, and to continue
to work in a career position related to
industrial health and safety, including
mine safety, for a period of one year.
The scholarships are available to
students in the following eligible areas
of study related to industrial health and
safety: Mining and mineral engineering,
industrial engineering, occupational
safety and health technology/technician,
quality control technology/technician,
industrial safety technology/technician,
hazardous materials information
systems technology/technician, mining
technology/technician, and
occupational health and industrial
hygiene.
Program Authority: The Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program is established by
Title III of the Omnibus Appropriations
Act, 2009, Public Law 111–8.
Applicable Regulations: The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84,
85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$2,500 (associate’s degree student);
$5,000 (bachelor’s degree student);
$10,000 (graduate student).
Estimated Number of Awards: 110.
The number of scholarships awarded
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will be allocated between undergraduate
students and graduate students in the
same proportion as the number of
fundable applications received from
those groups of students, taking into
account the size of the awards to be
made to students in those groups.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
III. Eligibility Information and Program
Requirements
1. Eligible Applicants: Individuals
who at the time of application: (1) Are
enrolled in an associate’s degree
program, or are enrolled in a bachelor’s
degree program or a graduate program
and are within two years of completing
a degree at the bachelor’s or graduate
level; (2) are eligible to receive a Federal
grant, loan, or work assistance pursuant
to section 484 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); and (3)
are pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s
or graduate degree in an eligible field of
study under the Erma Byrd Scholarship
Program, at an accredited institution of
higher education in the United States. In
addition, to receive an Erma Byrd
Scholarship, an individual must be a
citizen, national, or permanent resident
of the United States.
2. Program Requirements:
(a) Satisfactory academic progress.
Scholarship recipients must maintain
satisfactory academic progress in
accordance with 34 CFR 668.34
throughout the period of funding and
must submit a Student Activities Report
to the Secretary at the end of each year
of funding with a certification from an
authorized representative of the
institution that the student is
maintaining satisfactory academic
progress. If an Erma Byrd Scholarship
recipient does not maintain satisfactory
academic progress throughout the
period of funding or does not submit a
Student Activities Report to the
Secretary at the end of each year of
funding, the recipient is not eligible for
any additional funding and must repay
the scholarship amount as a Direct
Unsubsidized Student Loan with all the
associated repayment conditions,
including interest payments and fees as
provided under title IV, part D of the
HEA.
(b) Service obligation. The program
has a service obligation component.
Scholarship recipients must be
employed in a career position related to
industrial health and safety, including
mine safety, for a period of one year
following the completion of their degree
program. Scholarship recipients must
begin such employment no more than
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Sfmt 4703
six months after the completion of their
degree program. Scholarship recipients
must submit a verification of
employment report to the Secretary no
more than six months immediately after
completion of his or her degree
program, reporting on post-graduation
activities, including changes in their
permanent address, e-mail, phone
number, and employment status.
Additionally, scholarship recipients
must submit a final employment report
to the Secretary at the end of the one
year service obligation period.
If an Erma Byrd Scholarship recipient
does not fulfill the complete service
obligation within eighteen months after
completion of his or her degree
program, the scholarship amount must
be repaid as a Direct Unsubsidized
Student Loan with all the associated
repayment conditions, including
interest payments and fees as provided
under Title I, Part D of the HEA.
3. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
4. Applicability of Rulemaking
Requirements. Under the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C.
553) and section 437 of the General
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1), the Department
generally offers interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed
eligibility and other program
requirements. Title III of the Omnibus
Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law
111–8, provides, however, that the
provisions of section 553 of the APA
and section 437 of GEPA do not apply
to this program.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: You can obtain an application
package via the Internet or from the
Department. To obtain a copy via the
Internet, use the following address for
the Erma Byrd Scholarship Program
Web site: https://www.ed.gov/programs/
ermabyrd/
To obtain a copy from the
Department, write, fax, or call the
following: Lauren Kennedy, Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program, U.S. Department
of Education, Teacher and Student
Development Programs Service, 1990 K
St., NW., Room 6121, Washington, DC
20006–8524. Telephone: (202) 502–
7630; Fax: (202) 502–7852; or, by email: ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities can
obtain a copy of the application package
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 125 / Wednesday, July 1, 2009 / Notices
in an accessible format (e.g. Braille,
large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) by contacting the 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.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: July 1, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: July 31, 2009.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is not subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements:
All applications must be submitted
electronically by e-mailing the
application in the form of a Microsoft
Word (.DOC) document to
ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
If you are unable to submit your
application by e-mail and wish to
submit your application by mail, you
must submit a request for permission to
submit it by mail 10 days prior to the
application deadline date to Lauren
Kennedy at ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
In your request, you must include the
reason why you are unable to submit the
application electronically. Please note
that electronic applications will not be
accepted if the application is presented
in a format other than Microsoft Word.
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
in section 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.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria:
All applicants are required to
complete and submit the Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program Applicant
Information Form, which will be used to
determine the applicant’s eligibility for
the scholarship.
2. Review and Selection Process:
(a) Undergraduate applicants. In
selecting undergraduate students to
receive a scholarship, the Secretary will
award scholarships to students in the
order that the applications are received.
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15:22 Jun 30, 2009
Jkt 217001
Priority will be given first to students
who have demonstrated financial need
and are eligible to receive a Federal Pell
Grant.
Qualified undergraduate applicants
who wish to have their Federal Pell
Grant eligibility considered as part of
their application must demonstrate
financial need by submitting a Free
Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA), which may be obtained at
www.fafsa.ed.gov or from their
institution’s financial aid office, and by
submitting their Social Security Number
using the Pell Grant Eligibility
Certification Sheet contained in the
Erma Byrd Scholarship Program
Application Information Form.
Applicants who have already submitted
their FAFSA for the 2009–2010 award
year do not need to resubmit the
FAFSA.
The Secretary will award scholarships
to applicants who are eligible for
Federal Pell Grants and who are
enrolled in eligible fields of study in the
order that the applications are received.
If additional funds are available after
awards are made to undergraduate
students who are eligible for a Federal
Pell Grant, scholarships will be awarded
to qualified undergraduate students who
are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant
in the order that their applications are
received.
(b) Graduate applicants. In selecting
graduate students to receive a
scholarship, the Secretary will award
scholarships to qualified students in the
order that the applications are received.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify you and your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators
and send a Grant Award Notification
(GAN) directly to the institution you
will be attending. The institution will
disburse funds to scholarship recipients
in accordance with its regular payment
schedule.
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.
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31419
3. Reporting: Scholarship recipients
must submit a Student Activities Report
to the Secretary at the end of each year
of funding, which includes a
certification from an authorized
representative of the institution that the
student is maintaining satisfactory
academic progress. In addition,
scholarship recipients must submit a
verification of employment report to the
Secretary no more than six months
immediately after completion of his or
her degree program, reporting on postgraduation activities, including changes
in their permanent address, e-mail,
phone number, and employment status.
Finally, scholarship recipients must
submit a final employment report to the
Secretary at the end of the service
obligation period.
At the request of the student, an
institution of higher education in which
a scholarship recipient is enrolled must
provide the student with a written
certification from an authorized
representative of the institution that the
student is maintaining satisfactory
academic progress.
4. Performance Measures: The
effectiveness of the Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program will be measured
by graduation completion rates, time-todegree completion rates, and the
percentage of students fulfilling the oneyear service obligation within eighteen
months of graduation. The Department
will use the verification of employment
and final employment reports to assess
the program’s success in assisting
scholarship recipients in completing
their course of study and receiving their
degree, and entering the specified fields.
VII. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lauren Kennedy, Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program, U.S. Department
of Education, Teacher and Student
Development Programs Service, 1990 K
St., NW., Room 6121, Washington, DC
20006–8524. Telephone: (202) 502–7630
or e-mail: ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll
free, at 1–800–877–8339.
VIII. 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 computer diskette)
on request to the program contact
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document:
You can view this document, as well as
all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 125 / Wednesday, July 1, 2009 / Notices
text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF), on the Internet at the
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.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary
of Education has delegated authority to
Daniel T. Madzelan, Director,
Forecasting and Policy Analysis for the
Office of Postsecondary Education, to
perform the functions of the Assistant
Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
Dated: June 26, 2009.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9–15567 Filed 6–30–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Finding of No Significant Impact:
Disposition of DOE Excess Depleted
Uranium, Natural Uranium, and LowEnriched Uranium
Department of Energy.
Finding of No Significant
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Impact.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE, the Department) has
completed an Environmental
Assessment (EA) for the Disposition of
DOE Excess Depleted Uranium (DU),
Natural Uranium (NU), and LowEnriched Uranium (LEU) (DOE/EA–
1607). Based on the analysis in the EA,
the Department has determined that the
proposed action, DOE dispositioning its
excess uranium inventory using one or
a combination of two methods—(1)
enrichment to either NU or LEU product
and subsequent storage or sale of the
resultant NU or LEU product
(Enrichment Alternative), and (2) direct
sale to appropriately licensed entities
(Direct Sale Alternative)—does not
constitute a major Federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the
human environment within the context
of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the
preparation of an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) is not required and the
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15:22 Jun 30, 2009
Jkt 217001
Department is issuing this Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI).
ADDRESSES: Single copies of the EA and
FONSI may be obtained from:
Mr. Ronald Hagen, NEPA Document
Manager, NE–6, Forrestal Building,
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Ave., SW., Washington,
DC 20585–0113, Phone: (202) 586–
1381, Facsimile: (202) 287–3701,
Electronic mail:
Ronald.Hagen@nuclear.energy.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Ronald Hagen, Phone: (202) 586–
1381, Electronic mail:
Ronald.Hagen@nuclear.energy.gov.
For information on DOE’s NEPA
process:
Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, NEPA
Policy and Compliance, GC–20,
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585–0113,
Phone: (202) 586–4600, Facsimile:
(202) 586–7031.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: DOE owns and manages an
inventory of excess DU, NU, and LEU.
This inventory is currently stored in
large cylinders as depleted uranium
hexafluoride (DUF6), natural uranium
hexafluoride (NUF6), and low-enriched
uranium hexafluoride (LEUF6) at the
DOE Paducah site in western Kentucky
(DOE Paducah) and the DOE
Portsmouth site near Piketon in southcentral Ohio (DOE Portsmouth). This
inventory exceeds DOE’s current and
projected energy and defense program
needs. The Secretary of Energy policy
statement on the management of DOE
excess uranium inventory issued on
March 11, 2008, commits DOE to
managing all of its excess uranium
inventory in a manner that (1) is
consistent with all applicable legal
requirements; (2) maintains sufficient
uranium inventory at all times to meet
the current and reasonably foreseeable
needs of Departmental missions; (3)
undertakes transactions involving nonU.S. Government entities in a
transparent and competitive manner,
unless the Secretary determines in
writing that overriding Departmental
mission needs dictate otherwise; and (4)
is consistent with and supportive of the
maintenance of a strong domestic
nuclear industry.
In conformance with the requirements
of the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for Implementing
the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40
CFR Parts 1500–1508) and the DOE
NEPA Implementing Procedures (10
CFR Part 1021), the Department
prepared a draft EA which was issued
for public review on December 24, 2008.
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Comments were received from
potentially affected states, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, and uranium
industry organizations. The draft EA
was revised in response to the
comments, as appropriate.
Alternatives and Environmental
Impacts: The potential environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
disposition of excess uranium inventory
were analyzed for the following
alternatives:
No Action Alternative: DOE would
continue with existing plans to convert
DU to a more stable chemical form at
the two new conversion facilities and
would not enrich or sell any of its
excess DU inventory as proposed in this
EA. DOE would also continue to store
excess NU and LEU in their current
configurations at Portsmouth and
Paducah.
Alternative 1—Enrichment: DOE
would contract for enrichment of excess
DU, NU, and LEU and subsequent
storage or sale of the resultant NU or
LEU product. DOE would ship by
commercial carriers (truck, rail, barge,
and/or ship) excess DU, NU, and LEU to
one or more of four enrichment facilities
(three domestic and one foreign). LEU
product could be stored at up to three
U.S. commercial nuclear fuel fabrication
facilities in North Carolina, South
Carolina, and/or Washington State, and/
or at DOE’s Portsmouth or Paducah
sites. NU product could be stored at
enrichment facilities in Kentucky, New
Mexico, and/or Ohio, and/or at DOE’s
Portsmouth or Paducah sites. DOE
would contract with the enrichment
facility to store and/or dispose of the DU
tails or, in the case of domestic
enrichment facilities, to ship the DU
tails to DOE Paducah and/or DOE
Portsmouth for storage.
Alternative 2—Direct Sale: DOE
would introduce excess DU, NU, and
LEU into the commercial market
through direct sales to appropriately
licensed entities. The licensed
purchasers would take delivery,
transport and enrich the excess
inventory, and transport and store the
NU or LEU product in essentially the
same manner and using essentially the
same facilities as would DOE under the
Enrichment Alternative.
The potential environmental impacts
of all aspects of enrichment operations
and the conversion of DU tails have
been previously analyzed in existing
NEPA documents and have been
summarized and incorporated by
reference in the EA. In addition, the EA
analyzed (1) previously unanalyzed
impacts on health and safety from
transportation of the excess inventory,
LEU product, NU, and DU tails, (2)
E:\FR\FM\01JYN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 1, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31418-31420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15567]
[[Page 31418]]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information: Erma
Byrd Scholarship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116E.
Dates:
Applications Available: July 1, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 31, 2009.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Erma Byrd Scholarship Program provides
scholarships to individuals pursuing a course of study that will lead
to a career in industrial health and safety occupations, including mine
safety. This program is designed to increase the skilled workforce in
these fields at both the fundamental skills level and the advanced
skills level. The program has a service obligation component, which
requires recipients of the scholarship to begin employment in a career
position related to industrial health and safety no later than six
months after completion of the degree program, and to continue to work
in a career position related to industrial health and safety, including
mine safety, for a period of one year.
The scholarships are available to students in the following
eligible areas of study related to industrial health and safety: Mining
and mineral engineering, industrial engineering, occupational safety
and health technology/technician, quality control technology/
technician, industrial safety technology/technician, hazardous
materials information systems technology/technician, mining technology/
technician, and occupational health and industrial hygiene.
Program Authority: The Erma Byrd Scholarship Program is established
by Title III of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law 111-8.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,500 (associate's degree
student); $5,000 (bachelor's degree student); $10,000 (graduate
student).
Estimated Number of Awards: 110. The number of scholarships awarded
will be allocated between undergraduate students and graduate students
in the same proportion as the number of fundable applications received
from those groups of students, taking into account the size of the
awards to be made to students in those groups.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
III. Eligibility Information and Program Requirements
1. Eligible Applicants: Individuals who at the time of application:
(1) Are enrolled in an associate's degree program, or are enrolled in a
bachelor's degree program or a graduate program and are within two
years of completing a degree at the bachelor's or graduate level; (2)
are eligible to receive a Federal grant, loan, or work assistance
pursuant to section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA); and (3) are pursuing an associate's, bachelor's or graduate
degree in an eligible field of study under the Erma Byrd Scholarship
Program, at an accredited institution of higher education in the United
States. In addition, to receive an Erma Byrd Scholarship, an individual
must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United
States.
2. Program Requirements:
(a) Satisfactory academic progress. Scholarship recipients must
maintain satisfactory academic progress in accordance with 34 CFR
668.34 throughout the period of funding and must submit a Student
Activities Report to the Secretary at the end of each year of funding
with a certification from an authorized representative of the
institution that the student is maintaining satisfactory academic
progress. If an Erma Byrd Scholarship recipient does not maintain
satisfactory academic progress throughout the period of funding or does
not submit a Student Activities Report to the Secretary at the end of
each year of funding, the recipient is not eligible for any additional
funding and must repay the scholarship amount as a Direct Unsubsidized
Student Loan with all the associated repayment conditions, including
interest payments and fees as provided under title IV, part D of the
HEA.
(b) Service obligation. The program has a service obligation
component. Scholarship recipients must be employed in a career position
related to industrial health and safety, including mine safety, for a
period of one year following the completion of their degree program.
Scholarship recipients must begin such employment no more than six
months after the completion of their degree program. Scholarship
recipients must submit a verification of employment report to the
Secretary no more than six months immediately after completion of his
or her degree program, reporting on post-graduation activities,
including changes in their permanent address, e-mail, phone number, and
employment status. Additionally, scholarship recipients must submit a
final employment report to the Secretary at the end of the one year
service obligation period.
If an Erma Byrd Scholarship recipient does not fulfill the complete
service obligation within eighteen months after completion of his or
her degree program, the scholarship amount must be repaid as a Direct
Unsubsidized Student Loan with all the associated repayment conditions,
including interest payments and fees as provided under Title I, Part D
of the HEA.
3. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
4. Applicability of Rulemaking Requirements. Under the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) and section 437 of the
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1), the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on proposed eligibility and other program requirements. Title
III of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law 111-8,
provides, however, that the provisions of section 553 of the APA and
section 437 of GEPA do not apply to this program.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Department. To obtain
a copy via the Internet, use the following address for the Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program Web site: https://www.ed.gov/programs/ermabyrd/
To obtain a copy from the Department, write, fax, or call the
following: Lauren Kennedy, Erma Byrd Scholarship Program, U.S.
Department of Education, Teacher and Student Development Programs
Service, 1990 K St., NW., Room 6121, Washington, DC 20006-8524.
Telephone: (202) 502-7630; Fax: (202) 502-7852; or, by e-mail:
ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package
[[Page 31419]]
in an accessible format (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, or
computer diskette) by contacting the 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.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: July 1, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 31, 2009.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: All applications must be
submitted electronically by e-mailing the application in the form of a
Microsoft Word (.DOC) document to ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
If you are unable to submit your application by e-mail and wish to
submit your application by mail, you must submit a request for
permission to submit it by mail 10 days prior to the application
deadline date to Lauren Kennedy at ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov. In your
request, you must include the reason why you are unable to submit the
application electronically. Please note that electronic applications
will not be accepted if the application is presented in a format other
than Microsoft Word.
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 in section 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.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria:
All applicants are required to complete and submit the Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program Applicant Information Form, which will be used to
determine the applicant's eligibility for the scholarship.
2. Review and Selection Process:
(a) Undergraduate applicants. In selecting undergraduate students
to receive a scholarship, the Secretary will award scholarships to
students in the order that the applications are received. Priority will
be given first to students who have demonstrated financial need and are
eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant.
Qualified undergraduate applicants who wish to have their Federal
Pell Grant eligibility considered as part of their application must
demonstrate financial need by submitting a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), which may be obtained at www.fafsa.ed.gov or from
their institution's financial aid office, and by submitting their
Social Security Number using the Pell Grant Eligibility Certification
Sheet contained in the Erma Byrd Scholarship Program Application
Information Form. Applicants who have already submitted their FAFSA for
the 2009-2010 award year do not need to resubmit the FAFSA.
The Secretary will award scholarships to applicants who are
eligible for Federal Pell Grants and who are enrolled in eligible
fields of study in the order that the applications are received.
If additional funds are available after awards are made to
undergraduate students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant,
scholarships will be awarded to qualified undergraduate students who
are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant in the order that their
applications are received.
(b) Graduate applicants. In selecting graduate students to receive
a scholarship, the Secretary will award scholarships to qualified
students in the order that the applications are received.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify you
and your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send a Grant Award
Notification (GAN) directly to the institution you will be attending.
The institution will disburse funds to scholarship recipients in
accordance with its regular payment schedule.
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: Scholarship recipients must submit a Student
Activities Report to the Secretary at the end of each year of funding,
which includes a certification from an authorized representative of the
institution that the student is maintaining satisfactory academic
progress. In addition, scholarship recipients must submit a
verification of employment report to the Secretary no more than six
months immediately after completion of his or her degree program,
reporting on post-graduation activities, including changes in their
permanent address, e-mail, phone number, and employment status.
Finally, scholarship recipients must submit a final employment report
to the Secretary at the end of the service obligation period.
At the request of the student, an institution of higher education
in which a scholarship recipient is enrolled must provide the student
with a written certification from an authorized representative of the
institution that the student is maintaining satisfactory academic
progress.
4. Performance Measures: The effectiveness of the Erma Byrd
Scholarship Program will be measured by graduation completion rates,
time-to-degree completion rates, and the percentage of students
fulfilling the one-year service obligation within eighteen months of
graduation. The Department will use the verification of employment and
final employment reports to assess the program's success in assisting
scholarship recipients in completing their course of study and
receiving their degree, and entering the specified fields.
VII. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Kennedy, Erma Byrd Scholarship
Program, U.S. Department of Education, Teacher and Student Development
Programs Service, 1990 K St., NW., Room 6121, Washington, DC 20006-
8524. Telephone: (202) 502-7630 or e-mail: ermabyrdprogram@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. 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 computer diskette) on request
to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in
[[Page 31420]]
text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), on the Internet at the
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/.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the
functions of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
Dated: June 26, 2009.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9-15567 Filed 6-30-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
