Applications for New Awards; Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity Grants Program, 51685-51692 [2020-18531]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 163 (Friday, August 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51685-51692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18531]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Institutional Resilience and 
Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity Grants Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications (NIA) from eligible applicants for fiscal year 
(FY) 2020 for Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary 
Opportunity (IREPO) Grants under section 18004(a)(3) of the Higher 
Education Emergency Relief Fund of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security Act (CARES Act or Act), Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance (CFDA) number 84.425P. This notice relates to the approved 
information collection under OMB control number 1840-0848.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: August 21, 2020.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: September 10, 2020.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 20, 2020.
    Pre-Application Information: The Department will post additional 
information for prospective applicants on the IREPO program website: 
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerfirepo.html.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Epps, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 250-64, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 453-6337. Email: [email protected].
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the IREPO Grants, offered under 
section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act and the Fund for the Improvement 
of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), is to provide financial support to 
institutions of higher education (IHEs) with the greatest unmet needs 
related to coronavirus to enable them to resume operations, serve the 
needs of students, reduce disease transmission, and develop more 
resilient instructional delivery models, such as distance learning, to 
continue educating students who cannot or choose not to attend 
classroom-based instruction due to coronavirus.
    This program contains one absolute priority. In addition, there are 
three competitive preference priorities that allow for up to three 
points to be awarded for each of two competitive priorities and up to 
ten points for one

[[Page 51686]]

competitive priority, for a cumulative total of up to sixteen 
competitive preference points.
    Background: Section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act directs the 
Secretary to allocate 2.5 percent of the $14.2 billion Higher Education 
Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funds appropriated by the Act to provide 
grants to institutions under part B of title VII of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), for institutions that the 
Department has determined have the greatest unmet needs related to 
coronavirus. Part B of title VII of the HEA establishes the FIPSE. 
FIPSE grants, including grants under this program, are limited to 
institutions of higher education, as defined in section 101 of the HEA.
    FIPSE grants are required, by statute, to support improvements in 
higher education through reforms, improvements, or innovations in 
postsecondary education programs, opportunities, and delivery models. 
Section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act provides funding specifically for 
the FIPSE program, and section 18004(d) of the Act directs the 
Secretary to give priority to IHEs that received less than $500,000 
combined under the IHE formula grants authorized by section 18004(a)(1) 
of the CARES Act and the grants authorized by section 18004(a)(2) of 
the Act and that demonstrate the greatest unmet needs related to 
expenses associated with coronavirus.
    Read together, section 18004(a)(3) and (d) of the CARES Act gives 
the Department discretion to determine which public and not-for-profit 
IHEs that are eligible for FIPSE grants should receive section 
18004(a)(3) IREPO grants. Given the statutory directive to the 
Department to provide priority to institutions that received less than 
$500,000 from the other HEERF grants, the Department's general 
understanding that all IHEs have been significantly impacted by the 
coronavirus national emergency, and to facilitate the expedient 
delivery of emergency funds to IHEs, the Department, in its discretion, 
decided to provide section 18004(a)(3) grant awards to all eligible 
IHEs (public and not-for-profit institutions) that had received less 
than $500,000 collectively from the other HEERF grants, in amounts that 
would mean that each such IHE would receive $500,000 total from all its 
HEERF grants. The Department has already announced a first round of 
allocations under section 18004(a)(3) specifically for institutions 
that received less than $500,000 combined under the grants authorized 
by section 18004(a)(1) and (a)(2). Section 18004(a)(3) allows for a 
broad range of uses for IREPO grants, by stating that they may be used 
``to defray expenses (including lost revenue, reimbursement for 
expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a 
transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, payroll) 
incurred by IHEs and for grants to students for any component of the 
student's cost of attendance (as defined under section 472 of the 
Higher Education Act), including food, housing, course materials, 
technology, health care, and child care.''
    To disburse the remainder of the $348.8 million set aside for 
section 18004(a)(3) awards, the Department believes it should run a 
grant competition that complies with the requirements of the FIPSE 
grant program, in that the use of these funds will result in 
improvements in postsecondary education and opportunity, and that 
complies with the requirements of the CARES Act in giving priority to 
institutions with the greatest unmet needs related to coronavirus. 
Section 18004(a)(3) does not define the term ``greatest unmet needs 
related to coronavirus.'' While section 18004(a)(3) allows funds to be 
used to ``defray expenses'' and for ``grants to students,'' given that 
Congress chose FIPSE as the program through which these grants would be 
issued, expenditures under this program may be used to defray expenses 
associated with coronavirus, but must also result in improvements in 
postsecondary education. As a result, the Department believes it is 
reasonable to establish priorities, selection criteria, definitions, 
and other requirements for the IREPO Grant Program competition that 
would serve the IHEs with the greatest unmet coronavirus-related needs 
and support the purpose of improving postsecondary education in 
response to coronavirus-related challenges.
    For the purpose of this program, we define institutions with the 
greatest unmet needs related to coronavirus as those that--
    (1) Had a student population enrolled at the beginning of the term 
that included March 13, 2020, or, if that date occurred during a break 
between terms, at the beginning of the term immediately prior to the 
break which included March 13, 2020, in which more than 30 percent of 
full-time students received a Pell Grant; and/or
    (2) Were underserved by other CARES Act programs either because--
    (a) The institution did not receive a loan under the Paycheck 
Protection Program established by the CARES Act; and/or
    (b) The institution serves large numbers of part-time students and, 
as such, received a reduced per-student allocation under section 
18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act relative to institutions of the same or 
similar total enrollment that serve mostly full-time students; and
    (c) Had other unmet needs due to the novel coronavirus, as 
described by the institution in its application.
    The Department will provide grants to individual eligible 
institutions or consortia of two or more eligible institutions.
    Starting in March 2020, the novel coronavirus forced nearly all the 
Nation's secondary and postsecondary institutions to expand their use 
of, or transition fully to, remote learning. While some IHEs already 
had a significant online presence prior to the COVID-19 national 
emergency, others had little experience in delivering distance 
learning. For those institutions, the move to distance learning 
represented an abrupt and costly shift to a new instructional model 
that may have required the institution to purchase or lease equipment; 
develop or procure a learning management system; develop or procure 
distance learning content; train faculty and staff to engage in 
instruction and student support using technology; provide equipment; 
and pay internet access fees on behalf of students.
    In addition, the shift to distance learning left many campuses with 
empty campus facilities, required them to refund portions of student 
tuition and fees, and reduced their revenue streams from ancillary 
programs and services. The Department is generally aware that there is 
a concern that student enrollments will continue to decline as a result 
of COVID-19 related disruptions among IHEs.1 2 Therefore, 
new efforts are required to help institutions become more resilient in 
the face of continuing COVID-19 or other similar interruptions and to 
develop more cost-effective models of operation to make higher 
education more affordable. This program seeks to support those efforts 
for institutions that have the highest unmet needs related to 
coronavirus.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2020/04/07/500-1000-colleges-to-disappear-survival-of-the-fittest/#a0d019411a1.
    \2\ https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-us-higher-education-enrollment-preparing-leaders-for-fall#.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the case of secondary schools, few had experience in providing 
instruction through distance learning, and many schools either ceased 
providing instruction to students for several weeks, ended the school 
year early, or

[[Page 51687]]

transitioned to distance learning but reduced learning expectations and 
rigor in an effort to accommodate their lack of experience in providing 
distance education. Unfortunately, this means that even more students 
are likely to graduate from high school underprepared for the demands 
of postsecondary education, thereby reducing the rates at which they 
enter, persist through, and complete postsecondary education, including 
career and technical education.
    Research shows that students who enter college having participated 
in concurrent enrollment programs are more likely to complete high 
school, enroll directly in four-year institutions, persist in 
postsecondary education, and accumulate more college credit, and these 
students are less likely to need developmental education as 
matriculated undergraduate students.\3\ Therefore, the Department sees 
an opportunity to address this unmet need by encouraging IHEs to expand 
dual enrollment opportunities, thus compensating for deficiencies of 
the Nation's K-12 system in serving students through distance learning 
during the national emergency, and increasing student readiness for, 
and success in pursuing, postsecondary education. Such efforts will 
also help stabilize enrollments at participating IHEs. For this reason, 
one of the competitive preference priorities for this program is the 
development or expansion of high-quality concurrent or dual enrollment 
programs, including career and technical education programs, for high 
school students who can earn college credits while earning their high 
school diploma.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/broadening-benefits-dual-enrollment-rp.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the Department recognizes the stabilizing force the 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), minority serving 
institutions (MSIs), and other institutions that are eligible to 
participate in title III or title V programs have in their communities. 
As such, institutions that are eligible to participate in title III or 
title V programs, and that are either located in a rural community or 
Opportunity Zone, or serve high school students through dual enrollment 
who live in or attend high school in a rural community or Opportunity 
Zone, including home schooled students, are given a competitive 
preference.
    Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative solutions that 
expand remote learning opportunities, including for dual enrollment 
students. The proposed project design should be supported by evidence 
that meets the standard of demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this 
notice). Applications may provide a framework that identifies key 
components on how the proposed strategy, program, or activity is 
informed by research or by the positive outcomes of earlier efforts 
that are similar to or serve as the foundation for the proposed 
project.\4\ These positive outcomes must suggest that the proposed 
activity is likely to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in this 
notice). We encourage evidence that demonstrates a rationale for the 
proposed activity to ensure that some preliminary work has been done to 
demonstrate the merit of the proposal, while at the same time inviting 
the broadest possible range of innovative solutions that may not yet 
have been tested at scale or evaluated through experimental or quasi-
experimental design.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ This type of action can also be described as a logic model, 
as defined by 34 CFR 77.1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and three 
competitive preference priorities. We are establishing these priorities 
for the FY 2020 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General 
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this absolute 
priority.
    Expanding Opportunity and Building Institutional Resilience.
    Projects that will provide financial support to IHEs with the 
greatest unmet needs related to coronavirus to enable them to resume 
operations, serve the needs of students, reduce disease transmission, 
and/or implement safe and effective instructional delivery models, that 
will enable safe in-person learning and expand remote learning 
opportunities when necessary.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: These priorities are competitive 
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an 
additional sixteen points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets these priorities.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Developing Resilient 
Instructional Delivery Models. (0-3 points)
    Projects that propose to use grant funds to expand the 
institution's capacity to develop or expand instructional delivery 
models, such as remote learning opportunities, to students who cannot 
or choose not to attend classroom-based instruction both during and 
after the COVID-19 national emergency. Under section 741(a)(3) of the 
HEA, the Secretary is authorized to make grants to improve 
postsecondary education through the establishment and continuation of 
institutions, programs, consortia, collaborations, and other joint 
efforts that utilize distance education and technological advancements 
to educate and train postsecondary students (including health 
professionals serving medically underserved populations). Under section 
741(a)(5) of the HEA, the Secretary is authorized to make grants to 
improve postsecondary education through the design and introduction of 
cost-effective methods of instruction and operation. Consistent with 
these statutory goals, this competitive preference priority addresses 
both an institution's need to respond to disruptions in instruction 
related to coronavirus, and the FIPSE goals of introducing or expanding 
the use of technology, and potentially reducing the cost of 
instructional delivery using such mechanisms.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Providing Dual Enrollment 
Opportunities to Students Who Live or Attend School in a Rural 
Community or Opportunity Zone. (0-10 points)
    Projects that provide high-quality postsecondary dual enrollment 
opportunities, which may include career and technical education 
programs, to high school students who live in or attend high school 
(including students who are homeschooled) in rural communities or 
Opportunity Zones. For purposes of this competition, a community is 
``rural'' if the community meets the qualifications for rural 
applicants established in section 114(e)(5)(A) of the Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the 
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, 
and the applicant certifies that it meets those qualifications in its 
application. To receive points for proposing to serve students who live 
in or attend high school in an Opportunity Zone, applicants must 
provide the census tract number(s) of the relevant Qualified 
Opportunity Zone, as designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under 
section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code. This competitive 
preference priority aligns with section 741(a)(6) of the HEA,

[[Page 51688]]

which authorizes the Secretary to make grants to support the 
introduction of institutional reforms designed to expand individual 
opportunities for entering and reentering postsecondary institutions 
and pursuing programs of postsecondary study tailored to individual 
needs.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3--Title III and Title V 
Participating Institutions. (0-3 points)
    Projects that--
    (a) Are led by an institution that is eligible to receive 
assistance under title III or under title V of the HEA (3 points);
    (b) Include as a consortium partner more than one such institution 
(2 points); or
    (c) Include as a consortium partner one such institution (1 point).
    Definitions: The definitions of ``baseline,'' ``demonstrates a 
rationale,'' ``performance measure,'' ``performance target,'' ``project 
component,'' and ``relevant outcome'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The 
definition of ``institution of higher education'' is from section 101 
of the HEA. We are establishing the definition of ``distance 
education,'' for the FY 2020 grant competition and any subsequent year 
in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from 
this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Baseline means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set.
    Distance education means--
    (1) Education that uses one or more of the technologies listed in 
paragraphs (2)(i) through (iv) of this definition to deliver 
instruction to students who are separated from the instructor or 
instructors and to support regular and substantive interaction between 
the students and the instructor or instructors, either synchronously or 
asynchronously.
    (2) The technologies that may be used to offer distance education 
include--
    (i) The internet;
    (ii) One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, 
closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, 
satellite, or wireless communications devices;
    (iii) Audio conference; or
    (iv) Other media used in a course in conjunction with any of the 
technologies listed in paragraph (2)(i) through (iii) of this 
definition.
    (3) For purposes of this definition, an instructor is an individual 
responsible for delivering course content and who meets the 
qualifications for instruction established by an institution's 
accrediting agency.
    (4) For purposes of this definition, substantive interaction is 
engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent 
with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of 
the following--
    (i) Providing direct instruction;
    (ii) Assessing or providing feedback on a student's coursework;
    (iii) Providing information or responding to questions about the 
content of a course or competency;
    (iv) Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a 
course or competency; or
    (v) Other instructional activities approved by the institution's or 
program's accrediting agency.
    (5) An institution ensures regular interaction between a student 
and an instructor or instructors by, prior to the student's completion 
of a course or competency--
    (i) Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the 
student on a predictable and regular basis commensurate with the length 
of time and the amount of content in the course or competency; and
    (ii) Monitoring the student's academic engagement and success and 
ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively 
engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed on the 
basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student.
    Institution of higher education (IHE) means--
    (a) An educational institution in any State that--
    (1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of 
graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the 
recognized equivalent of such a certificate, or persons who meet the 
requirements of section 484(d) of the HEA;
    (2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of 
education beyond secondary education;
    (3) Provides an educational program for which the institution 
awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a 2-year program 
that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a 
degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional 
degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary;
    (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
    (5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association or, if not so accredited, is an institution that has been 
granted preaccreditation status by such an agency or association that 
has been recognized by the Secretary for the granting of pre-
accreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there is 
satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation 
standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.
    (b) The term also includes:
    (1) Any school that provides not less than a 1-year program of 
training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized 
occupation and that meets the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), (4), 
and (5) of paragraph (a) of this definition; and
    (2) A public or nonprofit private educational institution in any 
State that, in lieu of the requirement in paragraph (a)(1) of this 
definition, admits as regular students individuals--
    (A) Who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the 
State in which the institution is located; or
    (B) Who will be dually or concurrently enrolled in the institution 
and a secondary school.
    Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or 
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
    Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant 
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a 
project.
    Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, 
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence 
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of 
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices 
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) 
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of the program.
    Application Requirements: The following application requirements 
are established for the FY 2020 grant competition and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Applicants must--
    (1) Provide information about the number and percentage of the 
institution's students (or the number and percentage of students at 
each institution in a consortium) who were enrolled in title IV 
eligible programs during the term immediately prior to the term or 
scheduled break between terms in which March 13, 2020 occurred and were 
eligible to receive a Pell grant;
    (2) Were underserved by other CARES Act programs either because--
    (a) The institution did not receive a loan under the Paycheck 
Protection

[[Page 51689]]

Program authorized by the CARES Act; and/or
    (b) The institution serves large numbers of part-time students and, 
as such, received a reduced per-student allocation under section 
18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act relative to institutions of the same or 
similar size (meaning total enrollments) that serve mostly full-time 
students; and
    (c) Had other unmet needs relative to the novel coronavirus, as 
described by the institution in its application.
    (3) Include a description of the institution's (or consortium of 
institutions') unmet needs related to the coronavirus not captured 
under (2);
    (4) Include a timeline for implementing key elements of the 
applicant's proposed project under the absolute priority, as well as 
metrics by which the institution will measure its success in 
implementing the project and improving student outcomes; and
    (5) Assure that the applicant will provide information to the 
Secretary, as requested, for evaluations that the Secretary may carry 
out.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, selection criteria, 
definitions, and other requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 
however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements 
regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant 
competition for this program under section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES 
Act, and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure 
timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment 
on the priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria 
under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA.
    Program Authority: Section 18004(a)(3) of Division B of the CARES 
Act, Public Law 116-36 (enacted March 27, 2020).
    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.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $28,000,000. These estimated available 
funds are the amount available for approximately 19 grants under the FY 
2020 CARES Act. The Department will determine the number of awards to 
be made under the absolute priority based on the quality of 
applications received, and consistent with the selection criteria and 
competitive preference priorities. It will also determine the size of 
an award made to an eligible applicant based on a review of the 
eligible applicant's budget.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000-$3,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,500,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 19.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: The eligible applicant is an IHE as defined 
in section 101 of the HEA, or a consortium of such IHEs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which 
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, under 34 
CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make timely 
awards.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    Under section 741(d) of the HEA, no funds made available under this 
part may be used to provide direct financial assistance in the form of 
grants or scholarships to students who do not meet the requirements of 
section 484(a) of the HEA. However, nothing in that section prevents a 
student who does not meet the requirements of section 484(a) from 
participating in programs funded under this part.
    4. Recommended 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. We recommend 
that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 25 pages 
and (2) use 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, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
     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.
    The recommended 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, the resumes, the letters of support, or the appendices. 
However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the 
application narrative.
    5. Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we know the 
approximate number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under 
this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an 
application by sending an email to [email protected] with Intent to 
Apply in the subject line. Applicants that do not send a notice of 
intent to apply may still apply for funding.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 or are established for the FY 2020 grant 
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). The points assigned to 
each criterion are indicated in the parentheses next to the criterion. 
An applicant may earn up to a total of

[[Page 51690]]

95 points based on the selection criteria for the application.
    A. Greatest Unmet Needs. (up to 30 points)
    In determining the institutions that have the greatest unmet needs 
related to the coronavirus, the Secretary considers the extent to which 
the institution:
    (1) Serves a population of students in which more than 30 percent 
of its undergraduate students received a Pell Grant.
    (a) 30 percent to 40 percent (7 points).
    (b) 41 percent to 50 percent (8 points).
    (c) 51 percent to 60 percent (9 points).
    (d) Greater than 60 percent (10 points).
    (2) Did not receive a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program 
loan authorized by the CARES Act. (5 points)
    (3) Serves a student population that includes large percentages of 
part-time students, thus resulting in a smaller allocation for the 
institution under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. The impact of 
the percentage of part-time student enrollment will be evaluated as 
follows:
    (a) 20 to 30 percent of students in the institution's most recent 
IPEDS report were enrolled part-time or less (6 points).
    (b) 31 to 40 percent of students in the institution's most recent 
IPEDS report were enrolled part-time or less (7 points).
    (c) 41 to 50 percent of students in the institution's most recent 
IPEDS report were enrolled part-time or less (8 points).
    (d) 51 to 60 percent of students in the institution's most recent 
IPEDS report were enrolled part-time or less (9 points).
    (e) 60 percent or more of students in the institution's most recent 
IPEDS report were enrolled part-time or less (10 points).
    (4) Provides additional information to demonstrate that the 
institution has significant unmet needs related to the coronavirus for 
reasons other than those outlined in factors (A)(1) to (3) above (up to 
5 points).
    (GEPA Waiver)
    B. Quality of the Project Services and Project Design. (up to 40 
points)
    In determining the quality of the project services and the quality 
of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 
quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and 
treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups 
that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, 
national origin, gender, age, or disability. (up to 5 points) (34 CFR 
75.210)
    In addition, the Secretary considers--
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project is an exceptional 
approach to the absolute priority and includes a detailed project plan 
for addressing the absolute priority. (up to 10 points) (GEPA Waiver)
    (2) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses. (up to 10 points) (34 CFR 75.210)
    (3) The likelihood that the proposed activities will enable the 
institution to become more resilient to ongoing coronavirus impacts and 
future challenges and to reduce the cost of higher education for 
students and families served. (up to 10 points) (GEPA Waiver)
    (4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice. (up to 5 points) (34 CFR 75.210)
    C. Quality of the Management Plan and Adequacy of Resources. (up to 
25 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan and 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project.
    In determining the quality of the management plan and adequacy of 
resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers--
    (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (up to 5 points) (34 CFR 75.210)
    (2) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project. (up to 5 points) (34 CFR 75.210)
    (3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. 
(up to 5 points) (34 CFR 75.210)
    (4) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits. (up to 10 points) (34 CFR 75.210)
    2. Proposed Use of Funds: Applicants must describe the activities 
that will be supported with grant funds, consistent with allowable uses 
of funds under this program and the goals of the absolute priority.
    3. 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 
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 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    Before making awards, we will screen applications submitted in 
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether 
applications have met eligibility and other requirements. This 
screening process may occur at various stages of the process; 
applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a 
grant, regardless of peer reviewer scores or comments.
    Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and 
score the assigned applications, using the selection criteria and 
competitive preference priorities provided in this notice.
    4. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a judgment about 
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under 
Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before 
we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about 
you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred 
to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for

[[Page 51691]]

Award Management. You may review and comment on any information about 
yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently 
in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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 
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 will 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20(c).
    4. 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) In addition to annual performance reporting, a grantee must 
comply with the monthly reporting requirements of the Federal Funding 
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), which will serve 
to discharge a grantee's quarterly reporting requirements under section 
15011 of the CARES Act.
    (c) 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 multiyear 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (d) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    5. Performance Measures: We have established the following 
performance measures for the IREPO Grants program:
    (1) The number of online classes offered by the institution prior 
to the novel coronavirus, and the number offered during the project 
period;
    (2) The number of students enrolled in online classes prior to the 
novel coronavirus, and the number enrolled in online classes during the 
project period;
    (3) Average annual cost of tuition and fees paid by all students 
during the 2019-2020 financial aid award year, and the average annual 
cost of tuition and fees paid by all students during the project 
period.
    (4) Average annual Federal student loan size among students and 
parents who took title IV loans during the 2019-2020 financial aid 
award year and during the project period.
    (5) Total enrollment at the institution at the beginning of the 
term in which the novel coronavirus national emergency was declared, or 
if that declaration took place during a break between terms, the 
enrollment at the institution at the beginning of the term prior to the 
break during which the national emergency was declared; and total 
enrollment during each term during the project period.
    (6) For projects that include dual enrollment opportunities for 
students:
    (a) The number of dual enrollment students served by the 
institution or consortium of institutions during the 2019-2020 award 
year, and the number of dual enrollment students served by the 
institution or consortium during the project period (disaggregated by 
gender, race, and whether or not they lived in or were educated in a 
rural community or Opportunity Zone);
    (b) The total number of dual enrollment classes completed by 
students served by the project; the average number of classes completed 
by students served by the project; and the average number of college 
credits earned by those students as a result of this project; and
    (c) The cost per student of each successfully completed dual 
enrollment class supported by these grant funds, including costs of 
instruction and costs of ancillary or support services (and any 
differences in cost between dual enrollment classes provided to 
students at their high school versus those provided to students by the 
grantee IHE).
    In addition, applicants must propose project-specific performance 
measures and performance targets consistent with the objectives of the 
proposed project.
    Applicants must provide the following information as directed under 
34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
    (a) Performance Measures. How each proposed performance measure 
would accurately measure the performance of the project and how the 
proposed performance measures would be consistent with the performance 
measures established for the program funding the competition.
    (b) Baseline Data.
    (i) Why each proposed baseline is valid; or
    (ii) If the applicant has determined that there are no established 
baseline data for a particular performance measure, an explanation of 
why there is no established baseline and of how and when, during the 
project period, the applicant would establish a valid baseline for the 
performance measure.
    (c) Performance Targets. Why each proposed performance target is 
ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance 
measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet 
the performance target(s).
    (d) Data Collection and Reporting.

[[Page 51692]]

    (i) The data collection and reporting methods the applicant would 
use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, and 
meaningful performance data; and
    (ii) The applicant's capacity to collect and report reliable, 
valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality 
data collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.
    All grantees must submit an annual performance report with 
information that is responsive to these performance measures.

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 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.

Robert L. King,
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2020-18531 Filed 8-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P