Applications for New Awards; Upward Bound Program, 71460-71465 [2021-27235]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 239 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71460-71465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27235]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Upward Bound Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the 
Upward Bound (UB) Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.047A. This 
notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control 
number 1840-0550.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: December 16, 2021.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 31, 2022.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 31, 2022.

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: Ken Waters, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2C229, Washington, DC 20202-
4260. Telephone: (202) 453-6273. 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 UB Program is one of the seven programs 
known as the Federal TRIO Programs. The UB Program is a discretionary 
grant program that supports projects designed to provide students with 
the skills and motivation necessary to complete a program of secondary 
education and enter into and succeed in a program of postsecondary 
education. There are three types of grants under the UB Program: UB; 
Veterans UB; and UB Math and Science grants. In this notice we invite 
applications for UB grants only. We will invite applications for 
Veterans UB grants and UB Math and Science grants in forthcoming 
notices. Required services under the UB Program are specified in 
sections 402C(b) and (c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070a-13), and permissible services under the 
UB Program are specified in section 402C(d) of the HEA.
    Priorities: This notice contains three competitive preference 
priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the Secretary's 
Notice of Administrative Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary 
Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2020 (85 
FR 13640) (Administrative Priorities). Competitive Preference 
Priorities 2 and 3 are from the Secretary's Supplemental Priorities and 
Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).
    Note: Applicants must include in the one-page abstract submitted 
with the application a statement indicating which, if any, competitive 
preference priorities are addressed. If the applicant has addressed one 
or more of the competitive preference priorities, this information must 
also be listed on the UB Program Profile Form.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2022 and any subsequent 
year in

[[Page 71461]]

which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional nine points 
to an application, depending on how well the application meets the 
priorities.
    The priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: Applications that Demonstrate a 
Rationale (Up to 3 points).
    Under this priority, an applicant proposes a project that 
demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this notice).
    Note: A list of evidence-based practices that are relevant to the 
UB Program is available at www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/. 
This list is not exhaustive. Additional information regarding the What 
Works Clearinghouse practice guides and intervention reports that could 
also be relevant is posted on the Department's website at 
www.ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2: Meeting Student Social, 
Emotional, and Academic Needs.
    Projects that are designed to improve students' social, emotional, 
academic, and career development, with a focus on underserved students, 
through providing multi-tiered systems of supports that address 
learning barriers both in and out of the classroom, that enable healthy 
development and respond to students' needs and which may include 
evidence-based trauma-informed practices and professional development 
for educators on avoiding deficit-based approaches.
    Note: Because the UB Program supports students and not the 
professional development of educators, applicants should address 
supports for students only.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3: Strengthening Cross-Agency 
Coordination and Community Engagement to Advance Systemic Change.
    Projects that are designed to take a systemic evidence-based 
approach to improving outcomes for underserved students by establishing 
cross-agency partnerships, or community-based partnerships with local 
nonprofit organizations, businesses, philanthropic organizations, or 
others, to meet family well-being needs.
    Definitions: The definitions below are from 34 CFR 77.1 and the 
Supplemental Priorities.
    Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in 
the project's logic model is informed by research or evaluation 
findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve 
relevant outcomes.
    Disconnected youth means an individual, between the ages 14 and 24, 
who may be from a low-income background, experiences homelessness, is 
in foster care, is involved in the justice system, or is not working or 
not enrolled in (or at risk of dropping out of) an educational 
institution.
    Evidence-based means the proposed project component is supported by 
evidence that demonstrates a rationale.
    Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a 
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed 
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be 
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the 
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project 
components and relevant outcomes.
    Note: In developing logic models, applicants may want to use 
resources such as the Regional Educational Laboratory Program's (REL 
Pacific) Education Logic Model Application, available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp. Other sources include: 
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf, 
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf, and 
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf.
    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.
    Underserved student means a student in one or more of the following 
subgroups:
    (a) A student who is living in poverty or is served by schools with 
high concentrations of students living in poverty.
    (b) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
    (c) A student who is in foster care.
    (d) A student who is the first in their family to attend 
postsecondary education.
    (e) A student who is enrolled in or is seeking to enroll in 
postsecondary education who is eligible for a Pell Grant.
    (f) A student performing significantly below grade level.
    Application Requirements: The following application requirements 
for FY 2022 are from section 402C(e) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070a-13).
    An applicant must submit, as part of its application--
    (1) An assurance that not less than two-thirds of the youths 
participating in the project proposed to be carried out under any 
application be low-income individuals who are first generation college 
students;
    (2) An assurance that the remaining youths participating in the 
project proposed to be carried out under any application be low-income 
individuals, first generation college students, or students who have a 
high risk for academic failure;
    (3) A determination by the institution, with respect to each 
participant in such project, that the participant has a need for 
academic support in order to pursue successfully a program of education 
beyond secondary school;
    (4) An assurance that such participants be persons who have 
completed 8 years of elementary education and are at least 13 years of 
age but not more than 19 years of age, unless the imposition of any 
such limitation would defeat the purposes of section 402C(e) of the 
HEA; and
    (5) An assurance that no student will be denied participation in a 
project assisted under section 402C of the HEA because the student will 
enter the project after the 9th grade.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 1070a-13.
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal 
civil rights laws.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 645. (e) 
The Administrative Priorities. (f) Supplemental Priorities.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education (IHEs) only.

[[Page 71462]]

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$1,297,761,000 for new awards for the Federal TRIO Programs for FY 
2022, of which we intend to use an estimated $355,697,826 for the UB 
Program. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final 
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow 
enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates 
funds for the Federal TRIO Programs.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $287,537-$981,028.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $368,217.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award varies based on whether the 
applicant is currently receiving a UB Program grant, as well as the 
number of participants served.
     For an applicant that is not currently receiving a UB 
Program grant, the maximum award amount is $287,537, based upon a per-
participant cost of no more than $4,792 and a minimum of 60 
participants.
     For an applicant that is currently receiving a UB Program 
grant, the minimum number of participants is the number of participants 
in the project's FY 2021 grant award notification and the maximum award 
amount is equal to the applicant's base award amount for FY 2021.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 966.
    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; public and private agencies and 
organizations including community-based organizations with experience 
in serving disadvantaged youth; secondary schools; and combinations of 
such institutions, agencies, and organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a training 
indirect cost rate. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to an 
entity's actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total 
direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information 
regarding training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 75.562. For more 
information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated 
indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
    4. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include 
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All 
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to 
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 
Guidance.
    5. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application.
    6. Other: An applicant may submit more than one application for an 
UB Program grant so long as each application describes a project that 
serves a different target area or target school (34 CFR 645.20(a)). The 
Secretary is not designating any additional populations for which an 
applicant may submit a separate application under this competition (34 
CFR 645.20(b)). The term ``target area'' is defined as a geographic 
area served by a project (34 CFR 645.6(b)). The term ``target school'' 
is defined as a school designated by the applicant as a focus of 
project services (34 CFR 645.6(b)).

IV. Application 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. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR 
645.41. We reference additional regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative 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, which includes the budget narrative, to no more 
than 65 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, excluding titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs, which may be single-spaced.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and 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 the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract. However, the 
recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
    We recommend that any application addressing the competitive 
preference priorities include no more than three additional pages for 
each priority, for a total of up to nine additional pages for the 
competitive preference priorities if the three competitive preference 
priorities are addressed.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 645.31.
    We will award up to 100 points to an application under the 
selection criteria and up to 9 additional points to an application 
under the competitive preference priorities, for a total score of up to 
109 points. The maximum number of points available for each criterion 
is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Need for the project. (Up to 24 points) The Secretary evaluates 
the need for a Regular Upward Bound project in the proposed target area 
on the basis of information contained in the application which clearly 
demonstrates that--
    (i) The income level of families in the target area is low; (Up to 
4 points)
    (ii) The education attainment level of adults in the target area is 
low; (Up to 4 points)
    (iii) Target high school dropout rates are high; (Up to 4 points)
    (iv) College-going rates in target high schools are low; (Up to 4 
points)
    (v) Student/counselor ratios in the target high schools are high; 
(Up to 4 points) and

[[Page 71463]]

    (vi) Unaddressed academic, social and economic conditions in the 
target area pose serious problems for low-income, potentially first-
generation college students. (Up to 4 points)
    (b) Objectives. (9 points) The Secretary evaluates the quality of 
the applicant's objectives and proposed targets (percentages) in the 
following areas on the basis of the extent to which they are both 
ambitious, as related to the need data provided under paragraph (a) of 
this section, and attainable, given the project's plan of operation, 
budget, and other resources:
    (i) Academic performance (GPA); (Up to 1 point)
    (ii) Academic performance (standardized test scores); (Up to 1 
point)
    (iii) Secondary school retention and graduation (with regular 
secondary school diploma); (Up to 2 points)
    (iv) Completion of rigorous secondary school program of study; (Up 
to 1 point)
    (v) Postsecondary enrollment; (Up to 3 points) and
    (vi) Postsecondary completion. (Up to 1 point)
    (c) Plan of operation. (Up to 30 points) The Secretary determines 
the quality of the applicant's plan of operation by assessing the 
quality of--
    (1) The plan to inform the faculty and staff at the applicant 
institution or agency and the interested individuals and organizations 
throughout the target area of the goals and objectives of the project; 
(Up to 3 points)
    (2) The plan for identifying, recruiting, and selecting 
participants to be served by the project; (Up to 3 points)
    (3) The plan for assessing individual participant needs and for 
monitoring the academic progress of participants while they are in 
Upward Bound; (Up to 3 points)
    (4) The plan for locating the project within the applicant's 
organizational structure; (Up to 3 points)
    (5) The curriculum, services and activities that are planned for 
participants in both the academic year and summer components; (Up to 3 
points)
    (6) The planned timelines for accomplishing critical elements of 
the project; (Up to 3 points)
    (7) The plan to ensure effective and efficient administration of 
the project, including, but not limited to, financial management, 
student records management, and personnel management; (Up to 3 points)
    (8) The applicant's plan to use its resources and personnel to 
achieve project objectives and to coordinate the Upward Bound project 
with other projects for disadvantaged students; (Up to 3 points)
    (9) The plan to work cooperatively with parents and key 
administrative, teaching, and counseling personnel at the target 
schools to achieve project objectives; (Up to 3 points) and
    (10) A follow-up plan for tracking graduates of Upward Bound as 
they enter and continue in postsecondary education. (Up to 3 points)
    (d) Applicant and community support. (Up to 16 points) The 
Secretary evaluates the applicant and community support for the 
proposed project on the basis of the extent to which--
    (1) The applicant is committed to supplementing the project with 
resources that enhance the project such as: Space, furniture and 
equipment, supplies, and the time and effort of personnel other than 
those employed in the project. (Up to 8 points)
    (2) Resources secured through written commitments from community 
partners. (Up to 8 points)
    (i) An applicant that is an IHE must include in its application 
commitments from the target schools and community organizations;
    (ii) An applicant that is a secondary school must include in its 
application commitments from IHEs, community organizations, and, as 
appropriate, other secondary schools and the school district; and
    (iii) An applicant that is a community organization must include in 
its application commitments from the target schools and IHEs.
    (e) Quality of personnel. (Up to 8 points) To determine the quality 
of personnel the applicant plans to use the Secretary looks for 
information that shows--
    (1) The qualifications required of the project director, including 
formal training or work experience in fields related to the objectives 
of the project and experience in designing, managing, or implementing 
similar projects; (Up to 3 points)
    (2) The qualifications required of each of the other personnel to 
be used in the project, including formal training or work experience in 
fields related to the objectives of the project; (Up to 3 points)
    (3) The quality of the applicant's plan for employing personnel who 
have succeeded in overcoming barriers similar to those confronting the 
project's target population. (Up to 2 points)
    (f) Budget and cost effectiveness. (Up to 5 points) The Secretary 
reviews each application to determine the extent to which--
    (1) The budget for the project is adequate to support planned 
project services and activities; (Up to 3 points) and
    (2) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives and scope of 
the project. (Up to 2 points)
    (g) Evaluation plan. (Up to 8 points) The Secretary evaluates the 
quality of the evaluation plan for the project on the basis of the 
extent to which the applicant's methods of evaluation--
    (1) Are appropriate to the project and include both quantitative 
and qualitative evaluation measures; (Up to 4 points) and
    (2) Examine in specific and measurable ways the success of the 
project in making progress toward achieving its process and outcomes 
objectives. (Up to 4 points)
    2. 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).
    For this competition, a panel of non-Federal reviewers will review 
each application in accordance with the selection criteria in 34 CFR 
645.31. The individual scores of the reviewers will be added and the 
sum divided by the number of reviewers to determine the peer review 
score received in the review process. Additionally, in accordance with 
34 CFR 645.32, the Secretary will award prior experience points to 
applicants that conducted a UB Program project during budget periods 
2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, based on their documented 
experience. Prior experience points, if any, will be added to the 
application's averaged reader score to determine the total score for 
each application.
    If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the same 
total scores, the Secretary will choose among the tied applications so 
as to serve geographic areas in which there is significant child 
poverty and that have been underserved by the UB Program in accordance 
with the following procedures. The Secretary will identify and 
recommend an award for--

[[Page 71464]]

     First, applicants in the funding band that applied to 
serve target schools within a Congressional District (a) that has a 
child poverty level greater than 30 percent and (b) where UB projects 
had previously served either 10 or fewer target schools or fewer than 
150 students within that Congressional District. If this first tie-
breaker provision exhausts available funds, then no further action is 
taken.
     Second, applicants in the funding band that applied to 
serve target schools within a Congressional District (a) that has a 
child poverty level greater than 25 percent and (b) where UB projects 
had previously served either 15 or fewer target schools or fewer than 
200 students within that Congressional District. If this second tie-
breaker provision exhausts available funds, then no further action is 
taken.
     Third, applicants in the funding band that applied to 
serve target schools within a Congressional District where UB projects 
had previously served zero target schools.
    Note: Within each of step one, two, and three of the tie-breaker, 
if there is more than one application with the same score and 
insufficient funding to support these applications, the applicant 
proposing to serve the target schools within the more impoverished 
Congressional District will be the final application identified and 
recommended to receive an award.
    In applying the tie-breaker criteria, the Department will use the 
most current data available. The criteria refer to Congressional 
Districts, and reference child poverty data within Congressional 
Districts. The most recent available Child Poverty data from the United 
States Census for Congressional Districts is for the 117th Congress, 
and therefore, the geographical boundaries used for the tie-breaker are 
defined for the 115th Congress. The number of target schools served 
within the boundaries of a Congressional District, and the number of 
students served within these target schools, will be derived from the 
UB Annual Performance Report (APR). The Department will use data from 
the 2020-2021 APR to count the number of target schools that receive 
services within Congressional District boundaries.
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 
3474.10, 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.
    4. 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 200.206(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 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.
    5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and 
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal 
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and 
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting 
applications in accordance with--
    (a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering 
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of 
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
    (b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video 
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR 
200.216);
    (c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to 
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United 
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
    (d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest 
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program 
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).

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 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.
    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) 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

[[Page 71465]]

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.
    5. Performance Measures: The success of the UB Program will be 
measured by the percentage of UB participants who enroll in and 
complete postsecondary education. The following performance measures 
have been developed to track progress toward achieving program success 
under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and for 
purposes of Department reporting under 34 CFR 75.110:
    1. The percentage of UB students who took two years of mathematics 
beyond Algebra I by the 12th grade;
    2. The percentage of UB students who graduated from secondary 
school with a regular secondary school diploma;
    3. The percentage of UB students who enrolled in postsecondary 
education;
    4. The percentage of UB students who enrolled in a program of 
postsecondary education by the fall term following graduation from high 
school and who in the first year of postsecondary education placed into 
college-level math and English without need for remediation;
    5. The percentage of former UB students who enrolled in a program 
of postsecondary education and graduated on time--within four years for 
the bachelor's degree and within two years for the associate's degree;
    6. The percentage of UB participants who enrolled in a program of 
postsecondary education and attained either an associate's degree 
within three years or a bachelor's degree within six years of 
enrollment; and
    7. The percentage of UB students expected to graduate high school 
in the reporting year who complete a Free Application for Federal 
Student Aid (FAFSA).
    All UB Program grantees will be required to submit APRs.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether 
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance 
targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
    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.

Annmarie Weisman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, Office 
of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2021-27235 Filed 12-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P