Applications for New Awards; Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program, 47928-47935 [2024-12169]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47928-47935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12169]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Basic Needs for Postsecondary 
Students 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 (NIA) for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 
for the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program, Assistance 
Listing Number 84.116N. This notice relates to the approved information 
collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: June 4, 2024.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 5, 2024.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: October 2, 2024.

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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Njeri Clark, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 5th floor, Washington, DC 20202-
4260. Telephone: (202) 453-6224. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students 
Program provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education 
(IHEs), or a consortia or system of such institutions, to advance 
systemic and sustainable

[[Page 47929]]

solutions to student basic needs insecurity through support programs 
that address the basic needs of students and to report on practices 
that improve outcomes for students.
    Background: Access to essential basic needs can have a significant 
impact on postsecondary success but numerous studies have found that 
too often, college students experience basic needs insecurity. In the 
Hope Center's 2020 survey of more than 195,000 college students 
conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, students of color were more 
likely to experience basic needs insecurity than their White peers. For 
students across two- and four-year institutions, 70 percent of Black 
students, 64 percent of Hispanic students, 66 percent of Pacific 
Islander/Native Hawaiian students, and 70 percent of American Indian/
Alaska Native students experienced basic needs insecurity, compared 
with 54 percent of White students. The average rate of basic needs 
insecurity at community colleges was 60 percent, compared to the 
average rate at four-year colleges of 56 percent. Students at 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were 14 percentage 
points more likely to experience basic needs insecurity than students 
at non-HBCUs.\1\
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    \1\ Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. (2021). 
``The Hope Center Survey 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the 
Ongoing Pandemic.'' https://hope.temple.edu/sites/hope/files/media/document/HopeSurveyReport2021.pdf.
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    Evidence suggests that access to basic needs can impact student 
retention. For example, a study of Southern New Hampshire University 
students who received Federal emergency aid grants during the pandemic 
reported that students most frequently used the grant funds for 
housing, food, and transportation, and found that those students were 
as much as 15.5 percent more likely to stay enrolled the following 
semester.\2\ Conversely, research has demonstrated a strong, 
statistically significant negative relationship between students who 
face housing insecurity and homelessness and college completion rates, 
persistence, and credit attainment.\3\ Additionally, one study found 
that among food-insecure college students, only 43.8 percent completed 
their college degree, compared with 68.1 percent of food-secure college 
students. Among college students who completed a degree, those who 
experienced food insecurity were more likely to obtain an associate 
degree and were less likely to receive a bachelor's or graduate/
professional degree than their food-secure counterparts.\4\ According 
to the Department of Education, in the 2019-20 school year, 34.5 
percent of students were food-insecure--46.7 percent of Black students, 
39.3 percent of Hispanic students, 45.6 percent of Pacific Islander/
Native Hawaiian students, and 39.3 percent of American Indian/Alaska 
Native students, compared to 28.8 percent of White students. During 
that same period, more than half of students (52.1 percent) at HBCUs 
and more than a third of students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions 
(HSIs) (37.3 percent) were food-insecure.\5\
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    \2\ The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (2023). 
``Does Basic Needs Funding Improve Persistence Among College 
Students? Finding on How HEERF Dollars Impacted Student Persistence 
at SNHU.'' https://www.chepp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Basic-Needs-II_10_02_2023.pdf.
    \3\ Bipartisan Policy Center. (2023). ``Housing Insecurity and 
Homelessness Among College Students.'' https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/housing-insecurity-and-homelessness-among-college-students/.
    \4\ Wolfson, J.A., Insolera, N., Cohen, A., Leung, C.W. (2022) 
``The effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and 
type of degree attained: evidence from a nationally representative 
longitudinal survey.'' Public Health Nutrition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34321134/.
    \5\ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education 
Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study: 2020 
Undergraduate Students (NPSAS:UG).
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    Other types of basic needs insecurity also are barriers to higher 
education success. For example, lack of access to transportation has 
been found to be a barrier to higher education entry and completion due 
to factors including cost and affordability, poor reliability, and 
housing and work proximity.\6\ In addition, with four million (22 
percent) U.S. undergraduate students raising children while attending a 
postsecondary education program,\7\ child care is a basic need for many 
college students. A lower percentage of student parents earned an 
undergraduate degree compared to students without children, and more 
than half (52 percent) of undergraduate student parents left school 
without a degree, within 6 years, compared to 32 percent of students 
without children, according to a 2019 U.S. Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) report.\8\
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    \6\ Schuette, A. (2023) ``Transportation as a Barrier to Higher 
Education: Evidence from the 2022 Student Financial Wellness 
Survey.'' Trellis Company. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED638075.pdf.
    \7\ Institute for Women's Policy Research. (2021). ``Evaluating 
the Role of Campus Child Care in Student Parent Success.'' https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Evaluating-the-Role-of-Campus-Child-Care_FINAL.pdf.
    \8\ GAO 19-522, ``More Information Could Help Student Parents 
Access Additional Federal Student Aid,'' August 2019.
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    Access to mental health care services is also critical for college 
students. A 2023 survey found that more than half (56 percent) of 
students experienced chronic stress in college, and that 75 percent of 
students reported that stress is negatively impacting their ability to 
learn, focus, and do well academically. Thirty-five percent of college 
students said that the availability of counseling appointments at their 
institution needed improvement.\9\
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    \9\ Student Voice Survey (2023), Insider Higher Ed and College 
Pulse, https://reports.collegepulse.com/health-and-wellness.
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    Despite the role that public benefits can play to support students, 
in a 2023 survey of nearly 300 financial aid administrators nationwide, 
43 percent said that their institution does not do direct outreach to 
students about Federal benefit programs and have no plans of doing 
so.\10\ According to a 2018 GAO report, only 31 percent of college 
students who met Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 
income requirements reported receiving benefits.\11\
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    \10\ Higher Learning Advocates. (2023). ``The Numbers Speak for 
Themselves.'' https://higherlearningadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Numbers-Speak-for-Themselves-HLA-and-NASFAA-Survey-Brief-2024.pdf.
    \11\ GAO 19-95, ``Food Insecurity: Better Information Could Help 
Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits.'' 
December 21, 2018.
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    To this end, this competition is designed to promote student 
success by supporting interventions and programs that holistically 
address the basic needs of students and reporting on those practices 
that improve student outcomes. The competition includes two absolute 
priorities, two competitive preference priorities, and two invitational 
priorities. The absolute priorities are designed to take a systemic 
evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for underserved students, 
and to benefit the institutions serving the highest number of students 
with basic needs insecurities, including community colleges, HBCUs, 
Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-serving 
institutions (MSIs). The competitive preference priorities are focused 
on supporting projects that meet the needs of the whole student and 
provide comprehensive student support services, as well as establishing 
a system of high-quality data collection and analysis to build evidence 
that furthers the research, development, continuous improvement, and 
scaling of basic needs programs and services. The two invitational 
priorities are focused on leveraging public benefit programs and 
developing campus-wide strategies to address student mental health 
needs.
    Priorities: This notice contains two absolute priorities, two 
competitive preference priorities, and two

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invitational priorities. The absolute and competitive preference 
priorities are from the Secretary's Supplemental Priorities and 
Definitions for Discretionary Grants Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet each of these 
priorities.
    These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1--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 in one or more 
of the following priority areas:
    (a) Coordinating efforts with Federal, State, or local agencies, or 
community-based organizations, that support students, to address two or 
more of the following:
    (1) Food assistance.
    (2) Housing.
    (3) Transportation.
    (4) Health, including physical health, mental health, and 
behavioral health and trauma.
    (5) Child care.
    (6) Technology.
    (b) Conducting community needs and asset mapping to identify 
existing programs and initiatives that can be leveraged, and new 
programs and initiatives that need to be developed and implemented, to 
advance systemic change.
    (c) Establishing cross-agency partnerships, or community-based 
partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, businesses, 
philanthropic organizations, or others, to meet family well-being 
needs.

Absolute Priority 2--Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational 
Resources and Opportunities

    Under this priority, an application must demonstrate that the 
project will be implemented by one or more of the following entities:
    (1) Community colleges (as defined in this notice).
    (2) Historically Black colleges and universities (as defined in 
this notice).
    (3) Tribal Colleges and Universities (as defined in this notice).
    (4) Minority-serving institutions (as defined in this notice).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2024 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 
7 points for Competitive Preference Priority 1 and up to 3 points for 
Competitive Preference Priority 2, depending on how well the 
application meets these priorities. Applicants may respond to none, 
one, or both competitive preference priorities.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Meeting Student Social, Emotional, 
and Academic Needs (Up to 7 Points)

    Projects that are designed to improve students' social, emotional, 
academic, and career development, with a focus on underserved students 
through creating a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe climate at 
IHEs through one or both of the following activities:
    (1) Fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for underserved 
students. (up to 3 points)
    (2) Implementing evidence-based practices for advancing student 
success for underserved students. (up to 4 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Increasing Postsecondary Education 
Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success (Up to 3 
Points)

    Projects that are designed to increase postsecondary access, 
affordability, completion, and success for underserved students by 
establishing a system of high-quality data collection and analysis, 
such as data on persistence, retention, completion, and post-college 
outcomes, for transparency, accountability, and institutional 
improvement.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets these 
invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1--Leveraging Public Benefit Programs

    Under this priority, we are particularly interested in projects 
that include one or more of the following activities:
    (a) Establishing processes to automatically identify and conduct 
outreach to students who may be eligible for public benefit programs in 
accordance with recent Federal guidance.
    (b) Conducting ongoing and timely surveys and assessments of 
student basic needs security, including surveys of student needs 
conducted upon enrollment.
    (c) Providing referrals and case management to students to enroll 
in local, State, and Federal public benefit programs.
    (d) Coordinating and collaborating with government and community-
based organizations and providing direct services such as temporary 
housing, secure sleeping arrangements, free or subsidized food, and 
access to child care.

Invitational Priority 2--Developing a Campus-Wide Strategy To Address 
Student Mental Health Needs

    Under this priority, we are particularly interested in projects 
that are designed to develop a campus-wide strategy to address student 
mental health needs. This includes creating inclusive campuses, 
increasing the availability of supportive and treatment services and 
access to additional staff, and implementing best practices, such as 
auditing existing campus mental health supports for effectiveness; 
identifying gaps and taking steps to tailor interventions to better 
meet the needs of vulnerable populations; implementing skill-training 
interventions; conducting routine screenings for depression, suicide 
risk, and anxiety; and investing in suicide means restriction.
    Definitions: The definitions of ``children or students with 
disabilities,'' ``community college,'' ``disconnected youth,'' 
``English learner,'' ``Historically Black colleges and universities,'' 
``military- or veteran-connected student,'' ``Minority-serving 
institution,'' ``Tribal Colleges or Universities,'' and ``underserved 
student'' are from the Supplemental Priorities. The remaining 
definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1.
    Children or students with disabilities means children with 
disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)) and 34 CFR 300.8, 
or students with disabilities, as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (29 U.S.C. 705(37), 705(20)(B)).
    Note: Students with disabilities under 29 U.S.C. 705(20)(B) 
includes any individual with a disability as defined in section 3 of 
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).

[[Page 47931]]

    Community college means ``junior or community college'' as defined 
in section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(HEA).
    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 of 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.
    English learner means an individual who is an English learner as 
defined in section 8101(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965, as amended, or an individual who is an English language 
learner as defined in section 203(7) of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act.
    Evidence-based means the proposed project component is supported by 
promising evidence or evidence that demonstrates a rationale.
    Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare 
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are 
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment 
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. 
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies, 
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental 
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g., 
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression 
discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbooks:
    (i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for 
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the 
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to 
receive the project component (the control group).
    (ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project 
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning 
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental 
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of 
outcomes.
    (iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case 
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in 
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to 
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the 
treatment.
    Historically Black colleges and universities means colleges and 
universities that meet the criteria set out in 34 CFR 608.2.
    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 to help design their 
logic models. 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.
    Military- or veteran-connected student means one or more of the 
following:
    (a) A child participating in an early learning program, a student 
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career 
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or 
guardian who is a member of the uniformed services (as defined by 37 
U.S.C. 101), in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 
Space Force, National Guard, Reserves, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, or Public Health Service or is a veteran of the 
uniformed services with an honorable discharge (as defined by 38 U.S.C. 
3311).
    (b) A student who is a member of the uniformed services, a veteran 
of the uniformed services, or the spouse of a service member or 
veteran.
    (c) A child participating in an early learning program, a student 
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career 
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or 
guardian who is a veteran of the uniformed services (as defined by 37 
U.S.C. 101).
    Minority-serving institution means an institution that is eligible 
to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of title 
III, under part B of title III, or under title V of the HEA.
    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).
    Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the 
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant 
outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
reporting a ``strong evidence base'' or ``moderate evidence base'' for 
the corresponding practice guide recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a 
``positive effect'' or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant 
outcome with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially 
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
    (iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate, 
that--
    (A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or 
a well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with 
statistical controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression 
methods to account for differences between a treatment group and a 
comparison group); and
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome.
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation 
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being 
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet 
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbooks.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcomes(s) 
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of the program.
    Tribal Colleges or Universities has the meaning ascribed it in 
section 316(b)(3) of the HEA.
    Underserved student means a student in postsecondary education 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 of color.
    (c) A student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian 
Tribe.

[[Page 47932]]

    (d) An English learner.
    (e) A child or student with a disability.
    (f) A disconnected youth.
    (g) A technologically unconnected youth.
    (h) A migrant student.
    (i) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
    (j) A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or 
intersex (LGBTQI+) student.
    (k) A student who is in foster care.
    (l) A student without documentation of immigration status.
    (m) A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.
    (n) A student impacted by the justice system, including a formerly 
incarcerated student.
    (o) A student who is the first in their family to attend 
postsecondary education.
    (p) A student enrolling in or seeking to enroll in postsecondary 
education for the first time at the age of 20 or older.
    (q) A student who is working full-time while enrolled in 
postsecondary education.
    (r) A student who is enrolled in or is seeking to enroll in 
postsecondary education who is eligible for a Pell Grant.
    (s) An adult student in need of improving their basic skills or an 
adult student with limited English proficiency.
    (t) A military- or veteran- connected student.
    What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means the 
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Standards Handbook, 
Versions 4.0 or 4.1, and WWC Procedures Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 4.1, 
or in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 
2.1 (all incorporated by reference, see 34 CFR 77.2). Study findings 
eligible for review under WWC standards can meet WWC standards without 
reservations, meet WWC standards with reservations, or not meet WWC 
standards. WWC practice guides and intervention reports include 
findings from systematic reviews of evidence as described in the WWC 
Handbooks documentation.
    Note: The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards 
Handbook (Version 4.1), as well as the more recent What Works 
Clearinghouse Handbook released in August 2022 (Version 5.0), are 
available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d; the Explanatory Statement 
accompanying Division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2024 (Pub. L. 118-47).
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the 
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 (OMB) Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement) 
in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the 
Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Guidance for Federal Financial 
Assistance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of 
the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The Supplemental Priorities.
    Note: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) will implement the 
changes included in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) final 
rule, OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance), formerly called, Office of Management 
and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements, which amends 2 CFR part 
200, on October 1, 2024. Grant applicants who anticipate a performance 
period start date on or after October 1, 2024, should follow the 
provisions stated in the updated 2 CFR part 200, when preparing an 
application. For more information about these updated regulations 
please visit: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniform-guidance/. ED will continue to provide more resources on our web page 
as they become available.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $9,583,334.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent fiscal years 
from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $900,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Award: $750,000.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $900,000 for the 
entire project period of 36 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Community colleges (as defined in this 
notice), and two- and four-year public and private Historically Black 
colleges and universities (as defined in this notice), Tribal Colleges 
and Universities (as defined in this notice), other Minority-serving 
institutions (as defined in this notice), or a consortium or system of 
eligible institutions.
    For institutions other than community colleges, only institutions 
that the Department determines are eligible as Historically Black 
colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other 
Minority-serving institutions, or which are granted a waiver in the 
notice published in the Federal Register one January 22, 2024 (89 FR 
3916)announcing Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving 
Requirements, and that meet the other eligibility requirements 
described in this notice, may apply for a grant under those eligibility 
bases for this program.
    Note: The list of institutions designated as eligible for FY 2024 
under titles III and V of the HEA is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html.
    2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an 
unrestricted indirect cost rate. 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.
    c. 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 Guidance 
for Federal Financial Assistance.
    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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/d/202226554, which contain requirements and 
information on how to submit an application.

[[Page 47933]]

    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the Basic Needs for 
Postsecondary Students Program, your application may include business 
information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define 
``business information'' and describe the process we use in determining 
whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected 
from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 
U.S.C. 552, as amended).
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure Notification 
Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information), please designate 
in your application any information that you believe is exempt from 
disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of 
your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the 
page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For 
additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference additional regulations 
outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of 
this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria and the priorities that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) 
limit the application narrative to no more than 50 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, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     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 Application for 
Federal Assistance form (SF-424); the ED SF-424 Supplement form; the 
Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs form (ED 524); the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page project abstract and 
supporting budget narrative.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. An applicant may earn up to a total of 100 
points based on the selection criteria and up to 10 additional points 
under the competitive preference priorities, for a total score of up to 
110 points. The selection criteria are as follows:
    (a) Need for the project. (up to 10 points)
    The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In 
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (up to 5 
points)
    (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 5 points)
    (b) Quality of the project design. (up to 30 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate with or 
build on similar or related efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as 
defined in this notice), using existing funding streams from other 
programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal 
resources. (up to 10 points)
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a 
rationale (as defined in this notice). (up to 15 points)
    (3) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs. (up to 5 points)
    (c) Quality of project services. (up to 25 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided 
by the proposed project.
    (1) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
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)
    (2) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services. (up to 5 
points)
    (ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services. (up to 15 points)
    (d) Quality of project personnel. (up to 10 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the proposed project.
    (1) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. (up to 3 points)
    (2) In addition, the Secretary considers the qualifications, 
including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. 
(up to 7 points)
    (e) Quality of the management plan. (up to 10 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers 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.
    (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (up to 15 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (up to 5 points)
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes

[[Page 47934]]

of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to 
the extent possible. (up to 5 points)
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce promising evidence (as defined in this notice) 
about the project's effectiveness (up to 5 points).
    Note: For the selection criterion ``Quality of personnel'' in 
paragraph (d), applicants are encouraged to include in their 
application that they are committed to paying their staff a living wage 
for the local area and providing benefits.
    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).
    A panel of three non-Federal reviewers will review and score each 
application in accordance with the selection criteria in this notice, 
as well as the competitive preference priorities. A rank order funding 
slate will be made from this review. Awards will be made in rank order 
according to the average score received from the peer review.
    In the event there are two or more applications with the same final 
score, and there are insufficient funds to fully support each of these 
applications, the Department applies the following tie-breaking 
factors.
    To resolve ties in the reader scores of applications, the 
Department will award one additional point to an application from an 
IHE with the highest percentage of degree/certificate-seeking students 
who are Pell grant recipients. If a tie remains after applying the 
preceding tiebreaker, the Department will award one additional point to 
an application from an IHE with the highest average score for the 
selection criterion ``Quality of Project Services.'' If a tie remains 
after applying the preceding tiebreaker, the Department will award one 
additional point to an application from an IHE with the highest average 
score for the selection criterion ``Quality of the Project Design.'' If 
a tie remains after applying the preceding tiebreaker, the Department 
will award one additional point to an application from an IHE with the 
highest average score for the selection criterion ``Quality of the 
Project Evaluation.''
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this program, 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 Guidance for Federal 
Financial Assistance 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

[[Page 47935]]

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 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: For purposes of Department reporting under 
34 CFR 75.110, the Department will use the following performance 
measures to evaluate the success of the Basic Needs for Postsecondary 
Students Program:
    (1) The percentage of low-income students at the grantee 
institution served by any direct student service supported by the 
grant.
    (2) The annual persistence rate at the grantee institution for all 
students who are served by any direct student service supported by the 
grant.
    (3) By the end of the grant period, the rate of degree or 
certificate completion at the grantee institution for all students 
served by any direct student service supported by the grant.
    (4) The level of basic needs insecurity among all students served 
by any direct student service supported by the grant, measured before 
and after implementation of the grant.
    Note: For purpose of the performance measures, the term ``low-
income student'' means a student--
    (a) Who is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the award 
year for which the determination is made; or
    (b) Who would otherwise be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant 
for the award year for which the determination is made, except that the 
student fails to meet the requirements of section 484(a)(5) of the HEA, 
20 U.S.C. 1091(a)(5), because the student is in the United States for a 
temporary purpose.

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.

Nasser Paydar,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-12169 Filed 6-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P