Notice2024-12169
Applications for New Awards; Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 4, 2024
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47928-47935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554">www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554</a>.
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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3876525d4a51167b54594a53785d5c165f574e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9bd5f1fee9f2b5d8f7fae9f0dbfeffb5fcf4ed">[email protected]</span></a>.
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.'' <a href="https://hope.temple.edu/sites/hope/files/media/document/HopeSurveyReport2021.pdf">https://hope.temple.edu/sites/hope/files/media/document/HopeSurveyReport2021.pdf</a>.
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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.'' <a href="https://www.chepp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Basic-Needs-II_10_02_2023.pdf">https://www.chepp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Basic-Needs-II_10_02_2023.pdf</a>.
\3\ Bipartisan Policy Center. (2023). ``Housing Insecurity and
Homelessness Among College Students.'' <a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/housing-insecurity-and-homelessness-among-college-students/">https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/housing-insecurity-and-homelessness-among-college-students/</a>.
\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. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34321134/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34321134/</a>.
\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. <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED638075.pdf">https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED638075.pdf</a>.
\7\ Institute for Women's Policy Research. (2021). ``Evaluating
the Role of Campus Child Care in Student Parent Success.'' <a href="https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Evaluating-the-Role-of-Campus-Child-Care_FINAL.pdf">https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Evaluating-the-Role-of-Campus-Child-Care_FINAL.pdf</a>.
\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, <a href="https://reports.collegepulse.com/health-and-wellness">https://reports.collegepulse.com/health-and-wellness</a>.
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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.'' <a href="https://higherlearningadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Numbers-Speak-for-Themselves-HLA-and-NASFAA-Survey-Brief-2024.pdf">https://higherlearningadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Numbers-Speak-for-Themselves-HLA-and-NASFAA-Survey-Brief-2024.pdf</a>.
\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
[[Page 47930]]
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 <a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp">https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp</a> to help design their
logic models. Other sources include: <a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf">https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf</a>,<a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf">https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf</a>, and <a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf">https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf</a>.
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 <a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks">https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks</a>.
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 (<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance</a>), 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: <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniform-guidance/index.html">https://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniform-guidance/index.html</a>. 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 <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html">https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html</a>.
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 <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html">www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html</a>.
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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/d/202226554">www.federalregister.gov/d/202226554</a>, 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:
<bullet> A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no
smaller than 10-pitch (characters per inch).
<bullet> 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 <a href="http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html">www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html</a>.
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 <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. 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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. 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
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