Notice2025-09995
Applications for New Awards; Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions 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 3, 2025
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.031S. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1840-0745.
Full Text
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23520-23526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09995]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Developing Hispanic-Serving
Institutions Program
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the
Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program, Assistance
Listing Number (ALN) 84.031S. This notice relates to the approved
information collection under OMB control number 1840-0745.
DATES:
Applications Available: June 3, 2025.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 3, 2025.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: October 1, 2025.
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 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs">www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs</a>. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede
the version published on December 7, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margarita Melendez, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2B186, Washington, DC 20202-
4260. Telephone: (202) 987-0408. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#125f73607573607b66733c5f777e777c7677685277763c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9bd6fae9fcfae9f2effab5d6fef7fef5fffee1dbfeffb5fcf4ed">[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 DHSI Program provides grants to eligible
institutions of higher education (IHEs) to expand educational
opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic
students; and expand and enhance the academic offerings, program
quality, and institutional stability of colleges and universities that
are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and helping
large numbers of Hispanic students and other low-income individuals
complete postsecondary degrees.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities and one invitational priority. The competitive preference
priorities are from the Administrative Priorities for Discretionary
Grant Programs published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2020 (85
FR 13640) (Administrative Priorities).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2025 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
20 points to an application, depending on how well the application
meets one or more of these priorities; the total possible points for
each competitive preference priority are noted in parentheses.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Rural Applicants (10 points).
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate the following:
(a) The applicant is an IHE with a rural campus setting, or the
applicant proposes to serve a campus with a rural setting. Rural
settings include any of the following: Town-Fringe, Town-Distant, Town-
Remote, Rural Fringe, Rural-Distant, Rural-Remote, as defined by the
NCES College Navigator search tool.
Note: Any rural campus served under this priority must be an
eligible HSI (as defined in this notice).
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Applications from New Potential
Grantees (10 points).
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate the following:
(a) The applicant has not had an active discretionary grant under
the program from which it seeks funds, including through membership in
a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129,
in the following number of years before the deadline date for
submission of applications under the program.
(i) Five years
Invitational Priority: For FY 2025 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets the invitational
priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
The priority is:
Invitational Priority: Expanding access to distance education,
workforce-based options, or shortened time-to-degree models, or
recognized credentials. Applicants should demonstrate how their
projects, institutions, or proposals are designed to promote education
choice in one or more of the following ways: Expand access to
postsecondary distance education, competency-based or skills-based
education, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, part-time coursework
and career preparation, work-based learning or shortened time-to-degree
models, and programs or coursework that lead to high-wage, high-
skilled, or
[[Page 23521]]
in-demand, industry recognized credentials.
Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1 and
apply to the priorities and selection criteria in this notice:
Baseline means the starting point from which performance is
measured and targets are set.
Budget period means an interval of time into which a project period
is divided for budgetary purposes.
Demonstrates a rationale means that there is a key project
component included in the project's logic model that is supported by
citations of high-quality research or evaluation findings that suggest
that the project component is likely to significantly improve relevant
outcomes.
Department means the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
Fiscal year means the Federal fiscal year--a period beginning on
October 1 and ending on the following September 30.
Grant period means the period for which funds have been awarded.
Grantee means the legal entity to which a grant is awarded and that
is accountable to the Federal Government for the use of the funds
provided. The grantee is the entire legal entity even if only a
particular component of the entity is designated in the grant award
notice (GAN). For example, a GAN may name as the grantee one school or
campus of a university. In this case, the granting agency usually
intends, or actually intends, that the named component assume primary
or sole responsibility for administering the grant-assisted project or
program. Nevertheless, the naming of a component of a legal entity as
the grantee in a grant award document shall not be construed as
relieving the whole legal entity from accountability to the Federal
Government for the use of the funds provided. (This definition is not
intended to affect the eligibility provision of grant programs in which
eligibility is limited to organizations that may be only components of
a legal entity.) The term ``grantee'' does not include any secondary
recipients, such as subgrantees and contractors, that may receive funds
from a grantee pursuant to a subgrant or contract.
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 Pacific Education Laboratory's Logic Model
Application (<a href="http://www.ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp">www.ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp</a>).
Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a
project.
Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention,
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
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 the WWC reporting ``strong
evidence'', ``moderate evidence'', or ``promising evidence'' for the
corresponding practice guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting ``Tier 1
strong evidence'' of effectiveness, or ``Tier 2 moderate evidence'' of
effectiveness, or ``Tier 3 promising evidence'' of effectiveness, or 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 (such as 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; and
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report.
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 outcome(s)
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of the program.
Subgrant means an award of financial assistance in the form of
money, or property in lieu of money, made under a grant by a grantee to
an eligible subgrantee. The term includes financial assistance when
provided by contractual or any other form of legal agreement, but does
not include
[[Page 23522]]
procurement purchases, nor does it include any form of assistance that
is excluded from the definition of ``grant or award'' in this part (see
2 CFR 200.92, ``Subaward'').
What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means the
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards
Handbook, Version 5.0, or in the WWC Standards Handbook, Version 4.0 or
4.1, or in the WWC Procedures Handbook, Version 4.0 or 4.1, the WWC
Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (all
incorporated by reference; see Sec. 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.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1101-1101d and 1103-1103g.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97,
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 606. (e)
The Administrative Priorities.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Five-year Individual
Development Grants only. Cooperative Arrangement Grants and Planning
Grants will not be awarded in FY 2025.
Estimated Available Funds: $66,944,786.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$600,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $575,000.
Maximum Awards: We will not make an award exceeding $600,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 116.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information and Supplemental Requirements
1. Eligible Applicants: (a) Institutions of higher education (IHEs)
that qualify as eligible HSIs are eligible to apply for new Individual
Development Grants under the DHSI Program. To be an eligible HSI, an
IHE must--
(i) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section
502(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA) (section
502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));
(ii) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA, average
education and general expenditures that are low, per full-time
equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average
education and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student of
institutions that offer similar instruction (section 502(a)(2)(A)(ii)
of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));
Note: To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students and low
average education and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate
student, an IHE must be designated as an ``eligible institution'' in
accordance with 34 CFR 606.2 through 606.5 and the notice inviting
applications for designation as an eligible institution for the fiscal
year for which the grant competition is being conducted.
Note: The notice announcing the FY 2025 process for designation of
eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of
eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal Register on
March 6, 2025 (90 FR 11408). Only institutions that the Department
determines are eligible, or are granted a waiver, may apply for a grant
in this program.
(iii) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency
or association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable
authority as to the quality of education or training offered, or making
reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an agency
or association (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));
(iv) Be legally authorized to provide, and provides within the
State, an education program for which the institution awards a
bachelor's degree (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)), or be a junior or community college (section
502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii));
(v) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at
least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year
immediately preceding the date of application (section 502(a)(5)(B) of
the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)); and
(vi) Provide, as an attachment to the application, the
documentation the IHE relied upon in determining that at least 25
percent of the IHE's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic. The 25
percent requirement applies only to undergraduate Hispanic students and
is calculated based upon FTE students as defined in section 502(a)(4)
of the HEA. Instructions for formatting and submitting the verification
documentation to <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> are in the application package for this
competition.
(b) For this program, the ``end of the award year immediately
preceding the date of application'' refers to the end of the fiscal
year prior to the application due date. For purposes of this
competition, the data that we will use to determine percent enrollment
is for academic year 2023-2024.
(c) In considering applications for grants under this program, the
Department will compare the data and documentation the institution
relied on in its application with data reported to the Department's
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the IHE's
State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional annual report. If
different percentages or data are reported in these various sources,
the institution must, as part of the 25 percent assurance verification,
explain the reason for the differences. If the IPEDS data show that
less than 25 percent of the institution's undergraduate FTE students
are Hispanic, the burden is on the institution to show that the IPEDS
data are inaccurate. If the IPEDS data indicate that the institution
has an undergraduate FTE less than 25 percent, and the institution
fails to demonstrate that the IPEDS data are inaccurate, the
institution will be considered ineligible.
(d) A grantee under the DHSI Program, which is authorized by title
V of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, title III, part A
or part B program (section 505 of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101d). The title
III, part A programs include the Strengthening Institutions Program,
the American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities
Program, the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving
[[Page 23523]]
Institutions Programs, the Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-Serving Institutions Program, the Predominantly Black
Institutions Program, and the Native American-Serving Non-Tribal
Institutions Program. The title III, part B programs include the
Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities program and
the Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions Program.
Furthermore, a current DHSI Program grantee may not give up its HSI
grant in order to receive a grant under any title III, part A program
(34 CFR 606.2(c)(1)).
(e) An eligible HSI may only submit one Individual Development
Grant application.
(f) Nothing in this notice alters a grantee's obligations to comply
with nondiscrimination requirements in Federal civil rights laws,
including nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, or national
origin, among others.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for
establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a
portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match or
exceed those grant funds with non-Federal funds (section 503(c)(2) of
the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Grant funds must be used so that they
supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the funds that would
otherwise be available for the activities to be carried out under the
grant and in no case supplant those funds. (34 CFR 606.30(b)).
c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: A grantee may not use an
indirect cost rate to determine allowable costs under its grant.
d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may award
subgrants--to directly carry out project activities described in its
application--to the following types of entities: local educational
agencies; State educational agencies; IHEs; nonprofit organizations.
The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified in an
approved application or that it selects through a competition under
procedures established by the grantee.
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 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs">www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs</a>, which contain requirements and information on how to
submit an application. Please note that these Common Instructions
supersede the version published on December 7, 2022.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for the DHSI 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, 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
intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372. Information about
this process is in the application package.
4. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR
606.10(c).
5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you,
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the
application narrative to no more than 55 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 applies to the Project Narrative, which
is your complete response to the selection criteria, and any responses
to the priorities, if applicable. However, the 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, the program profile form, and supporting
narrative.
6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review
grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number
of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage
each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an
application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line ``Intent to
Apply,'' and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name
and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to
apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice
of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information
provided.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210, 606.8, and 606.22. Applicants should address
each of the following selection criteria separately for each proposed
activity. We will award up to 100 points to an application under the
selection criteria and up to 20 additional points to an application
under the competitive preference priorities, for a total score of up to
120 points. The maximum score for each criterion is noted in
parentheses.
(a) Quality of the applicant's comprehensive development plan. (Up
to 25 points)
The Secretary evaluates each application for a development grant
based on the extent to which--
(1) The strengths, weaknesses, and significant problems of the
institution's academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal
stability are clearly and comprehensively analyzed and result from a
process that involved major constituencies of the institution (Up to 5
points);
[[Page 23524]]
(2) The goals for the institution's academic programs,
institutional management, and fiscal stability are realistic and based
on comprehensive analysis (Up to 5 points);
(3) The objectives stated in the plan are measurable, related to
institutional goals, and, if achieved, will contribute to the growth
and self-sufficiency of the institution (Up to 5 points);
(4) The plan clearly and comprehensively describes the methods and
resources the institution will use to institutionalize practice and
improvements developed under the proposed project, including, in
particular, how operational costs for personnel, maintenance, and
upgrades of equipment will be paid with institutional resources (Up to
5 points); and
(5) The five-year plan describes how the applicant will improve its
services to Hispanic and other low-income students (Up to 5 points).
Note: Under 34 CFR 606.8(a), a comprehensive development plan is an
institution's strategy for achieving growth and self-sufficiency by
strengthening its--
(1) Academic programs;
(2) Institutional management; and
(3) Fiscal stability.
(b) Quality of the project design. (Up to 15 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:
(1) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a
rationale (as defined in this notice) that is aligned with the purposes
of the grant program (Up to 10 points); and
(2) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by
promising evidence (as defined in this notice) (Up to 5 points).
Note: To establish that their projects ``demonstrate a rationale,''
applicants must use a logic model (as defined in this notice) and
identify research or evaluation findings suggesting that a key project
component is likely to improve a relevant outcome. To establish that
their projects are supported by ``promising evidence,'' applicants
should cite the supporting study or studies that meet the conditions in
the definition of ``promising evidence'' and attach the study(ies) as
part of the application attachments. In addressing ``promising
evidence,'' applicants are encouraged to align the direct student
services proposed in this application to evidence-based practices
identified in the selected studies. Note that the research cited to
address the ``promising evidence'' criterion can be the same research
provided to demonstrate a rationale, but only applications that include
logic models can receive full points under the ``demonstrates a
rationale'' selection factor.
(c) Quality of activity objectives. (Up to 10 points)
The extent to which the objectives for each activity are--
(1) Realistic and defined in terms of measurable results (Up to 5
points); and
(2) Directly related to the problems to be solved and to the goals
of the comprehensive development plan (Up to 5 points).
(d) Quality of implementation strategy. (Up to 20 points)
The extent to which--
(1) The implementation strategy for each activity is comprehensive
(Up to 10 points);
(2) The rationale for the implementation strategy for each activity
is clearly described and is supported by the results of relevant
studies or projects (Up to 5 points); and
(3) The timetable for each activity is realistic and likely to be
attained (Up to 5 points).
(e) Quality of the project management plan. (Up to 10 points)
The extent to which--
(1) Procedures for managing the project are likely to ensure
efficient and effective project implementation (Up to 5 points); and
(2) The project coordinator and activity directors have sufficient
authority to conduct the project effectively, including access to the
president or chief executive officer (Up to 3 points).
(3) Procedures for fiscal control and fund accounting procedures
are likely to ensure proper disbursement of and accounting for funds
made available to the applicant (Up to 2 points).
(f) Quality of key personnel. (Up to 5 points)
The extent to which--
(1) The past experience and training of key professional personnel
are directly related to the stated activity objectives (Up to 2
points); and
(2) The time commitment of key personnel is realistic (Up to 3
points).
(g) Quality of evaluation plan. (Up to 10 points)
The extent to which--
(1) The data elements and the data collection procedures are
clearly described and appropriate to measure the attainment of activity
objectives and to measure the success of the project in achieving the
goals of the comprehensive development plan (Up to 5 points); and
(2) The data analysis procedures are clearly described and are
likely to produce formative and summative results on attaining activity
objectives and measuring the success of the project on achieving the
goals of the comprehensive development plan (Up to 5 points).
(h) Budget. (Up to 5 points)
The extent to which the proposed costs are necessary and reasonable
in relation to the project's objectives and scope.
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 tie-breaking situations for development grants described in 34
CFR 606.23(b), the DHSI Program regulations in 34 CFR part 606, subpart
C require that we award additional points to an application from an IHE
that:
(1) Has an endowment fund of which the current market value, per
FTE enrolled student, is less than the average current market value of
the endowment funds, per FTE enrolled student, at comparable
institutions that offer similar instruction (1 point);
(2) Has expenditures for library materials per FTE enrolled student
that are less than the average expenditures for library materials per
FTE enrolled student at comparable institutions that offer similar
instruction (1 point); or
(3) Proposes to carry out one or more of the following activities--
(i) Faculty development (1 point);
(ii) Funds and administrative management (1 point);
(iii) Development and improvement of academic programs (2 points);
[[Page 23525]]
(iv) Acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening management
and academic programs (1 point);
(v) Joint use of facilities (2 points); or
(vi) Student services (2 points).
If a tie remains after applying the tiebreaker mechanism above,
priority will be given to applicants that addressed the priority in
section 521(d) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1103): the Secretary gives
priority to an application that contains satisfactory evidence that the
Hispanic-Serving Institution has entered or will enter into a
collaborative arrangement with at least one local educational agency or
community-based organization to provide such agency or organization
with assistance (from funds other than funds provided under title 20 of
the U.S. Code) in reducing dropout rates for Hispanic students,
improving rates of academic achievement for Hispanic students, and
increasing the rates at which Hispanic secondary school graduates
enroll in higher education.
If a tie still remains after applying the additional point(s) and
the statutory priority, we will determine the ranking of applicants
based on the applicant that scores the highest under the selection
criterion ``Quality of the applicant's comprehensive development
plan,'' followed by ``Quality of implementation strategy.''
If a tie still remains, we will select the applicant with the
lowest endowment per FTE enrolled student.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Before awarding grants
under this program, the Department conducts a review of the risks posed
by applicants. The Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not
responsible.
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), 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.
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 these requirements if this grant
plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
5.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements, please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements should you receive
funding under this competition. This does not apply if you have an
exception.
(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. The
Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports. 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>.
(c) The Secretary may provide a grantee with additional funding for
data collection analysis and reporting. In this case, the Secretary
establishes a data collection period.
5. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of
the DHSI Program under 34 CFR 75.110:
(a) The annual rate of degree or certificate completion for all
students, and specifically for Hispanic students, at DHSI grantee
institutions.
(b) The annual persistence rate at DHSI grantee institutions for
all students, and for Hispanic students in particular, from one year to
the next.
(c) The percentage of all students, and of Hispanic students in
particular, who transfer from a two-year HSI to a four-year
institution.
(d) The number of all students, and the number of Hispanic students
in particular, served by any direct student service supported by the
grant.
(e) The Federal cost per undergraduate and graduate degree at
institutions in the DHSI program.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made
substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the
project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance
targets in the grantee's approved application, or whether the
continuation of the project is in the best interest of the Federal
Government.
[[Page 23526]]
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department.
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Signing Authority
This document of the U.S. Department of Education was signed on May
20, 2025, by Christopher J. McCaghren, ED.D, Acting Assistant Secretary
Office of Postsecondary Education. That document with the original
signature and date is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education.
For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements
of the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned has been
authorized to sign the document in electronic format for publication,
as an official document of the U.S. Department of Education. This
administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this
document upon publication in the Federal Register.
Tracey St. Pierre,
Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat, Office of the Secretary,
U.S. Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2025-09995 Filed 6-2-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.