1840-0745 DHSI 2023 Grant application booklet.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

Washington, DC 20202 www.ed.gov/hsi

Fiscal Year 2023

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS

UNDER THE DEVELOPING

HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM

CFDA NUMBER: 84.031S

Form Approved

OMB No. 1840-0745, Expiration Date: 05/31/2023

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: June 13, 2023 http://www.ed.gov/hsi ii

Table of Contents Page

Dear Applicant Letter

Competition Highlights

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards

Program Statute

Intergovernmental Review

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

Instructions for Completing the Application

Instructions for Standard Forms

Supplemental Instructions for the Project Narrative

Competition Priorities……………………………………………………………………66

DHSI Program Profile Form

DHSI Program Profile Form Instructions

Application Checklist

Paperwork Burden Statement

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

April 14, 2023

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant under the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Title V, Part A, Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program. This letter highlights items in the application package that will be important to you in applying for a grant under this program.

The dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact continue to evolve. The pandemic has led to a wide range of disruptions for college students and the institutions they attend. While the disruptions and their effects have led to severe declines in enrollment and retention of Hispanic students nationwide, we know that our students are resilient. We know that they are hopeful. It is imperative that educators are deliberate, now more than ever, in their approaches to re-engage, inspire, and teach our students. As such, we invite you to propose projects that are designed to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts that extend beyond the duration of the pandemic itself, on the students most impacted by the pandemic, with a focus on underserved students and the educators who serve them, through priority areas described in the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA).

The FY 2023 DHSI grant application also contains two competitive preference priorities and one invitational priority, which are described in the NIA. We sincerely hope applicants will consider addressing these priorities. Additionally, through this competition, we hope to build evidence of promising practices, as well as build upon developed practices and strategies of effectiveness that are relevant to the purpose of this program.

Applicants are required to follow the Revised 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 http://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554.

This application package provides tips for submitting a complete application and includes the NIA published in the Federal Register. The NIA published in the Federal Register is the official document describing the requirements for submitting a DHSI Program grant application. You should not rely upon any other information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained in the official document. We also encourage applicants to review the “Competition Highlights” found in this application package for an overview of important items. Additional information on the DHSI program is accessible on the Department’s website at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/index.html.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Njeri Clark, http://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554 https://www2.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/index.html competition manager, at Njeri.Clark@ed.gov or (202) 453-6224. We appreciate your interest in the DHSI Program and look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely, /s/

Nasser H. Paydar, Ph.D.

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education mailto:Njeri.Clark@ed.gov

Competition Highlights

1. Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant applications for FY 2023 must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. Applicants are required to follow the Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554 which contain information on how to submit an application.

2. The application deadline is 6/13/2023, at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

3. Only eligible Institutions of Higher Education may apply for a grant under this program. For information on eligibility, refer to the Notice Inviting Applications.

4. The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 amended the authorized grant activities under Part A of Title V of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 (individual development grants) to include innovative and customized instruction course development; articulation agreement and student support program activities designed to facilitate student transfer from two-year to four-year institutions; activities that improve student financial and economic literacy; and activities to develop distance education technologies.

5. Grants under this competition will be awarded on a competitive basis for the following type of grant:

Individual Development Grants only. For this competition, an eligible institution of higher education may submit one Individual Development Grant application.

6. We will not make an award exceeding the maximum allowable amount for a single budget period of 1 year. (See Notice Inviting Applications for information on the maximum allowable amount.)

7. There is one Invitational Priority for this competition. You are encouraged, but not required, to meet this priority. No additional points will be awarded if you meet this priority. There are two Competitive Preference Priorities for this competition. We will award an application up to five (5) additional points for each priority. Applicants may respond to one or both competitive preference priorities for a total of up to ten (10) additional points.

8. All applicants are encouraged to limit the Project Narrative portion of the application to no more than 55 pages.

9. Applicants must complete the “DHSI Program Profile Form” located in this application package.

This form serves as the assurance regarding the Hispanic enrollment required by the program’s statutory language.

10. A current grantee under the DHSI Program, which is authorized by Title V of the HEA, may not simultaneously hold, or receive, another grant under any Title III, Part A or Title III, Part B program.

11. This application package contains detailed instructions for every required component of your application. It also includes an Application Checklist for your convenience.

12. Applicants are reminded that the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register is the official document. You should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the official document.

13. Pre-Application Workshops will be conducted by the program office. Dates and times are posted under the “Related Documents” tab in Grants.gov. Please contact Njeri Clark at Njeri.clark@ed.gov if more information is needed.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554 mailto:Njeri.clark@ed.gov

Revised 12/2022

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

Browser Support

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues. Grants.gov no longer provides support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 or below.

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser.

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number.

Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Helpful Reminders

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov), which usually takes approximately 7 to 10 business days, but can take longer depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

To register in SAM.gov, click on the “Get Started” link under the “Register Your Entity…” heading in SAM.gov. Grantees, and other entities wanting to do business with the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., entities applying for a grant), that are not already registered in SAM.gov must complete the “Register Entity” registration option and NOT the “Get a Unique Entity ID” option. The “Get a Unique Entity ID” option, which is not a full registration, is only available to entities for reporting purposes. Failing to complete the “Register Entity” option may result in loss of funding, loss of applicant eligibility, and/or delays in receiving a grant award. Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further assist you with registering in SAM or updating your existing SAM registration, see the Quick Start Guide for Grant Registrations and the Entity Registration Video at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

You must provide the UEI on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=f51d017e1bab7c105465eaccac4bcb9f%20 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned.

Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants.

We discourage paper applications, but if electronic submission is not possible ( e.g., you do not have access to the internet), (1) you must provide a prior written notification that you intend to submit a paper application and (2) your paper application must be postmarked by the application deadline date. If you submit your prior written notification by email, it must be received by the Department no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date.

If you mail your notification to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date (See the 2022 Common Instructions for detailed instructions regarding this procedure).

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

Slow Internet Connections

When using a slow internet connection, such as a dial-up connection, to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g., cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. Failure to fully upload an application by the deadline date and time will result in your application being marked late in the G5 system. If you do not have access to a high-speed internet connection, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions and the 2022 Common Instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:

• When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.

Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs their application in either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

• When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

• Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Notice Inviting Applications 4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Developing Hispanic-Serving

Institutions Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of

Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)

2023 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: April 14, 2023.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 13, 2023.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 14, 2023.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for

Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant

Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022

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

26554. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Njeri Clark, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 2B186, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-6224. Email:

Njeri.Clark@ed.gov.

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 assist

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) with expanding educational opportunities for, and improving the academic attainment of, Hispanic students. DHSI Program grants enable HSIs to expand and enhance the academic offerings, program quality, faculty quality, and institutional stability of colleges and universities that are educating the largest enrollment of

Hispanic college students and help large numbers of Hispanic students and other low-income individuals complete postsecondary degrees.

Background: In a February 2022 article published in the

Chronicle of Higher Education titled, “The Missing Hispanic mailto:Njeri.Clark@ed.gov

Students: Higher ed’s future and the economy depends on their coming back to college,” the author highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic threatened the progress made in postsecondary enrollment of Hispanic students over the last decade and calls attention to the negative impact on institutions and communities from the loss of Hispanic students.1 According to the National

Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Hispanic undergraduate enrollment fell 7 percent from 2019 to 2021.2 To address this decline, the re-engagement and retention of students, especially

Hispanic students, will require targeted supports, including those that leverage technology, and holistic wraparound services.

Through leadership, practice, and data that support evidence-based decision-making, HSIs can foster a strong sense of belonging and implement robust academic programs that focus on student learning through high-impact practices. In FY 2022, the Department’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions Division held a listening session with institutions recognized for their leadership in serving Hispanic students. In the listening session, these institutions identified a number of practices that, when implemented intentionally, may contribute to student success. The institutions identified academic offerings such as

1 www.chronicle.com/article/the-missing-hispanic-students.

2 https://nscresearchcenter.org/stay-informed/.

http://www.chronicle.com/article/the-missing-hispanic-students https://nscresearchcenter.org/stay-informed/ undergraduate research experiences and support services such as advising and mentoring that promote retention and degree completion. Additionally, these institutions noted the importance of having leadership that is committed both to promoting access to the institution, but also to providing the necessary academic, social, and emotional supports needed to promote student success.

To this end, this competition includes two competitive preference priorities and one invitational priority that are designed to support students holistically and promote continual success.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities and one invitational priority. The competitive preference priorities are from the Secretary’s Supplemental

Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR

70612) (Supplemental Priorities).

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2023 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 5 points to an application for each priority, depending on how well the application meets each of these priorities. Applicants may respond to one or both priorities, for a total of up to 10 additional points.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs (up to 5 points).

Projects that are designed to improve students' social, emotional, academic, and career development, with a focus on underserved students by creating a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe climate at institutions of higher education through one or more of the following activities:

(a) Fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for underserved students.

(b) Implementing evidence-based practices for advancing student success for underserved students.

(c) Providing evidence-based professional development opportunities designed to build asset-based mindsets for faculty and staff on campus and that are inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing

Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and

Post-Enrollment Success (up to 5 points).

Projects that are designed to increase postsecondary access, affordability, completion, and success for underserved students by addressing one or more of the following priority areas:

(a) Increasing postsecondary education access and reducing the cost of college by creating clearer pathways for students between institutions and making transfer of course credits more seamless and transparent.

(b) Increasing the number and proportion of underserved students who enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs, which may include strategies related to college preparation, awareness, application, selection, advising, counseling, and enrollment.

(c) 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.

(d) Supporting the development and implementation of student success programs that integrate multiple comprehensive and evidence-based services or initiatives, such as academic advising, structured/guided pathways, career services, credit-bearing academic undergraduate courses focused on career, and programs to meet basic needs, such as housing, childcare and transportation, student financial aid, and access to technological devices.

Invitational Priority: For FY 2023 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 this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

This priority is:

Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty.

Projects that are designed to address the impacts of the

COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts that extend beyond the duration of the pandemic itself, on the students most impacted by the pandemic, with a focus on underserved students and the educators who serve them, through one or more of the following priority areas:

(a) Providing resources and supports to meet the basic, fundamental, health and safety needs of students and educators.

(b) Addressing educator, faculty, and staff well-being.

(c) Using evidence-based instructional approaches or supports to assist individuals who did not enroll in, withdrew from, or reduced course loads in postsecondary education or training programs due to COVID-19 to enroll in, remain enrolled in, and complete credit-bearing coursework and earn recognized postsecondary credentials.

Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1 and the Supplemental Priorities 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 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.

Department means the U.S. Department of Education.

Disconnected youth means an individual, between the ages 14 and 24, who may be from a low-income background, experiences homelessness, is in foster care, is involved in the justice system, or is not working or not enrolled in (or at risk of dropping out of) an educational institution.

English learner means an individual who is an English learner as defined in section 8101(20) 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.

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

(www.ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp).

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 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 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 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”).

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) An English learner.

(d) A disconnected youth.

(e) A technologically unconnected youth.

(f) A migrant student.

(g) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

(h) A student without documentation of immigration status.

(i) A student who is the first in their family to attend postsecondary education.

(j) A student enrolling in or seeking to enroll in postsecondary education for the first time at the age of 20 or older.

(k) A student who is working full-time while enrolled in postsecondary education.

(l) A student who is enrolled in or is seeking to enroll in postsecondary education who is eligible for a Pell Grant.

(m) An adult student in need of improving their basic skills or an adult student with limited English proficiency.

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 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-77.2 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 Supplemental 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 2023.

Estimated Available Funds: $38,048,815.

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: 65.

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 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 2023 process for designation of eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal

Register on January 17, 2023 (88 FR 2611). 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

Grants.gov 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 2021-2022.

(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 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. 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. All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part

200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.

3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), 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 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.

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 program is subject to

Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program.

4. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in

34 CFR 606.10(c). We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the…