PKG00252006-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

Washington, DC 20202 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/ppoha/index.html

Fiscal Year 2019

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS

UNDER THE PROMOTING POSTBACCALAUREATE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS

PROGRAM

CFDA NUMBER: 84.031M

Form Approved

OMB No. 1894-0006, Expiration Date: 01/31/2021

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: July 26, 2019 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/ppoha/index.html ii

Table of Contents Page

Dear Applicant Letter

Competition Highlights

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

Application Transmittal Instructions

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards

Program Statute

Intergovernmental Review

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

Instructions for Completing the Application

Instructions for the Project Narrative

Instructions for Standard Forms

Instructions for the SF 424

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

Instructions for ED 524

Instructions for Completion of SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Instructions for Completion of General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

Application Checklist

Paperwork Burden Statement

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in applying for a new grant under the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Title V, Part B, Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program grant competition. This letter highlights items in the application package that will be important to you in applying for a grant under this program. Please review the entire application package carefully before preparing and submitting your application.

In order to receive a grant under the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Title V program, an institution of higher education must have applied to be and been designated as an eligible institution. The Notice Inviting Applications for the Designation as an Eligible Institution was published in the Federal Register on January 29, 2019 (84 FR 451). In addition to basic eligibility requirements, an institution must have at least 25 percent enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent (FTE) Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application. For this competition, an institution must have 25 percent Hispanic enrollment full-time equivalency for academic year 2017-2018.

In order to receive a grant under the PPOHA program, an institution of higher education must offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or postbaccalaureate degree program and have applied for and been designated as an eligible institution in accordance with eligibility requirements under Title V of the HEA. To be an eligible HSI for the PPOHA program, an IHE must:

(1) be accredited or pre-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;

(2) be legally authorized by the State in which it is located to provide an educational program for which it awards a bachelor's degree;

(3) be designated as an “eligible institution” by demonstrating that it: a) has an enrollment of needy students as described in 34 CFR 606.3; and b) has low average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student as described in 34 CFR 606.4; and

(4) 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.

We highly encourage applicants to notify us of their intent to submit an application. To do so, please email Maria Carrington, the program contact person, at Maria.Carrington@ed.gov with the subject line as “Intent to Apply.” 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. 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 apply.

In the FY 2019 grant competition, there are eight selection criteria to which applicants must respond. There are also two competitive preference priorities. We will award an application up to five (5) additional points for each competitive preference priority, depending on how well the mailto:Maria.Carrington@ed.gov application meets the priority. Applicants may respond to one or both competitive preference priorities for a total of up to ten (10) additional points.

For additional information on the selection criteria and the priorities, refer to the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for New Awards for FY 2019, which is included in this application package.

Applications for FY 2019 grants under the PPOHA Program must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

The NIA published in the Federal Register is the official document describing the requirements for submitting a PPOHA grant application. You should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained in the official document. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Maria Carrington at (202) 453-7339 or Maria.Carrington@ed.gov. We encourage applicants to review the “Competition Highlights” found in this application package for an overview of important items.

I appreciate your interest in the PPOHA Program and look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely, /s/

Diane Auer Jones

Principal Deputy Under Secretary

Delegated to Perform the Duties of Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf mailto:Maria.Carrington@ed.gov

Competition Highlights

1. Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans grant applications for FY 2019 must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. It is important to know that Grants.gov does not allow applicants to “un-submit” applications.

Therefore, if you discover that changes or additions are needed once your application has been accepted and validated by the Department, you must “re-submit” the entire application. You should know that if the Department receives duplicate applications, we will accept and process the application with the latest “date/time received” validation.

3. Grants under this competition will be awarded on a competitive basis. For this competition, an eligible institution of higher education may submit one grant application.

4. Under the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program, $11,051,370 million has been designated for awards to Hispanic-Serving Institutions who offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or postbaccalaureate degree program for authorized activities described in section 513 of the Higher Education Act, as amended. These authorized activities are described in detail in this application package on pages 34-35.

5. We will not make an award exceeding the maximum allowable amount for a single budget period of 12 months. (See Notice Inviting Applications for information on the maximum allowable amount.)

6. There is an invitational priority for this competition. 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. (See Notice Inviting Applications for information regarding the invitational priority.)

7. There are two competitive preference priorities for this competition. We will award an application up to 5 (five) additional points for each priority. Applicants may respond to one or both competitive preference priorities for a total of up to 10 additional points. Points are awarded on the quality of the response to the priority.

8. All applicants are encouraged to adhere to the page limit for the Project Narrative portion of the application. We recommend that you limit the section of the narrative that addresses the selection criteria and the priorities to no more than 50 pages.

9. Applicants must complete a supporting budget narrative for each line item on the ED-524 form. The budget narrative does not count against your page count.

10. Applicants are required to provide the Department with any documentation that the institution relied upon to determine that at least 25 percent of the institution’s undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic. The Department will cross-reference, for verification, data reported to the Department’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for school year 2017-http://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf

2018. If there are any differences in the percentage, the institution should explain the differences as a part of its eligibility documentation. Be advised that if the applicant does not provide data or the Department is unable to verify data submitted by the institution, the application may be deemed ineligible.

11. This application package contains detailed instructions for every required component of your application. It also includes an Application Checklist for your convenience. Note: If all required documents are not submitted with your application, it may be deemed ineligible.

12. Applicants are required to submit a Project Abstract. The Project Abstract is limited to a one-page single-spaced document. The abstract must include the name of the institution, city and purpose. The abstract must be uploaded to the “ED Abstract Form” in the Grants.gov system as a .pdf document.

13. Lastly, applicants are reminded that the notice 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.

***Updated 02/21/2019***

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.

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.

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

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.

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 DUNS 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 may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon 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. [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov. However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account, the Department of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at:

http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.

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.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html registered with the SAM. If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, 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, log in 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 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 support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants.

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 11:59:59 p.m.

Eastern Time, unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

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.

Dial-Up Internet Connections http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.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 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.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace

When using 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. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, 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 two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed 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 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.

Application Transmittal Instructions This program requires the electronic submission of applications.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register Notice, those requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application by mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you must meet the following deadline requirements:

Applications Submitted Electronically:

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the software provided on the Grants.gov Web site (http://www.grants.gov) by 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on or before the deadline date.

If you submit your application through the Internet via the Grants.gov Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement when we receive your application.

For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the Grants.gov information found in this application package and visit http://www.grants.gov.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you qualify for an exemption to the electronic submission requirement and you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: CFDA Number 84.031M LBJ Basement Level 1 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

Washington, DC 20202-4260

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

1. A private metered postmark.

2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

An applicant should note that the U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should check with its local post office.

Special Note: Due to potential disruption to normal mail delivery, the Department encourages you to consider using an alternative delivery method (for example, a commercial carrier, such as Federal Express or United Parcel Service; U.S. Postal Service Express Mail; or a courier service) to transmit your application for this competition to the Department. If you use an alternative delivery method, please obtain the appropriate proof of mailing under “Applications Delivered by Mail,” and then follow the instructions for “Applications Delivered by Hand.”

Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: CFDA Number 84.031M 550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202-4260

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:

If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

1. You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

2. The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

Application Control Center Hours of Operation:

The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Late Applications

If your application is late, we will notify you if we will not consider the application.

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Promoting Postbaccalaureate

Opportunities for Hispanic Americans 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 individual development awards for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the Promoting

Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA)

Program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number

84.031M. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES:

Applications Available: [June 11, 2019].

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: [July 26, 2019].

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: [September 24, 2019].

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

Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant

Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019

(83 FR 3768) and available at: www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-

2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Maria E. Carrington, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 260-10, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453-7339. Email:

Maria.Carrington@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purposes of Program: The purposes of the PPOHA Program are to:

(1) expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students; and (2) expand the postbaccalaureate academic offerings, as well as enhance the program quality, in the institutions of higher education (IHEs) that are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic and low-income students complete postsecondary degrees.

Background: While more Hispanics are pursuing a postsecondary education than ever before, college attainment rates among

Hispanics still lag behind those for other groups. As of 2017, among Hispanics ages 25 to 29, just 19 percent had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher. By comparison, among the same age group, about 23 percent of blacks, 42 percent of whites, and 61 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders had a bachelor’s degree or higher. 1

For many students that do receive a bachelor’s degree, enrolling and persisting through a graduate program can be daunting, especially for first-generation students. The PPOHA program supports institutions that seek to develop, enhance, and promote postbaccalaureate opportunities for Hispanic students.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive priorities and one invitational priority. The first competitive preference priority is from the authorized activities for the PPOHA Program in section 513(7) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). The second competitive preference priority is from the Secretary’s Final Supplemental Priorities and

Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (83 FR 9096)

(Supplemental Priorities), which was published in the Federal

Register on March 2, 2018.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 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 an application up to five additional points for each priority. Applicants may respond to one or both

1 NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_104.20.asp https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_104.20.asp of the competitive preference priorities, for a total of up to

10 additional points.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1 (Up to 5 additional points).

Projects that propose collaboration with other institutions of higher education to expand postbaccalaureate certificate and postbaccalaureate degree offerings.

Competitive Preference Priority 2 (Up to 5 additional points).

Projects that are designed to support instruction in personal financial literacy, knowledge of markets and economics, knowledge of higher education financing and repayment (e.g., college savings and student loans), or other skills aimed at building personal financial understanding and responsibility.

Invitational Priority: For FY 2019 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:

Projects Designed To Promote the Development and/or

Enhancement of Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Degrees with

Industry Recognized Certifications.

Under this priority, we are particularly interested in projects that are designed to establish, improve, or expand PSM degree programs, which combine traditional academic training with specialized knowledge and skills that: (a) closely align with the expectations and needs of business and industry and (b) prepare students for direct entry into a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career options in business and industry, Federal government, or non-profit organizations.

Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1.

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.

Logic model (also referred to as 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 and designing logic models, applicants may want to use resources such as the Pacific Education Laboratory’s

Education Logic Model Application

(http://relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/elm-app/ or http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544779.pdf).

Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project.

Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1102-1102c; 1161aa-1.

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 notice of final requirements, published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2010 (75 FR 44055) (Final

Requirements). (e) The Supplemental Priorities.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $11,051,370.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent fiscal years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $350,000-$600,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.

Maximum Awards: We will not make an award for a PPOHA Program individual development grant exceeding $600,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Estimated Number of Awards: 21.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Note: During the competition timeframe, applicants should periodically check the PPOHA Program website for announcements regarding technical assistance sessions for potential applicants, as well as any other competition program updates. The address is: www2.ed.gov/programs/ppoha/index.html

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs that offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or postbaccalaureate degree program and qualify as eligible Hispanic-Serving Institutions

(HSIs) under section 502 of the HEA.

Applicants also must meet the following criteria from the

Final Requirements:

Eligibility Criteria (Use of 34 CFR 606.2(a) and (b), 606.3 through 606.5): To qualify as an eligible HSI for the PPOHA

Program under sections 502 and 512(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.

1101a and 1102a), an IHE must--

(a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section 502(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101a(b)) (cross-referenced in section 502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.

1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));

(b) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA

(20 U.S.C. 1103a(b)), average educational and general expenditures that are low, per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average educational 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 educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student, an IHE must be designated as an “eligible institution” in accordance with 34 CFR 606.3 through 606.5 and the notice inviting applications for eligibility designation for the fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted.

(c) 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));

(d) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide within the State, an educational 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)); and

(e) 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)).

Note 1: Funds for the PPOHA Program will be awarded each fiscal year; thus, 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. The end of the fiscal year occurs on September 30 for any given year.

Note 2: 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.

For purposes of this competition, the data that we will use to determine percent enrollment for school year is 2017-2018.

Note 3: In addition, for the purpose of establishing eligibility under 34 CFR 606.5 for this FY 2019 competition, the notice inviting applications for eligibility designation for FY

2019 was published in the Federal Register on January 29, 2019

(84 FR 451). Only institutions that submitted the required application and received designation through that process are eligible to submit an application for this competition.

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements.

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application.

4. Other:

(a) Limit on Number of Individual Development Grants. An eligible HSI will not be awarded more than one grant under the

PPOHA Program (20 U.S.C. 1102c).

(b) Limit on Applications From an Eligible Institution. In any fiscal year, an eligible institution may submit only one application for a grant under the PPOHA Program. This restriction is intended to ensure that more HSIs have an opportunity for assistance under title V, part B of the HEA.

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 February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-

02206.pdf, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to

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

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

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative

(Part III of the application) 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 50 pages and (2) use the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative. Titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs, are excluded.

• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract and the bibliography.

However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.

Note: The Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs Form (ED

524) Sections A-C are not the same as the narrative response to the Budget section of the selection criteria.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from section 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows.

Applicants should address each of the selection criteria separately for each proposed activity. The total weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses.

(a) Need for project. (Maximum 5 points) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (up to 2 points)

(ii) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (up to 3 points)

(b) Quality of the project design. (Maximum 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:

(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (up to 5 points)

(ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (up to 5 points)

(iii) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this notice) (up to 5 points)

(c) Quality of project services. (Maximum 20 points) The

Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers:

(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services. (up to 10 points)

(ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (up to 5 points)

(iii) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the proposed project will result in information to guide possible replication of project activities or strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project. (up to 5 points)

(d) Significance. (Maximum 5 points)

The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed project is likely to build local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs of the target population.

(e) Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 15 points) The

Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (up to 5 points)

(ii) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes, activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or organization at the end of Federal funding. (up to

10 points)

(f) Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 5 points) The

Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

In addition, the Secretary considers the extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project. (up to

5 points)

(g) Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 20 points)

The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (up to 10 points)

(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.

(up to 10 points)

(h) Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 15 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:

(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (up to 5 points)

(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible. (up to 5 points)

(iii)…