PKG00257188-instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of Education

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Washington, DC 20202 www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

FY 2020

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS

UNDER THE

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

CFDA NUMBER: 84.042A

Form Approved OMB No. 1840-0017

(Expiration Date: October 31, 2022 )

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: January 27, 2020 http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

Dear Applicant Letter

Competition Highlights

Overview Student Support Services Program

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

Application Transmittal Instructions

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards

Authorizing Legislation

SSS Program Regulations

Current Year Low-Income Levels

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

Supplemental Information

SSS Program Profile Form

Part IV—SSS Program Assurances

Part V—Prior Experience

INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions for Completing the Application Package

Instructions for Project Narrative –Selection Criteria

List of Standard Forms

Instructions for the SF-424…………………………………………………………………………103

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424…………………106

Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424………………….108

Instructions for ED 524……………………………………………………………………………..111

Instructions for ED 524 Budget Summary Form & Itemized Line Item Budget………………..…114

Instructions for Completion of SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities………………………118

TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)……………………………………………………………………120

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)…………………………………………………………...122

Application Checklist…………………………………………………………………………………………..124

Paperwork Burden Statement……………………………………………………………………

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Dear Applicant, We are pleased to provide the application package for the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Student Support Services (SSS) Program grant competition, which contains the information and instructions needed to submit a complete application to the U.S.

Department of Education (Department) through Grants.gov.

The SSS Program provides grants to institutions of higher education to operate projects that provide opportunities for academic development, student assistance with basic college requirements, and motivation for students to successfully complete their postsecondary education. The goal of SSS is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants.

The FY 2020 competition contains two competitive preference priorities, which are described in the Notice Inviting Applications and this application package. We sincerely hope applicants will consider addressing these competitive preference priorities.

Please review the entire application package carefully before preparing and submitting an application. Additional information on the SSS Program is accessible on the Department’s website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html.

Lastly, please do not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the Federal Register Notice.

Thank you for your interest in the Student Support Services Program. We look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely, /s/

Christopher J. McCaghren, Ed.D.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html

COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS

1. SSS Program applications for FY 2020 must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov.

You are urged to acquaint yourself with the requirements of Grants.gov early as the registration procedures may require 5 or more days to complete. A more thorough discussion is included later in this application package. Grants.gov is accessible through its portal page at:

https://www.Grants.gov. The requirements for obtaining an exception to the electronic submission requirement are included in the Notice for FY 2020. If you think you may need an exception, you are urged to review the requirements promptly.

2. 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,

3. 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 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.

4. Please note that you must submit your application by 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on or before the application deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

5. Electronic submission of applications is required; therefore, you must submit an electronic application unless you follow the procedures outlined in the Notice for FY 2020 and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement.

6. We recommend that you limit the application narrative, which includes the budget narrative, to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages.

7. All attachments must be in a Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.

Other types of files will not be accepted. Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. It is important to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to log on to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number that was used when your organization registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

For Grants.gov related questions and assistance, please contact:

Support Desk e-Mail: support@Grants.gov Support Desk Telephone: (800) 518-4726 Contact Telephone Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays Online Web Site: https://www.Grants.gov

Also, refer to the “U.S. Department of Education Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants” section found in this application booklet.

You are reminded that the Notice published in the Federal Register is the official document, and that you should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidelines contained within the official document.

8. In the FY 2020 competition, the program has two competitive preference priorities. They are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills: Improving collaboration between education providers and employers to ensure student learning objectives are aligned with the skills or knowledge required for employment in in-demand industry sectors or occupations (as defined in section 3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014).

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens:

Supporting 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.

9. As you develop your application, we ask you to carefully consider the specific content that you will provide in the Objectives section of the application. This part of the application should address the appropriate standardized objectives related to the participants' academic achievements, including retention, academic standing, and graduation/transfer as stated on the SSS Program Profile Form.

10. In the Project Narrative, you must address each of the appropriate objectives, and explain how the objective is ambitious and attainable. Applicants should use comparative data to show why the proposed percentages are ambitious based on information provided in the Need section of the Project Narrative and attainable based on the information provided in the Plan of Operation and the resources available to the project. Applicants may not modify, amend or delete any of these objectives.

mailto:support@Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/

11. Consistent with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), applicants may submit multiple SSS program applications to address the needs of different campuses of a single institution or to address the needs of the different populations that have been identified in this application (e.g., students with disabilities; students for whom English is a second language;

students entering specific disciplines of study) as appropriate recipients for project services as defined by the program regulations.

12. All applicants must complete the SSS Program Profile Form. The SSS Program Profile Form contains three standardized objectives. All applicants are required to propose the percentage or number--as indicated on the form--at which each of these objectives will be met. Applicants may not modify, amend or delete any of these objectives. Instructions for submitting the form are included in the Instructions for Completing the Application Package.

13. All applicants must provide a one-page abstract. Complete instructions for submitting the abstract are included in the Instructions for Completing the Application Package in this application. The abstract must be uploaded into the ED Abstract Form section in Grants.gov.

14. Information on the SSS Program is accessible at the Department’s Web site at:

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html.

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html.

Overview Student Support Services Program

Authorization

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; Title IV, Part A, Subpart 2, Chapter 1, Sec. 402D;

20 U.S.C. 1070a-14

Program Regulations

34 CFR part 646 Student Support Services Program

What is the Student Support Services Program?

The Student Support Services Program provides grants for projects designed to—

(a) Increase the college retention and graduation rates of eligible students;

(b) Increase the transfer rate of eligible students from two-year to four-year institutions; and

(c) Foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, individuals with disabilities, homeless children and youth, foster care youth, or other disconnected students; and

(d) Improve the financial and economic literacy of students in areas such as—

(1) Basic personal income, household money management, and financial planning skills;

and

(2) Basic economic decision-making skills.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and1070a-14)

[61 FR 38537, July 24, 1996, as amended at 75 FR 65790, Oct. 26, 2010]

Who is eligible to receive a grant?

An institution of higher education or a combination of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive a grant to carry out a Student Support Services project.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-14)

What activities and services can a project provide?

Required Services

A Student Support Services project must provide the following services:

(1) Academic tutoring, directly or through other services provided by the institution, to enable students to complete postsecondary courses, which may include instruction in reading, writing, study skills, mathematics, science, and other subjects.

(2) Advice and assistance in postsecondary course selection.

(3)(i) Information on both the full range of Federal student financial aid programs and benefits (including Federal Pell Grant awards and loan forgiveness) and resources for locating public and private scholarships; and

(ii) Assistance in completing financial aid applications, including the Free Application for

Federal Student Aid.

(4) Education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students, including financial planning for postsecondary education.

(5) Activities designed to assist participants enrolled in four-year institutions of higher education in applying for admission to, and obtaining financial assistance for enrollment in, graduate and professional programs.

(6) Activities designed to assist students enrolled in two-year institutions of higher education in applying for admission to, and obtaining financial assistance for enrollment in, a four-year program of postsecondary education.

Permissible Services

A Student Support Services project may provide the following services:

(1) Individualized counseling for personal, career, and academic matters provided by assigned counselors.

(2) Information, activities, and instruction designed to acquaint students participating in the project with the range of career options available to the students.

(3) Exposure to cultural events and academic programs not usually available to disadvantaged students.

(4) Mentoring programs involving faculty or upper-class students, or a combination thereof.

(5) Securing temporary housing during breaks in the academic year for—

(i) Students who are homeless children and youths or were formerly homeless children and youths; and

(ii) Foster care youths.

(6) Programs and activities as described in paragraph (a) of this section or paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(4) of this section that are specially designed for students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students who are individuals with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are foster care youth, or other disconnected students.

(7) Other activities designed to meet the purposes of the Student Support Services

Program in §646.1.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-14)

[75 FR 65790, Oct. 26, 2010]

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

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

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 down load and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

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

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.

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.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html 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

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 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 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 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

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.

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

• 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

ATTENTION ELECTRONIC APPLICANTS: Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register Notice announcing the grant competition.

This program requires the electronic submission of applications; specific requirements and waiver instructions can be found in the Federal Register Notice.

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 “Notice Inviting Applications” that was published in the Federal Register or visit http://www.grants.gov.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If 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:

Application Control Center Attention: 84.042A LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 268-24 Washington, DC 20202–4260.

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.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

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:

Attention: CFDA Number 84.042A 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Room 268-24 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 that we will not consider the application.

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Student Support Services 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)

2020 for the Student Support Services (SSS) Program, Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.042A. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1840-0017.

DATES:

Applications Available: December 17,2019

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 27,2020

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 26,2020

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

(84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lavelle Wright, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 268-24, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-7739. Email:

Lavelle.Wright@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

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the SSS Program is to increase the number of disadvantaged, low-income college students, first-generation college students, and college students with disabilities in the United States who successfully complete a program of study at the postsecondary level. The support services that are provided should increase the retention and graduation rates for these categories of students and facilitate their transfer from two-year to four-year colleges and universities. The support services should also foster an institutional climate that supports the success of students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are historically underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system, and other disconnected students.

Student support services should also improve the financial and economic literacy of students.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities. Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2 are from the Secretary’s Notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and

Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the

Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096) (Supplemental

Priorities).

Note: Applicants must include, in the one-page abstract submitted with the application, a statement indicating which, if any, of the competitive preference priorities are addressed. If the applicant has addressed the competitive preference priorities, this information must also be listed on the SSS

Program Profile Form.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2020 and any subsequent year for 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 five points to an application, depending on how well the application meets these priorities.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Fostering Flexible and

Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills (up to 3 points).

Projects that are designed to address improving collaboration between education providers and employers to ensure student learning objectives are aligned with the skills or knowledge required for employment in in-demand industry sectors or occupations (as defined in section 3(23) of the

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014).

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Fostering Knowledge and

Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be

Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens

(up to 2 points).

Projects that are designed to address supporting 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.

Note: For both priorities, the Department is sufficiently interested in these topics that we may later seek to partner with successful applicants to conduct research and evaluation.

Definitions: The definitions below are from 34 CFR 77.1(c).

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 a theory of action) means a framework that identifies key project components of the proposed project (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key project components and relevant outcomes.

Note: In developing logic models, applicants may want to use resources such as the Regional Educational Laboratory Program’s

(REL Pacific) Education Logic Model Application, available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp, to help design their logic models. Other sources include:

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.p df, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.p df, and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057

.pdf.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 20 U.S.C. 1070a-14.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75 (except for 75.215 through 75.221), 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 https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf https://www.federalregister.gov/select-citation/2017/02/21/34-CFR-75 https://www.federalregister.gov/select-citation/2017/02/21/2-CFR-180 https://www.federalregister.gov/select-citation/2017/02/21/2-CFR-180 https://www.federalregister.gov/select-citation/2017/02/21/2-CFR-3485 https://www.federalregister.gov/select-citation/2017/02/21/2-CFR-200 https://www.federalregister.gov/select-citation/2017/02/21/2-CFR-3474 regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 646. (e) The

Supplemental Priorities.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education (IHEs) only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: We intend to use an estimated

$313,849,000 for new SSS awards under this competition. Note:

The President’s Budget for FY 2020 requested $950,000,000 for the Administration’s proposal to reform the Federal TRIO programs. The actual level of funding and changes to the program, if any, depend on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for the Federal

TRIO Programs. 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: $149,482 - $1,595,544.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $311,977.

Maximum Award: The maximum award varies based on whether the http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=cc778b4d0754b497f08f2bec169934f6&mc=true&node=pt34.3.646&rgn=div5 applicant is currently receiving an SSS grant, as well as the type of project and number of students served.

For applicants not currently receiving an SSS Program grant, the maximum awards are as follows:

Type of Proposal Maximum Amount*

Regular SSS Proposal Serving a Minimum of 140 Student Participants

$253,032

Regular SSS Proposal Serving a Minimum of 100 Student Participants who are Students with Disabilities

$253,032

English as a Second Language (ESL) SSS Proposal Serving a Minimum of 140 Student Participants

$253,032

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Health Science SSS Proposal Serving a Minimum of 120 Student Participants

$253,032

Teacher Preparation SSS Proposal Serving a Minimum of 140 Student Participants

$253,032

Veterans SSS Proposal Serving a Minimum of 120 Student Participants

$253,032

For applicants proposing to serve fewer than the minimum number of student participants specified in the above table, the maximum award is an amount equal to: $1,807 per student participant for Regular, ESL, and Teacher Preparation proposals;

$2,530 per student participant for projects serving Students with Disabilities (SWD proposals); and $2,109 per student participant for STEM (including Health Science) and Veterans proposals.

For applicants currently receiving an SSS program grant, the maximum award amount is the greater of (a) $253,032 or (b)

100 percent of the applicant’s base award amount for FY 2019.

For any currently funded applicant that proposes to serve fewer students than it served in FY 2019, the maximum award is the amount that corresponds with the cost per participant previously established for the project in FY 2019.

Estimated Number of New Awards: 1,069.

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

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or combinations of IHEs.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 402D(d)(4) of the

HEA requires that all successful applicants that use SSS Program funds to provide grant aid to students pursuant to section

402D(d)(1) of the HEA must provide matching funds, in cash, from non-Federal funds, in an amount that is not less than 33 percent of the total amount of the SSS Program funds used for this aid.

This matching requirement does not apply to a grant recipient that is an IHE eligible to receive funds under part A or part B of title III or under title V of the HEA.

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: An applicant may submit multiple applications if each separate application describes a project that will serve a different campus or a different population (section 402A(c)(5) of the HEA).

Under section 402A(h)(1) of the HEA, the term “different campus” means a site of an IHE that-–(a) is geographically apart from the main campus of the institution; (b) is permanent in nature; and (c) offers courses in educational programs leading to a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential.

Under section 402A(h)(2) of the HEA, the term “different population” means a group of individuals that an eligible entity desires to serve through an SSS grant that is separate and distinct from any other population that the entity has applied to serve using Federal TRIO Program funds, or, while sharing some of the same needs as another population that the eligible entity has applied to serve using Federal TRIO Program funds, has distinct needs for specialized services. To implement the requirement in section 402A(h)(2) of the HEA for this competition, the Secretary is designating the populations to be served as: participants who meet the specific requirements for

SSS services, participants who are students with disabilities, participants who need ESL services, participants receiving services in the STEM fields, participants receiving Teacher

Preparation Services, and participants who have served in the armed forces. These different populations need different types of services. Accordingly, the Secretary has determined that projects serving these different populations should be subject to different standards for the minimum number of participants.

An applicant may submit more than one application as long as each application proposes to serve a different population. For project types other than a regular SSS project, an applicant must propose to serve 100 percent of the students in the specific project type.

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 specify unallowable costs in

34 CFR 646.31. We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program.

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, which includes the budget narrative, to no more than 65 pages and (2) use the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins.

• Double space all text in the application narrative, and single space titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

• Use a 12-point font.

• Use an easily readable font such as Times New

Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended 65-page limit does not apply to Part I, the

Application for Federal Assistance cover sheet (SF 424); Part

II, the Budget Information Summary form (ED Form 524); Part III-

A, the SSS Program Profile form; Part III-B, the one-page

Project Abstract form; or Part IV, the assurances and certifications. The recommended page limit also does not apply to a table of contents, which you should include in the application narrative. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria in the application narrative.

We recommend that any application addressing the competitive preference priorities include no more than three additional pages each for priorities 1 and 2, if addressed.

Applications that do not follow the page limit and formatting recommendations will not be penalized.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 646.21 and 34 CFR 75.210.

We will award up to 105 points to an application under the selection criteria and up to 5 additional points to an application under the competitive preference priorities, for a total score of up to 110 points. The maximum number of points available for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.

(a) Need for the project (24 points). The Secretary evaluates the need for an SSS project proposed at the applicant institution on the basis of the extent to which the application contains clear evidence of—

(1) A high number or percentage, or both, of students enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the applicant institution who meet the eligibility requirements of 34 CFR 646.3 (8 points);

(2) The academic and other problems that eligible students encounter at the applicant institution (8 points); and

(3) The differences between eligible SSS students compared to an appropriate group, based on the following indicators:

(i) Retention and graduation rates.

(ii) Grade point averages.

(iii) Graduate and professional school enrollment rates

(four-year colleges only).

(iv) Transfer rates from two-year to four-year institutions (two-year colleges only) (8 points).

(b) Objectives (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of the applicant's proposed objectives in the following areas on the basis of the extent to which they are both ambitious, as related to the need data provided under paragraph

(a) of this section, and attainable, given the project's plan of operation, budget, and other resources.

(1) Retention in postsecondary education (3 points).

(2) In good academic standing at grantee institution (2 points).

(3) Two-year institutions only. (i) Certificate or degree completion (1 point); and (ii) Certificate or degree completion and transfer to a four-year institution (2 points).

(4) Four-year institutions only. Completion of a baccalaureate degree (3 points).

(c) Plan of…