College Cost Reduction and Access Act Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program: Applications for New Awards (FY 2008)
Federal Register: May 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 93)
Notices
Page 27518-27523
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
DOCID:fr13my08-26
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; College
Cost Reduction and Access Act Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CCRAA-HSI)
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2008
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031C.
DATES: Applications Available: May 13, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 27, 2008.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 26, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
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Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The College Cost Reduction and Access Act
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CCRAA-HSI) Program provides grants to assist Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) to develop and carry out activities to improve and expand the HSI's capacity to serve Hispanic and other low-income students.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act, these priorities are from section 499A(b)(2)(B) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the
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College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2008, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional ten points to an application that meets both priorities. Applicants must address both priorities to receive the additional points. Applicants that do not address both priorities will not receive any competitive preference priority points.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1
In accordance with Section 499A(b)(2)(B)(i) of the HEA, Individual
Development or Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants that propose to increase the number of Hispanic and other low income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; and
Competitive Preference Priority 2
In accordance with Section 499A(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the HEA, Individual
Development or Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants that propose to develop model transfer and articulation agreements between two-year
HSIs and four-year institutions in such fields.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1101-1101d, 1103-1103g.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The applicable regulations for this program in 34 CFR 606.2(a) and (b), 606.3, 606.4, 606.5, 606.6, 606.7, 606.10(b)(c)(d), and 606.30.
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Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
Estimated Available Funds: $100,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $850,000-2,500,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Individual Development Grant:
$862,000. Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant: $1,200,000.
Maximum Awards: Individual Development Grant: $2,500,000.
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant: $2,500,000. The Department of Education (Department) will not fund any application at an amount exceeding these maximum amounts for a single budget period of 12 months. During our initial review, we may choose not to further consider or review an application with a budget that exceeds the applicable maximum amount. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: Individual Development Grants: 58.
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: 42.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Applicants should periodically check the CCRAA-HSI Program
Web site for further information. The address is: http://www.ed.gov/ programs/hsiccraa/index.html.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
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Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) that qualify as eligible HSIs are eligible to apply for new Individual
Development Grants and Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants under the CCRAA-HSI Program. To be an eligible HSI, an IHE must--
(1) Be accredited or preaccredited 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 be a junior college or community college or 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 full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student as described in 34 CFR 606.4;
(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.
Note: The Third Higher Education Extension Act of 2006 amended section 502(a) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)) to require that institutions 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. Funds for the
CCRAA-HSI Program are awarded each fiscal year, thus, for this program, the end of the award year 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. Therefore, for purposes of making the determination described in paragraph (4) IHEs must report their undergraduate Hispanic FTE percent based on the student enrollment count closest to, but not after, September 30, 2007.
The Third Higher Education Extension Act of 2006 also amended section 502(a) of the HEA to eliminate the previous statutory requirement in the HSI Program that an IHE applying for a grant provide an assurance that not less than 50 percent of the institution's Hispanic students are low-income individuals.
The Notice Inviting Applications for Designation as Eligible
Institutions for FY 2008 was published in the Federal Register on March 10, 2008 (73 FR 12721). The CCRAA-HSI Program eligibility requirements are in 34 CFR 606.2 through 606.5 and can be accessed from the following Web site: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/ 34cfr606_01.html. These regulations do not reflect the changes made to the HSI Program requirements by the Third Higher Education Extension
Act of 2006.
Note 1: An eligible HSI that submits more than one application may be awarded both an Individual Development Grant and a
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant, for the CCRAA-HSI Program only, as long as the proposed activities are different for each grant application and are different from the activities funded by the institution's current Title V, HSI grant.
Note 2: In considering applications for grants under this program, the Department will verify data reported by the institution on its application with the information reported by the institution to the Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
(IPEDS), the IHE's State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional annual report. If there are any differences in the percentages reported in the IPEDS and the percentages reported in the CCRAA-HSI grant application, the IHE should explain the differences as a part of its eligibility documentation.
Note 3: If you are a four-year HSI institution planning to submit a CCRAA-HSI application supporting the competitive preference priorities, the two-year HSI will be required to submit its assurance of 25 percent enrollment of undergraduate FTE Hispanic students. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: There are no cost sharing or matching requirements unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee proposes to use a portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those grant funds with an equivalent amount of non-Federal funds. (20
U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).
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Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Carnisia M. Proctor,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor,
Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7606 or by e-mail:
Carnisia.Proctor@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
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Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have established mandatory page limits for both the Individual Development Grant and the Cooperative
Arrangement Development Grant applications. You must limit the section of the narrative that addresses the selection criteria to no more than 35 pages for the Individual Development Grant application and 55 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant application, using 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, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications, or the one-page abstract.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: May 13, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 27, 2008.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 26, 2008. 4. 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. 5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
Applicability of Executive Order 13202
Applicants that apply for construction funds under the CCRAA-HSI
Program must comply with Executive Order 13202 signed by President Bush on February 17, 2001, and amended on April 6, 2001. This Executive order provides that recipients of Federal construction funds may not
``require or prohibit bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s)'' or
``otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or remain signatories or otherwise adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s).'' However, the Executive order does not prohibit contractors or subcontractors from voluntarily entering into these agreements. Projects funded under this program that include construction activity will be provided a copy of this Executive order and will be asked to certify that they will adhere to it. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section. a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the CCRAA-HSI Program, CFDA Number 84.031C, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide
Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e- mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you 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. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the CCRAA-HSI
Program at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.031, not 84.031C).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system--after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
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The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this program to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http:// www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1)
Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization.
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step
Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/
Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition, you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424 --have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable
Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page- limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of
Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and the problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Carnisia M. Proctor,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor,
Washington, DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7861. Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education,
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Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.031C), 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.031C), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, 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.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office. c. 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 84.031C), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
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.
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Application Review Information 1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 75.209(a) and 75.210, and are as follows:
Need for the project (20 points).
Quality of the project design (15 points).
Quality of project services (15 points).
Quality of project personnel (10 points).
Adequacy of resources (5 points);
Quality of the management plan (20 points); and
Quality of project evaluation (15 points).
Additional information regarding these criteria is in the application package for this competition. 2. Review and Selection Process: Applicants must provide, as an attachment to the application, the documentation the institution relied upon in determining that at least 25 percent of the institution's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic.
Note: The 25 percent requirement applies only to undergraduate
Hispanic students and is calculated based upon FTE students.
Instructions for formatting and submitting the verification documentation to Grants.gov are in the application package for this competition.
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Award Administration Information 1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section in this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118, 34 CFR 75.720 and in 34 CFR 606.31. 4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the CCRAA-HSI Program: (1) The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled at HSIs. (2) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree- seeking undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same institution. (3) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at four-year
HSIs graduating within six years of enrollment. (4) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at two-year HSIs graduating within three years of enrollment. (5) Federal cost for undergraduate and graduate degrees at institutions in the
CCRAA HSI program. 5. CCRAA Special Analyses: The HSI Program created under the CCRAA includes two priorities: (1) To increase the number of Hispanic and other low-income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM); and (2) To develop model transfer and articulation agreements between two-year HSIs and four-year institutions in such fields. To assess the impact of the adoption of these priorities on program outcomes, the Department will conduct special analyses to determine the changes that occur during the course of the grant period in: (1) The percentage of students receiving
STEM-related degrees from grantee institutions that select this priority; and (2) The percentage of students transferring from two-year grantee institutions that select this priority to other institutions.
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Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact: Carnisia M. Proctor, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7606 or by e-mail:
Carnisia.Proctor@ed.gov
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
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Other Information
Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact
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person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII in this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ nara/index.html.
Dated: May 8, 2008.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
FR Doc. E8-10681 Filed 5-12-08; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
