FY 2022 Training Application Pkg 4.15.22

Application package for TRIO Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs (1894-0001)

FY 2022 Training Application Pkg 4.15.22

OMB: 1840-0814

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U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

Washington, DC 20202

FY 2022

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS

UNDER THE

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FEDERAL TRIO PROGRAMS

www2.ed.gov/programs/triotrain/index.html

ALN: 84.103A

FORM APPROVED

OMB No. 1840-0814, Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: XX/XX/2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Applicant Letter

Letter to Applicants from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs 3

TRIO Training Program Overview

Program Background Information/Competition Highlights/Expectations of Grantees 4

Notice Inviting Applications

TRIO Training Notice Inviting Applications Published in the Federal Register XX/XX/2022 10

Application Components and Instructions

Application Checklist 33

Part I – Application Narrative - Selection Criteria

Instructions for Completing the Narrative 34

Instructions for Addressing the Absolute and Invitational Priorities 36

Part I-A – Training Program Profile Form

Instructions for Completing the Training Program Profile Form 42

Part I-B – Project Abstract

Instructions for Completing the One-page Project Abstract 43

Part II – Assurances and Certifications…………………………………………………………………………………….44

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Notice to All Applicants 45

Application Submission Procedures

Application Submission Procedures and Requirements 47

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants 49

Common Instructions/Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs 54

Critical Resources and Additional Information

Authorizing Legislation 58

Training Program Regulations 59

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 60

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs - Executive Order 12372 61

Paperwork Burden Statement 62

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

March 30, 2022

Dear Applicant:

We are pleased to provide the application package for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs (Training 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.

Training Program grants are administered by institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and civic organizations to strengthen the knowledge and skills of nearly 2,700 TRIO project directors, coordinators and counselors that serve TRIO students.

The FY 2022 competition contains six absolute priorities and one invitational priority. The Department will only consider an application that addresses one of the absolute priorities and we sincerely hope applicants will address the invitational priority. The quality of project design and the quality of project services are two new criteria included in this year’s competition. Both have been included to address the need for exceptional approaches to programmatic delivery and to enhanced strategies to leverage resources.

Please review the entire application package carefully before preparing and applying. Additionally, please utilize information on the Training Program that is accessible on the Department’s website at www2.ed.gov/programs/triotrain/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 Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs. Should you desire to provide excellent professional development to TRIO staff, we look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

/s/

Michelle Asha Cooper,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs

Delegated the Authority to Perform the Functions and

Duties of the Assistant Secretary,

Office of Postsecondary Education

TRIO TRAINING PROGRAM OVERVIEW

AUTHORIZATION

Title IV, Part A, Subpart 2, Section 402G of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)

PROGRAM REGULATIONS

34 CFR part 642 Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs

PURPOSE

To provide Federal financial assistance to train the staff and leadership personnel employed in, or preparing for employment in, Federal TRIO Program projects.

NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS

The Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards (Notice), published in the Federal Register, is the official document governing application requirements for the FY 2022 Training competition. Do not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the Notice.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Institutions of higher education and public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations are eligible to apply for a grant to carry out a Training Program project.

ACTIVITIES FUNDED UNDER THIS PROGRAM

A Training Program project trains the staff and leadership personnel of Federal TRIO Program projects to enable them to more effectively operate those projects. A Training Program project may include on-site training, on-line training, conferences, internships, seminars, workshops, and/or the publication of manuals designed to improve the operations of Federal TRIO Program projects.

ESTIMATED FY 2022 FUNDING

Estimated Available Funds for New Awards: $3,110,426

Estimated Range of Awards: $287,537-$373,799

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $311,043

Estimated Number of New Awards: 10

LENGTH OF AWARDS

Successful applicants funded under the FY 2022 Training competition will receive two-year (24-month) grant awards, pending available appropriations in accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008.

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT MAY BE SUBMITTED

Applicants may submit no more than one Training Program application per Absolute Priority.

PRIORITIES

There are six absolute priorities and one invitational priority for the FY 2022 competition. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priorities are from section 402G(b) of the HEA, the regulations for this program at 34 CFR 642.24, and the Secretary’s Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).

Under Absolute Priorities 1, 2, and 4, the maximum award amount is $297,601 and the minimum number of participants is 231. Under Absolute Priorities 3 and 5, the maximum award amount is $386,882 and the minimum number of participants is 300. Under Absolute Priority 6, the maximum award amount is $329,961 and the minimum number of participants is 256.

STANDARDIZED OBJECTIVES

The Training Program Profile form contains standardized objectives. Applicants are required to propose the percentage at which each of the standardized objectives will be attained. On the Training Program Profile form, you must fill in the blanks indicating the percentage level of achievement for each of the objectives. You may not modify, amend or delete any of these objectives.

____% of Training Participants that, each year, evaluated the training as benefiting them in increasing their qualifications and skills in meeting the needs of disadvantaged students.

____% of Training Participants that, each year, evaluated the training as benefiting them in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the Federal TRIO Programs.

RECOMMENDED PAGE LIMIT

To assist the non-Federal reviewers in conducting a thorough peer review, we recommend that you limit the application narrative, which includes the budget narrative and invitational priority, to no more than 55 pages and use the standards outlined in the Notice.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Training Program applications for FY 2022 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. The requirements for obtaining an exception to the electronic submission requirement are included in the Notice for FY 2022. If you think you may need an exception, you are urged to review the requirements promptly.

Please note that you must submit your application by 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on or before [date TBD], 2022, 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.

All attachments must be in .PDF format. Other types of files will not be accepted.

You must provide the Unique Entity (UEI) number that was used when your organization registered with the System for Award Management (SAM), formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR).

ASSURANCES

All applications must comply with the Training Program legislative and regulatory requirements. The assurances are included in the application package and must be signed by a certifying official. By submitting a Training Program application, an applicant certifies that it has read the assurances and will fully comply with the requirements.

EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR AWARDS

A panel of three non-Federal reviewers will evaluate each application in accordance with the selection criteria. Each reviewer will prepare a written evaluation of the information presented in the application narrative section of the application. All applications for grants under the Training Program will be evaluated as new submissions according to the selection criteria listed in the program regulations 34 CFR 642 and 34 CFR 75.10.

SELECTION OF GRANTEES

The selection criteria in 34 CFR 642 and 34 CFR 75.10 are used to evaluate applications.

The Secretary will select applications for funding within each specific priority on the basis of the score received by the application in the peer review process. If there are insufficient funds to fund all applications at the next peer review score, the Secretary will add the PE points awarded under CFR section 642.22 to the peer review score to determine an adjusted total. In the event a tie score still exists, the Secretary will select the applicant that has the greatest capacity to provide training to eligible participants in all regions of the Nation, consistent with 642.23.

Prior Experience: In accordance with 34 CFR 642.22, if applicable, the Secretary will evaluate the applicant’s performance under its expiring Training Program grant for applicants that have conducted a TRIO Training Program grant during the 2020-2022 grant period.

Geographic Distribution of Awards: In accordance with 34 CFR 642.23, the Secretary, to the greatest extent possible, awards grants for Training Program projects that will be carried out in all of the regions of the Nation in order to assure accessibility to prospective training participants.

NOTIFICATION OF AWARDS

The Department’s Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs will inform the Congress regarding applications approved for new Training Program grants. Successful applicants will receive award notices through G5 shortly after the Congress is notified. No funding information will be released before the Congress is notified.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing following the notice to successful applicants.

SECOND REVIEW PROCESS

To implement the legislative requirements for a second review of unsuccessful applications, the Department has a two-slate process. After the peer review of applications and the awarding of PE points, as applicable, the Department will rank all applications. The Department then will establish a funding band to determine the percentage of the total funds allotted for the competition that will be set aside for the second review. The determination of the percentage of funds to be reserved for the second review and the applications to be included in the funding band will be based on the distribution of application scores. The funding band will include all applications with a rank-order score that 1) is below the lowest score of applications funded after the first review and 2) would be funded if the Secretary had 150 percent of the funds that were set aside for the second review.

Only applicants whose applications scored within the funding band will be eligible for the second review. In addition, those applicants deemed eligible for the second review will have to provide evidence demonstrating that the Department, an agent of the Department, or a peer reviewer made an administrative or scoring error (as defined in the regulations) in the review of its application. The guidelines and criteria for the second review process are included in the Training Program Regulations (34 CFR 642.25).

TRIO TRAINING WEBSITE

Additional information on the Training Program is accessible at the Department’s website at:

www2.ed.gov/programs/triotrain/index.html.

EXPECTATIONS OF SUCCESSFUL GRANTEES

Annual Performance Report - If you receive a FY 2022 new grant award, you will be required to submit an annual performance report (APR) each year of the two-year funding cycle. This APR collects data about funded projects to enable program specialists to determine if a grantee is making substantial progress toward meeting approved project objectives.

Each successful applicant must agree to collect data and maintain records over the course of the grant period. The Department has established the following performance indicators for the Training Program through which the success of the program is measured: (1) the cost-effectiveness, based on the number of TRIO project personnel receiving training each year; (2) the percentage of Training Program participants that, each year, evaluate the training as benefiting them in increasing their qualifications and skills in meeting the needs of disadvantaged students; and (3) the percentage of Training Program participants that, each year, evaluate the training as benefiting them in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the Federal TRIO Programs.

As part of the annual performance report, grantees must report the number of participants served, the name and position of each participant, the TRIO program the participant supports, and the institution of the participant’s project. The Department will collect this and other grant information annually, or twice during the grant period of Training Program grantees.

Prior Approval - Additionally, EDGAR, 34 CFR section 74.25, requires grantees to communicate with and obtain approval from the Lead Training Program Specialist when they seek a change in key personnel, the objectives of the project, or the scope of the project, including changes in dates or locations of training sessions. In general, when uncertain, it is always best to communicate with the Lead Training Program Specialist to verify compliance and appropriate grant management.

Project Directors’ Meeting - All successful applicants will be required to participate in a Training Program Project Directors’ Meeting in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2022. The reason for this meeting will be to clarify the purpose of the training under each priority and the expectations that the Department has of its grantees. In the budget section of the application, the applicants should include funds for travel to Washington, D.C. to attend this one-day meeting.

Coordinating Training - Successful applicants will be asked to coordinate the dates and locations of the training to be provided with the Lead Training Program Specialist to ensure that training sessions do not overlap and are located and scheduled at times and places that will allow as many participants as possible to attend. Additionally, any necessary changes to the dates or locations must be approved by the Lead Training Program Specialist.

Training Materials - FY 2022 Training Program grantees will be asked to share their training materials with the Department at the end of each project year.

Open Licensing Requirements - Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20(c).

CONTACT INFORMATION

For TRIO Training Program-related questions and assistance, please contact:

Senior Education Program Specialist: Suzanne Ulmer, Federal TRIO Programs, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue S.W. room 2C220, Washington, D.C. 20222. Telephone: (202) 453-7691, Fax: (202) 502-7857 or (202) 260-7464, or E-mail Address: [email protected]

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

Support Desk: Grants.gov Support Desk, Telephone: (800) 518-4726, Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays, or Email: [email protected]

NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs (Training Program), Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.103A. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1840-0814.

DATES:

Applications Available: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]..

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: [INSERT DATE 45 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and, in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in SAM.gov a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to the implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). More information on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.

For Further Information Contact: Suzanne Ulmer, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 2C222, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453-7691. Email: [email protected]; or ReShone Moore, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 2B-214, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-7624. Email: [email protected].

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Training Program provides grants to train the staff and leadership personnel employed in, participating in, or preparing for employment in, projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs, to improve project operation.

Priorities: This notice contains six absolute priorities and one invitational priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priorities are from section 402G(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and the regulations for this program at 34 CFR 642.24. The invitational priority is from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2022 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet one of these absolute priorities.

In accordance with 34 CFR 642.7, each application must clearly identify the specific absolute priority for which a grant is requested. An applicant must submit a separate application for each absolute priority it proposes to address. If an applicant submits more than one application for the same absolute priority, we will accept only the application with the latest “date/time received” validation.

These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1. Training to improve reporting of student and project performance and project evaluation, in order to design and operate a model program for projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs.

Absolute Priority 2. Training on budget management and the statutory and regulatory requirements for the operation of projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs.

Absolute Priority 3. Training on assessment of student needs; retention and graduation strategies; and the use of appropriate educational technology in the operation of projects funded under the Federal TRIO programs.

Absolute Priority 4. Training on assisting students in receiving adequate financial aid from programs assisted under title IV of the HEA and from other programs, and on college and university admissions policies and procedures.

Absolute Priority 5. Training on strategies for recruiting and serving hard to reach populations, including students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths (as this term is defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)), students who are foster care youth, or other disconnected students.

Absolute Priority 6. Training on general project management for new project directors.¹

Under this competition we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority.

Invitational Priority: For FY 2022 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:

Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success.

Projects supporting the development and implementation of high-quality and accessible learning opportunities, including learning opportunities that are accelerated or hybrid online; credit-bearing; work-based; and flexible for working students.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 1070a-17.

Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75 (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 regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 642. (e) The Supplemental Priorities.

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: The Administration received $1,137,000,000 for the Federal TRIO Program for FY 2022, of which we intend to use an estimated, of which we intend to use an estimated $3,219,292 for the TRIO Training Program. The actual level of funding, if any, depends 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: $297,601-$386,882, depending on the absolute priority under which the award is funded (see below).

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $321,929.

Maximum Award and Minimum Participants: We will not make an award exceeding the maximum award amount listed here for a single budget period of 12 months. Projects proposed under each absolute priority also must propose to serve the minimum number of applicable participants listed here.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10, as follows: 2 awards each under Absolute Priorities 1, 2, 4 and 6; and 1 award each under Absolute Priorities 3 and 5.

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

Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs and other public and private nonprofit institutions and organizations.

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

3. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a training indirect cost rate. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to an entity’s actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information regarding training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 75.562. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.

4. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and, in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to the implementation of the UEI. More information on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.

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 642.31. We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations and Application Review Information sections 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, which includes the budget narrative and invitational priority, if addressed, to no more than 55 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.
Use a 12-point font.
Use an easily readable font such as Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); Part II, the Budget Information Summary form (ED Form 524); Part III-A, the 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 we recommend that you include in the application narrative.

5. Content and Form of Application Submission: You should indicate the absolute priority addressed in your application both on the one-page abstract and on the Training Program Profile Sheet. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria and absolute priority in the application narrative. Other requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 642.21 and 34 CFR 75.210:

(a) Plan of operation. (20 points)

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the plan of operation for the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) High quality in the design of the project;

(ii) An effective plan of management that ensures proper and efficient administration of the project;

(iii) A clear description of how the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of the program;

(iv) The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective; and

(v) A clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as—

(A) Members of racial or ethnic minority groups;

(B) Women;

(D) The elderly.

(b) Quality of key personnel. (20 points)

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the qualifications of the key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) The qualifications of the project director;

(ii) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used in the project;

(iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section plans to commit to the project; and

(iv) The extent to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as—

(A) Members of racial or ethnic minority groups;

(B) Women;

(D) The elderly.

(3) To determine the qualifications of a person, the Secretary considers evidence of past experience and training, in fields related to the objectives of the project, as well as other information that the applicant provides.

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the project has an adequate budget and is cost effective.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) The budget for the project is adequate to support the project activities; and

(ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project.

(d) Evaluation plan. (10 points)

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the evaluation plan for the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows methods of evaluation that are appropriate for the project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable.

(e) Adequacy of resources. (15 points)

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) The facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate; and

(ii) The equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are adequate.

(f) Quality of the project design. (10 points)

The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.
In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed project represents an exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.

(g) Quality of project services. (15 points)

The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project.
In determining the quality of project services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the technical assistance services to be provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the leveraging of non-project resources.

2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant’s use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary also may consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

For this competition, a panel of non-Federal reviewers will review each application in accordance with the selection criteria in 34 CFR 642.21 and 34 CFR 75.210. The individual scores of the reviewers will be added and the sum divided by the number of reviewers to determine the peer review score received in the review process. Additionally, in accordance with 34 CFR 642.22, the Secretary will award up to 15 prior experience points to eligible applicants by evaluating the applicant’s current performance under its expiring Training Program grant. Pursuant to 34 CFR 642.20(d), if there are insufficient funds to fund all applications with the same peer review score within a particular absolute priority, prior experience points, if any, will be added to the averaged peer review score to determine the total score for each application.

Under section 402A(c)(3) of the HEA, the Secretary is not required to make awards under the Training Program in the order of the scores received. Additionally, under 34 CFR 642.23 the Secretary, to the greatest extent possible, makes Training Program awards to projects that will provide training services in all regions of the Nation in order to assure accessibility for prospective training participants.

In the event a tie score still exists after applying prior experience points, the Secretary will select for funding the applicant that has the greatest capacity to provide training to eligible participants in all regions of the Nation, in order to assure accessibility to the greatest number of prospective training participants, consistent with 34 CFR 642.20(e). If the Department determines that all tied applicants have equal capacity to provide training to eligible participants in all regions of the Nation, the Secretary will identify and recommend an award for—

First, the applicant in the funding band that is from an entity not receiving funding under any of the other absolute priorities.

Second, the applicant with the highest average score across all applications.

Within each of the steps of the tie-breaker process, if there is more than one application with the same score and insufficient funding to support these applications, the applicant proposing to serve the greatest number of participants through both their on-site and online trainings will be the final application identified and recommended to receive an award.

3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 200.206, before awarding grants under this program the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.

Please note that, if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting applications in accordance with--

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR 200.216);

(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR 200.322); and

(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. Additionally, a grantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20.

4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

5. Performance Measures: For purposes of Department reporting under 34 CFR 75.110, the Department will use the following performance measures to assess the effectiveness and quality of the Training Program: its cost-effectiveness based on the number of TRIO project personnel receiving training each year; the percentage of Training Program participants that, each year, indicate the training has increased their qualifications and skills in meeting the needs of disadvantaged students; and the percentage of Training Program participants that, each year, indicate the training has increased their knowledge and understanding of the Federal TRIO Programs. All grantees will be required to submit an annual performance report documenting their success in training personnel working on TRIO-funded projects, including the average cost per trainee and the trainees’ evaluations of the effectiveness of the training provided. The success of the Training Program also is assessed on the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the training projects based on project evaluation results.

6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance targets in the grantee’s approved application.

In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.

Electronic Access to this Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Dated:

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Michelle Asha Cooper,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs Delegated the Authority to Perform the Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary,

Office of Postsecondary Education.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STANDARD FORMS

● Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

● Department of Education Supplemental Form for the SF 424

● Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524)

● Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

● GEPA Statement

Instructions for Standard Forms may be accessed at the following address:

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html

APPLICATION COMPONENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS

Application Checklist

The Training Program application consists of the following four required parts. Note that all attachments must be in .PDF format. Other types of files will not be accepted.

Part I: Application Narrative

Selection Criteria

The Project Narrative Attachment Form is where you will attach your narrative response to the selection criteria that will be used to evaluate your submission for this competition. You should include a Table of Contents for your application as the first page of this section. You will also include your budget narrative in this section as a part of the selection criteria.

Part I-A: Training Program Profile Form

The Training Program Profile Form should be attached to the Other Attachments Form in the application package in Grants.gov (as a .pdf document). You may not change the wording of the standard or “standardized” objectives.

Part I-B: One-page Project Abstract

Please attach the abstract to the ED Abstract Form. This one-page abstract should be single-spaced.

Part II: Assurances and Certifications -- Applicants must complete the following assurances and certifications included in the application package:

Grants.gov Lobbying Form (ED Form 80-0013)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL)
ED GEPA 427 Form

PART I: APPLICATION NARRATIVE – SELECTION CRITERIA

Instructions for Completing the Narrative

Applications will be evaluated according to the specific selection criteria specified in the Notice. Applicants must address the selection criteria in the Application Narrative.

The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the criteria outlined in 34 CFR section 642.21 of the Training Program regulations. The Application Narrative should provide, in detail, the information that addresses each selection criterion. To facilitate the review of the application, provide responses to the selection criteria in the order shown below.

As you develop your application, we ask you to consider carefully the specific content of the training that you will provide through your curriculum and the expertise and knowledge expected of the trainers. We will look for high quality training that includes opportunities for the participants to gain knowledge, skills, and resources that support the goals of the specific priority. While we are not requiring that you provide on-line training, we encourage applicants to consider including on-line training sessions. As appropriate for the specific priority, trainers should have knowledge and expertise in serving students with backgrounds similar to TRIO-eligible students as well as success in training adults. You will find more information on the selection criteria and application review process in this packet and in the Notice.

The Secretary awards up to 100 points for these criteria. The maximum possible score for each of the selection criteria is indicated in parenthesis.

Plan of Operation (20 points)

Quality of Key Personnel (20 points)

Budget and Cost Effectiveness (10 points)

Evaluation Plan (10 points)

Adequacy of Resources (15 points)

Quality of the Project Design (10 points)

Quality of Project Services (15 points)

Total Maximum Score for Selection Criteria IS 100 points

The following guidance may assist you in addressing each of the selection criteria:

Plan of Operation: This part of the application should provide information on who, what, when and how the project will provide services to meet its goals and objectives. See the discussion on the absolute priorities for more information on addressing this criterion.

Quality of Key Personnel: The minimum qualifications must be identified for all project personnel positions. The minimum educational qualifications should include the type of degree required and the acceptable field(s) of study for each key position. The type and minimum amount of work-related experience should also be described for each position. Potential staff for the project must have documented knowledge and expertise in serving TRIO-eligible students as well as documented knowledge and expertise in training adults. Applicants should not give the qualifications of specific people that they plan to employ but rather should give the qualifications required for the positions.

Budget: In response to this criterion, applicants must provide a detailed, itemized budget (ED Form 524) and a detailed budget narrative only for the first-year budget period. The budget narrative is to be included in the Application Narrative. Additional budget instructions are cited in the instructions entitled

“Instructions for the Budget Summary and Itemized Line Item Budget (ED Form 524).”

Evaluation Plan: A strong evaluation plan should be included and used, as appropriate, to shape the development of the project from the beginning of the grant period. The evaluation plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress toward meeting specific project objectives based on the program’s performance indicators. Specifically, the plan should identify the individual or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the qualifications of the evaluator. The plan should describe the evaluation design, indicating: (1) what types of data will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected; (3) what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will be developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when reports and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the applicant will use the information collected through evaluation to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide accountability information both about success at the initial training site and effective strategies for replication in other settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources to project evaluation. The use of an outside evaluator is not required.

Adequacy of Resources: This section should provide information that shows that the proposed budget will provide the resources necessary to successfully carry out the proposed training. Applicants should demonstrate here how the proposed resources would enable them to carry out the planned training sessions in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Quality of the Project Design: This section should provide information that shows that the proposed project represents an exceptional approach for providing training to the TRIO program staff

Quality of Project Services: Applicants should demonstrate their efficiency in their training strategies, their plan and ability to use technology in providing training and their plan to leverage non-project resources.

Instructions for Addressing the Absolute and Invitational Priorities

ABSOLUTE PRIORITIES

The Department will fund projects under the Training Program that provide training for the staff and leadership personnel employed by, participating in, or preparing for employment in projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs. The Secretary has identified the content of the training to be held under the following six absolute priorities for this competition.

Applicants should indicate the priority number under which they are applying in Box 15, “Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project,” of the SF 424. Example: “Priority 1.” This will ensure that the reviewers clearly know under which priority an application should be considered.

Note:

Applicants must identify and provide the position requirements and qualifications of experts who have proven knowledge and expertise in serving TRIO-eligible students, and in training adults.
Applicants must show evidence of having researched and identified training methods for adults that have had proven success.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will meet the objectives set forth in the Part III-A Training Program Profile form.

Absolute Priority 1:

Training to improve reporting of student and project performance and project evaluation, in order to design and operate a model program for projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs.

Training conducted under this priority must emphasize and support the importance of using project data to improve project performance. Applicants must explain how they will assist participants to develop procedures to: collect data that will meet the program-specific standardized objectives; analyze the data; report the data to the Department; evaluate the project through the data; and use the information gained from the data to improve the project’s success in meeting its program-specific objectives.

Recordkeeping and Reporting

Applicants must have a working knowledge of the program-specific objectives for every TRIO Program in order to assist participants with identifying effective ways to collect, record and analyze the data that will serve to meet these objectives.
The training must provide TRIO personnel with effective strategies for reporting student and project performance to the Department.
Applicants must have a working knowledge of the Department’s performance reporting requirements for each TRIO program.

Evaluation

The training must provide TRIO personnel with information and resources on how to conduct a formative and summative evaluation in order to improve the performance of the project staff and the project as a whole.

Absolute Priority 2:

Training on budget management and the statutory and regulatory requirements for the operation of projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs.

Applicants must understand how the TRIO legislation, regulations, Departmental policies and the Office of Management and Budget's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, commonly called "Uniform Guidance," that was implemented in December 2014 should shape a TRIO project’s budget and program management practices. Training conducted under this priority must provide participants with an understanding of the connection between program management and operation and the legislative and regulatory requirements governing the TRIO projects.

Budget Management

Applicants must emphasize how to develop and improve budget management through internal controls and financial management with special emphasis placed on the relevant OMB Circulars. Training must cover the checks and balances designed to ensure that grant funds are used only for eligible expenses and that no one person controls the authorization and disbursement of grant funds. Training must also cover the conflict of interest provisions and the grantee’s obligations as a fiduciary agent.

Legislative and Regulatory Requirements

Applicants must have a working knowledge of the legislation and regulations that govern the TRIO Programs, including the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), OMB Circulars, and policy statements issued by the Department. Applicants should propose training that will provide participants with examples of practical applications of the governing rules for each TRIO program and the TRIO programs as a whole. Emphasis should be placed on:

Providing a history of the legislative purpose of TRIO programs in order to highlight the importance of adherence to the authorizing legislation and regulations;
Determining student/participant eligibility;
Understanding the difference between allowable and non-allowable costs;
Learning how to prevent and resolve audit disputes; and
Examining ways to coordinate TRIO projects with other programs for disadvantaged students.

Applicants may propose to conduct training for institutional teams in order to assist them in understanding the legislation and regulations governing the TRIO programs. Team training should ensure that institutional representatives from other departments at the host institutions and agencies, along with the TRIO project directors and staff, understand the expectations, rights, and responsibilities of the institutions and agencies that agree to sponsor TRIO grants.

Absolute Priority 3:

Training on assessment of student needs; retention and graduation strategies; and the use of appropriate educational technology in the operation of projects funded under the Federal TRIO programs.

Applicants must propose training that will provide TRIO personnel with proven strategies for assessing students’ needs, retaining students, and for supporting them through graduation at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Training must include substantive information on the use of educational technology as a project strategy to serve TRIO students and meet the goals of retention and graduation.

Needs Assessment

Training must teach the participants how to assess the needs of their student project participants, and how to tailor counseling and support to the specific needs of these students.

Retention and Graduation Strategies

Applicants must emphasize the importance of strategies that take into account the diverse cultural backgrounds of TRIO student participants, and the training must take into consideration the diverse needs of these students.
Applicants must show that the identified strategies have proven results in supporting TRIO projects with demonstrated growth in student participants’ retention and graduation rates.

Educational Technology

Applicants must address different ways that TRIO personnel can use technology to both manage their projects and provide services to students, with an emphasis on services that utilize educational technology.

Applicants must have a proven track record of providing training in educational technology and the proven ability to tailor training to participants’ varied skill levels and knowledge.

Absolute Priority 4:

Training on assisting students in receiving adequate financial aid from programs assisted under title IV of the HEA and from other programs, and on college and university admissions policies and procedures.

Applicants must address how they will train TRIO project staff and leadership personnel to understand and obtain the information and skills needed to assist student participants in obtaining adequate student financial aid. Applicants must demonstrate their understanding of college and university entrance requirements – including the requirements for student transfer from 2-year to 4-year institutions and for entrance into graduate school. Applicants must provide evidence that they have experience in developing strategies to improve the financial and economic literacy of students. The Department is especially interested in applicants that have proven experience and knowledge regarding how to meet the needs of, and how to help create opportunities for, non-traditional students.

Student Financial Aid

Training under this priority must give particular attention to how projects can work with financial aid offices to provide students sufficient financial assistance to meet their full financial need while limiting the students’ loan burden to a manageable level.
Applicants must be able to train participants on the appropriate use of the grant aid provision in the Student Support Services Program.

Admissions Policies and Procedures

Training must demonstrate proven strategies to provide TRIO project personnel a working knowledge and understanding of the variety of college and university admissions policies and procedures. The training must also provide information and skills that will allow TRIO project personnel to access the policies and procedures of different institutions, and also allow them to best help TRIO students navigate these diverse processes.
Applicants must provide evidence that they have proven strategies to enable TRIO staff and leadership personnel to provide student participants with assistance in applying for and gaining admission to college and universities – including transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year institution of higher education, and admission to graduate school.
Applicants should give attention to how projects can help a student interested in enrolling in a graduate program to secure graduate fellowships or assistantships.

Financial and Economic Student Literacy

Applicants should demonstrate how they will provide TRIO project personnel with proven methodologies for improving the TRIO student participants’ financial and economic literacy.
Applicants should show that they have a proven track record in providing training in personal financial management, including basic personal income, household money management, financial planning skills and basic economic decision-making skills.

Absolute Priority 5:

Training on strategies for recruiting and serving hard to reach populations, including students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths (as this term is defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)), students who are foster care youth, or other disconnected students.

Applicants must propose training that will provide TRIO project personnel with proven strategies for recruiting and serving students from hard to reach populations. Training must include substantive information on developing outreach programs to recruit these students and methodologies for serving these students.

Recruitment

Applicants must provide TRIO staff and leadership personnel with proven strategies to develop programs to recruit hard to reach student populations.
Applicants must show that they have a proven track record of providing training on effective strategies for recruiting hard to reach populations for educational services.

Service

Applicants must have a working knowledge and proven track record of methodologies and strategies designed to provide educational services to hard-to-reach student populations.
Applicants must provide evidence that they have proven strategies to enable TRIO staff and leadership personnel to provide services designed specifically for students from hard to reach populations.

Absolute Priority 6:

Training on general project management for new project directors.²

Applicants must have a working knowledge of the program-specific objectives for every TRIO Program in order to assist participants with identifying effective ways to collect, record and analyze the data that will serve to meet these objectives.
Applicants must have a working knowledge of the Department’s performance reporting requirements for each TRIO program and provide effective strategies for collecting and maintaining the information needed for reporting student and project performance to the Department.
The training must provide new directors with information and resources on how to conduct a formative and summative evaluation to improve the performance of the project staff and the project as a whole.
Applicants must emphasize how to develop and improve budget management through internal controls and financial management with special emphasis placed on the relevant OMB Circulars. Training must cover the checks and balances designed to ensure that grant funds are used only for eligible expenses and that no one person controls the authorization and disbursement of grant funds. Training must also cover the conflict of interest provisions and the grantee’s obligations as a fiduciary agent.
Applicants must have a working knowledge of the legislation and regulations that govern the TRIO Programs, including the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), OMB Circulars, and policy statements issued by the Department. Applicants should propose training that will provide participants with examples of practical applications of the governing rules for each TRIO program and the TRIO programs as a whole. Emphasis should be placed on:

Providing a history of the legislative purpose of TRIO programs in order to highlight the importance of adherence to the authorizing legislation and regulations;
Determining student/participant eligibility;
Understanding the difference between allowable and non-allowable costs;
Learning how to prevent and resolve audit disputes; and
Examining ways to coordinate TRIO projects with other programs for disadvantaged students.

Training must teach the new directors how to assess the needs of their student project participants, and how to tailor counseling and support to the specific needs of these students.
Applicants must emphasize the importance of strategies that take into account the diverse cultural backgrounds of TRIO student/participants, and the training must take into consideration the diverse needs of these students.
Applicants must show that the identified strategies have proven results in supporting TRIO projects with demonstrated growth in student/participants’ retention and graduation rates.

Applicants must address different ways that new directors can use technology to both manage their projects and provide services to students, with an emphasis on services that utilize educational technology.

Applicants must have a proven track record of providing training in educational technology and the proven ability to tailor training to participants’ varied skill levels and knowledge.

INVITATIONAL PRIORITY

Invitational Priority:

Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success.

(g) Supporting the development and implementation of high-quality and accessible learning opportunities, including learning opportunities that are accelerated or hybrid online; credit-bearing; work-based; and flexible for working students.

PART I-A: TRAINING PROGRAM PROFILE FORM

Instructions for Completing the Training Program Profile Form

Applicants must copy and paste the Training Program Profile form into a separate document, or otherwise recreate the page exactly as it appears. Complete the form, save it to your computer and attach it to the Other Attachments Form as a .pdf document only. You may not modify or amend the language on the form in any way.

INSTITUTION / ORGANIZATION

Legal Name: ____________________________________________________________________

City: ______________________________________________State: _________

PRIORITIES

Absolute Priority Number for which you are applying for a grant: Priority __________

Did you address the Invitational Priority? _____

FUNDING, PARTICIPANTS AND TRAINING EVENTS

Requested Funding Amount $__________ Number of participants proposed to serve __________

Number and length of training events proposed by type:

In person seminar: Number per year ______ Length of seminar in days ______

Hybrid seminar: Number per year ______ Length of seminar in days ______

(Hybrid defined as a combination of simultaneous in-person seminar & synchronous participatory learning Webinar)

Synchronous seminar: Number per year ______ Length of seminar in days ______

Asynchronous seminar or learning modules: Number per year ______ Length of seminar in days ______

PROJECT DIRECTOR INFO

Project Director Name ______________________________________Project Director Level of Effort ________%

Project Director Phone _______________________ Email ____________________

CERTIFYING OFFICIAL INFO (may not be the same person as the project director)

Certifying Official Name _____________Certifying Official Phone _______________________ Email ____________________

PRIOR AWARD NUMBER

Applicants who received funding as part of Training Program grants awarded in FY 2020 must provide the award number if applying under the same priority.

P103A20__________________

ANNUAL PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: All applicants are required to propose the percentage or number -- as indicted on the form -- at which each of these objectives will be met. Applicants may not modify, amend or delete any of these objectives

These same objectives must be used in the Part III Application Narrative section of your application, and may not be revised or rewritten in your narrative discussion of the proposed objectives or the proposed evaluation.

____________% of Training Participants that, each year, evaluated the training as benefiting them in increasing their qualifications and skills in meeting the needs of disadvantaged students.

____________% of Training Participants that, each year, evaluated the training as benefiting them in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the Federal TRIO Programs.

PART I-B: PROJECT ABSTRACT

Instructions for Completing the One-page Project Abstract

All applicants must provide a one-page abstract briefly describing the training, services, and activities to be provided during the two-year performance period. Please indicate the absolute priority addressed in the title of the one-page abstract. Attach this document to the ED Abstract Form in the Grants.gov application. This one-page abstract may be single-spaced.

PART II: ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS

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Instructions for Assurances and Certifications may be accessed at the following address:

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Notice to All Applicants

The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies to applicants for new grant awards under Department programs. This provision is Section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law (P.L.) 103-382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new grant awards under this program. ALL APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.

(If this program is a State-formula grant program, a State needs to provide this description only for projects or activities that it carries out with funds reserved for State-level uses. In addition, local school districts or other eligible applicants that apply to the State for funding need to provide this description in their applications to the State for funding. The State would be responsible for ensuring that the school district or other local entity has submitted a sufficient section 427 statement as described below.)

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. This provision allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on local circumstances, you should determine whether these or other barriers may prevent your students, teachers, etc. from such access or participation in, the Federally-funded project or activity. The description in your application of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers need not be lengthy; you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the project and to achieve to high standards. Consistent with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.

What are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of This Provision?

The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may comply with Section 427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency, might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in their native language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials for classroom use might describe how it will make the materials available on audio tape or in braille for students who are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program for secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely than boys to enroll in the course, might indicate how it intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to girls, to encourage their enrollment.

We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing effective steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their grant programs, and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the requirements of this provision.

Estimated Burden Statement for GEPA Requirements

APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Application Submission Procedures and Requirements

Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (Common Instructions), published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264). The Common Instructions contain requirements and information on how to submit an application. These instructions may be found at:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-12-27/pdf/2021-27979.pdf.

It's important to note that the Department of Education requires the electronic submission of applications and only allows paper submission by mail if electronic submission is not possible (e.g., you do not have access to the internet). Applicants requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement must follow the guidance provided in the Common Instructions.

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

Electronic Submission of Applications:

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the software provided on the Grants.gov Web site (www.grants.gov) by 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on or before April 4, 2022.

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 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

OFO/G5 Functional Application Team

Mail Stop 5C231

Attention: Assistance Listing Number 84.###

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.”

Note for Mailing of Paper Applications:

If you mail your application to the Department—

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

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.

Late Applications

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

Revised 04/2022

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

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

Browser Support

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

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser.

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What Should You Do?

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

We discourage paper applications, but if electronic submission is not possible ( e.g., you do not have access to the internet), (1) you must provide a prior written notification that you intend to submit a paper application and (2) your paper application must be postmarked by the application deadline date. If you submit your prior written notification by email, it must be received by the Department no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. If you mail your notification to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. (See the 2021 Common Instructions for detailed instructions regarding this procedure.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

Slow Internet Connections

When using a slow internet connection, such as a dial-up connection, to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g., cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. Failure to fully upload an application by the deadline date and time will result in your application being marked late in the G5 system. If you do not have access to a high-speed internet connection, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions and the 2021 Common Instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

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

When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word. Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to 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.

Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education

Discretionary Grant Programs

CRITICAL RESOURCES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Authorizing Legislation

The Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs is authorized by the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008. An electronic version of the HEOA’s amendments to the HEA may be found at the Department’s website at the following address: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/statute-trio-gu.pdf.

Please note that the official compilation of Federal law is the United States Code which is available from the Government Publishing Office.

Training Program Regulations

On October 26, 2010, the final regulations amending the Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs regulations were published in the Federal Register. These final regulations may be accessed following address:

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2011-title34-vol3/CFR-2011-title34-vol3-part647

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

What is GPRA?

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) is a straightforward statute that requires all federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of those activities. Each agency is to clearly state what it intends to accomplish, identify the resources required, and periodically report their progress to the Congress. In so doing, it is expected that the GPRA will contribute to improvements in accountability for the expenditures of public funds, improve Congressional decision-making through more objective information on the effectiveness of federal programs, and promote a new government focus on results, service delivery, and customer satisfaction.

How has the Department of Education Responded to the GPRA Requirements?

As required by GPRA, the Department of Education has prepared a strategic plan for 2018-2022. This plan reflects the Department’s priorities and integrates them with its mission and program authorities and describes how the Department will work to improve education for all children and adults in the U.S. The Department’s goals, as listed in the plan, are:

Strategic Goal 1: Support state and local efforts to improve learning outcomes for all P-12 students in every community.

Strategic Goal 2: Expand postsecondary educational opportunities, improve outcomes to foster economic opportunity and promote an informed, thoughtful and productive citizenry.

Strategic Goal 3: Strengthen the quality, accessibility and use of education data through better management, increased privacy protections and transparency.

Strategic Goal 4: Reform the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of the Department.

What are the performance indicators for the Training Program?

The performance indicators for the Training Program are part of the Department’s plan for meeting Goal 2. The Training Program is part of the Federal TRIO Programs. The overarching goal of the Federal TRIO Programs is “to increase the percentage of low-income and first-generation college students who successfully pursue postsecondary education opportunities.”

The performance indicators for the Training Programs are: 1) the cost-effectiveness, based on the number of TRIO project personnel receiving training each year; (2) the percentage of Training participants that, each year, evaluate the training as benefiting them in increasing their qualifications and skills in meeting the needs of disadvantaged students; and (3) the percentage of Training participants that, each year, evaluated the training as benefiting them in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the Federal TRIO Programs.

How does the Department of Education determine whether performance goals have been met?

An applicant that receives a grant award will be required to submit annual performance reports as a condition of the award. The reports will document the extent to which project goals and objectives are met.

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs - Executive Order 12372

This program falls under the rubric of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive order is to strengthen federalism--or the distribution of responsibility between localities, States, and the Federal government--by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments have devised for coordinating and reviewing proposed Federal financial grant applications.

The process for doing this requires grant applicants to contact State Single Points of Contact for information on how this works. Multi-state applicants should follow procedures specific to each state.

Further information about the State Single Point of Contact process and a list of names by State can be found at:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf.

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the Department. All recommendations and comments must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in the actual application Notice to the following address: The Secretary, EO 12372--CFDA# [commenter must insert number--including suffix letter, if any], U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20222.

Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications (see 34 CFR §75.102). Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the closing date indicated in this Notice.

Important note: The above address is not the same address as the one to which the applicant submits its completed applications. Do not send applications to the above address.

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1840-0814. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 36 hours per respondent, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (Title IV, Part A, Subpart 2, Section 402G of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)). If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this application, please contact Student Service, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20222 directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.]

1 In addressing Absolute Priority 6, the Department encourages applicants to (a) focus on directors who are in the early years of that role, and (b) demonstrate that the training will provide new project directors with the basic tools required to be a successful TRIO project director, including incorporation, where possible, of the content in Absolute Priorities 1 through 5.

2 In addressing Absolute Priority 6, the Department encourages applicants to (a) focus on directors who are in the early years of that role, and (b) demonstrate that the training will provide new project directors with the basic tools required to be a successful TRIO project director, including incorporation, where possible, of the content in Absolute Priorities 1 through 5.

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