Attachment A CIL Director Letter with Final Determinations

Attachment A

v. 9.23.2009: Individual letter to CILs in states with final determinations and no amendment is required or where the amendment has been approved

v. 10.06.2009

Dear CIL Director:

As you know, the DSU and SILC in your state have submitted a proposal to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) regarding the distribution of funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to implement the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) Program under title VII, chapter 1, Part C of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, (the Act).

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Federal agencies are required to ensure that:

• ARRA funds are awarded and distributed in a prompt, fair, and reasonable manner;

• The recipients of all ARRA funds are made known to the public, and the public benefits of ARRA funds are reported clearly, accurately, and in a timely manner;

• ARRA funds are used for authorized purposes and every step is taken to prevent instances of fraud, waste, error, and abuse;

• Projects funded under the ARRA avoid unnecessary delays and cost overruns; and,

• Programs meet specific goals and targets, and contribute to improved performance on broad economic indicators.

We are writing to you because RSA has provided your state with its final determination regarding how these ARRA IL Part C funds will be distributed to existing CILs in your state, the DSU and SILC have completed the public hearing process in connection with any required SPIL amendment related to this funding distribution, and RSA has approved the SPIL amendment.

Based on this determination, RSA has allocated [insert amount] in funds appropriated under the ARRA to your CIL to support the improvement and expansion of independent living services consistent with your grant agreement under grant award number [H132AXXXXXX].  Under the authority in Public Law 111-32, Supplemental Appropriations Act 2009, the Department of Education is awarding these funds for obligation over a [insert grant period, up to 60 months].

RSA will be awarding IL Part C ARRA funds as a separate grant award because grantees must track and report on the expenditure of these funds separate from any other Federal funds they may also receive. The ARRA requires transparency and enhanced accountability in the award and use of these funds by grant recipients, and centers for independent living receiving ARRA funds under the CILs Program are subject to these ARRA requirements.

Because the IL Part C ARRA funds are part of the FY 2009 appropriation and will be awarded to support the improvement and expansion of independent living services consistent with your approved application, the requirements of the Act, and your state’s SPIL, your center does not need to complete a separate grant application. You will only need to submit a completed U.S. Department of Education Budget Information for Non-Construction (ED 524) form for the IL Part C ARRA funds. You will need to specify the budget amounts for each line item in Section A (Budget Summary) for each project period for which your center receives IL Part C ARRA funds and complete the budget narrative in Section C (Budget Narrative) on the ED 524 form describing the activities for which the funds will be used. Please note that RSA has filled in the amount for each project period in Section A of the ED 524 form that is included in Attachment A.

You can access the form and instructions for completing the ED 524 form at:  http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/ed524.doc

Like all entities receiving funds under the ARRA, you will be subject to additional reporting requirements on your uses of IL Part C ARRA funds and on the number of jobs created or saved using these funds once you receive your grant. In addition to the guidance published on the www.recovery.gov website by the Office of Management and Budget on June 22, 2009, the Department has published additional information on the reporting requirements at:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/section-1512.html.

The completed ED 524 form for the IL Part C ARRA funds can be transmitted to RSA electronically at __________________.. Your completed ED 524 form should be submitted by [two weeks from date of letter].

RSA thanks you for your cooperation in this process. If you have any further questions about these instructions, please contact Veronica Hogan at Veronica.Hogan@ed.gov.

Sincerely,

Sue Rankin-White, Acting Chief

Independent Living Unit

Attachment

ATTACHMENT A

	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BUDGET INFORMATION NON-CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS						OMB Control Number: 1890-0018 Expiration Date: 02/28/2011
Name of Institution/Organization Grant Number:			Applicants requesting funding for only one year should complete the column under "Project Year 1." Applicants requesting funding for multi-year grants should complete all applicable columns. Please read all instructions before completing form.
SECTION A - BUDGET SUMMARY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FUNDS
Budget Categories	Project Year 1 (a) (FY 09)	Project Year 2 (b)		Project Year 3 (c)	Project Year 4 (d)	Project Year 5 (e)		Total (f)
1. Personnel
2. Fringe Benefits
3. Travel
4. Equipment
5. Supplies
6. Contractual
7. Construction
8. Other
9. Total Direct Costs (lines 1-8)
10. Indirect Costs*
11. Training Stipends
12. Total Costs (lines 9-11)
*Indirect Cost Information (To Be Completed by Your Business Office): If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, please answer the following questions: Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by the Federal government? ____Yes ____ No If yes, please provide the following information: Period Covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: From: ___/___/______ To: ___/___/______ (mm/dd/yyyy) Approving Federal agency: ____ ED ____ Other (please specify): __________________________ For Restricted Rate Programs (check one) -- Are you using a restricted indirect cost rate that: ___ Is included in your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement? or ___ Complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2)?