Disclosure Statement

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Higher Education Programs

Dear Educational Opportunity Centers Participants:

As you know, the Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program provides Federal financial assistance in the form of discretionary grants to: (a) institutions of higher education; (b) public and private agencies and organizations including community-based organizations with experience in serving disadvantaged youth; (c) secondary schools; and (d) combinations of such institutions, agencies and organizations. The specific goal of the EOC Program is to help youth and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds complete secondary education and enroll in programs of postsecondary education; and to publicize the availability of, and facilitate the application for, student financial assistance for persons who seek to pursue postsecondary education. EOC Program grantees are required to submit performance reports to collect consistent project data from all grantees.

The Department uses the information collected to make decisions on whether to issue non-competing continuation grants to funded grantees under the EOC Program. In addition, the information contained in the report is used to assess prior experience points during the competitive cycle of the program. The TRIO Programs Annual Performance Report (APR) System collects program-level data for annual reporting.

Privacy Act Statement

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law No. 93-579, 5 U.S.C. 552a), you are hereby notified that the Department of Education is authorized to collect information to implement the Educational Opportunity Centers Program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Pub. Law 102-325, Sec. 402F). The principal purpose for collecting this information is to administer the program, including tracking and evaluating projects’ progress in meeting approved goals and objectives. The information that is collected on this form will be retained in the program files and may be released to other Department officials in the performance of their official duties.

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

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.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 6 hours per response, 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 (Public Law 104-13, as amended). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to regulations.gov during the public comment period for this collection of information.  If you have specific questions about the form, instrument or survey, please contact Federal TRIO Programs, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20202.

Sincerely,

Federal TRIO Programs

U.S. Department of Education

Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.