Application Booklet for the Native American-Serving Nont

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

Washington, DC 20202

Fiscal Year 20XX

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS

UNDER THE

Title III, Part A

Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program

ALN # 84.031X

CLOSING DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Form Approved, OMB No. 1840-0816 Expires XX/XX/XXXX

Table of Contents

Page

Dear Applicant Letter ………………………………………………………….. 1

Competition Highlights ………………………………………………………… 3

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants...…………………. 5

Application Transmittal Instructions….………………………………………… 9

Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 10

Definitions ………………………………………………………………………. 11

Supplemental Information ……………………………………………………….. 12

Project Narrative Instructions…………………………………………………… 14

Guidance for Addressing Selection Criteria……………………………………… 16

Notice Inviting Applications…………………………………………………… 18

Authorizing Legislation …………………………………………………………. 45

Executive Order 12372 – Intergovernmental Review…………………………… 46

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)……………….…...................……… 47

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)……………………………... 48

Instructions for Completing the Application……………..………………………. 49

Standard Forms 51

NASNTI Program Profile Form………………………………………………….. 52

Application Checklist ……………………………………………………………. 54

Paperwork Burden Statement…………………………………………………….. 55

Dear Applicant:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Thank you for your interest in applying for a new grant under the fiscal year (FY) 20XX Title III, Part A, Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) grant competition (Assistance Listing Numbers [ALN] 84.031X). This letter highlights specific elements in the NASNTI competition application package. Please carefully and thoroughly review the application package, which contains the information and instructions needed to submit a complete application to the U.S. Department of Education (Department) through Grants.gov.

The Department encourages applicants to address how their services will improve the educational outcomes for Native American students. Applicants should consider the use of data toward addressing the existing gaps in retention and graduation rates and provide specific targets and measures for each year of the proposed project for how the institution will work to improve results for these students.

An institution of higher education (IHE) that is interested in applying for funding must meet both eligibility requirements. An IHE must be deemed an eligible institution through the Department’s Designation of Eligibility process and must also meet the program eligibility requirements for the NASNTI, Part A program by self-certifying their undergraduate enrollment of Native American students is 10 percent at the time of application. The Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the FY 20XX process for designation of eligible institutions and inviting applications for a waiver of eligibility requirements was published in the Federal Register on [date TBD].

Applications for FY 20XX grants under the NASNTI Program must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. Information about Grants.gov submission requirements can be found in the NIA for the FY 20XX competition published in the Federal Register on [date TBD] and the transmittal instructions, which are included in this application package.

In FY 20XX, the Title III, Part A, NASNTI competition (84.031X) plans to award Individual Development Grants and Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants. There are [# TBD] Competitive Preference Priorities (CPPs) in this competition. Responses to the priorities are optional; however, an applicant may receive up to five additional points for each CPP if substantively addressed.

Lastly, please do not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the NIA for the FY 20XX competition published in the Federal Register.

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Don Crews by email at Don.Crews@ed.gov or by telephone at 202-453-7744.

We appreciate your interest in the NASNTI program and look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

/s/

Nasser H. Paydar

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education

Competition Highlights

1. Applications for the FY 20XX Title III, Part A, NASNTI program must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov, accessible at: http://grants.gov. It’s imperative to learn the functionality and requirements to submit an application through Grants.gov early on in the application process.

 

2. Applications submitted late will not be accepted. The application must be received on or before the deadline date and time. 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. Applications may not be changed after the deadline date.

 

3. The application format for a “page” is 8.5” x 11”, on one side only, with one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be within the one-inch margin. Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, tables, and graphs. Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. Do not use less than a 12-point font.

 

4. A Project Abstract is required and limited to a one-page single-spaced word document. The abstract must include the name of the institution, city, purpose, and how the project addresses one or more of the legislatively authorized allowable activities relative to supporting Native American and low-income students; please do not include charts. The abstract must be uploaded into the “ED Form” in Grants.gov.

5. Carefully read the questions on the Program Profile and check the box or place an “X” next to the box certifying that your institution will comply with the statutory requirements and program assurances cited in the applicable regulations. Upon completion of the program profile sheet, you are required to copy and paste the Program Profile Form into a separate document or recreate the form exactly as it appears and attach the form to the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov as a .pdf document.

6. The recommend page limits for the narrative section that addresses the selection criteria are no more than 55 pages for the Individual Development Grant and 75 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants.

7. Applicants must follow specific submission procedures. Included in this application package is a document containing submission procedures to ensure your application is received in a timely and acceptable manner. Consult and follow the Federal Register notice (which can be accessed at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/27/2021-27979/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs to ensure proper guidance for application submission. Exceptions to the electronic submission requirement are also outlined in the Federal Register notice. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants.

8. Applicants, at the time of submission, are required to certify that 10 percent of their total undergraduate enrollment is Native American: 20 USC § 1059f(b)(2)(B).

9. Proposed projects should be informed by data and to set specific targets and measures for each year of the project for how the proposed services will address gaps and improve results for Native American students.

10. For FY 20XX there are [# TBD] competitive preference priorities for the Title III, Part A, NASNTI program.  Applicants that address the competitive preference priorities can receive up to five additional points for each priority.

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

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

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

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

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

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can 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.

3. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

3. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Helpful Reminders

1. REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov), which 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.

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

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.

3. VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, 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:support@grants.gov 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.

Application Transmittal Instructions

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

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

Applications Submitted Electronically

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the software provided on the Grants.gov Web site (http://www.grants.gov) by 11:59:59 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the closing date of [TBD].

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 NIA that was published in the Federal Register or visit http://www.grants.gov.

Other Submission Instructions

For detailed instructions on applications sent by mail or delivery, 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.

Late Applications

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

Introduction

Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions

(NASNTI)

PROGRAM AUTHORITY

Title III, Part A, Section 319 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA).

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS

Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98 and 99), and the program regulations in 34 CFR part 607.6.

PURPOSE

The overall purpose of the program is to provide grants and related assistance to NASNTI to enable these institutions to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native Americans and low-income individuals.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

An institution of higher education is eligible to receive funds from the amounts made available under this section if such institution is a NASNTI.

ACTIVITIES FUNDED UNDER TITLE III, PART A, SECTION 319 (DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY) – 84.031X

Grants awarded under this section shall be used by Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions to assist such institutions to plan, develop, undertake, and carry out activities to improve and expand such institutions’ capacity to serve Native Americans and low-income individuals.

1. The purchase, rental or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes;

2. Renovation and improvement in classroom, library, and other instructional facilities;

3. Support of faculty exchanges, and faculty development and faculty fellowships to assist faculty in attaining advanced degrees in the faculty’s field of instruction;

4. Curriculum development and academic instruction;

5. The purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other educational materials;

6. Funds and administrative management, and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management;

7. The joint use of facilities such as laboratories and libraries;

8. Academic tutoring and counseling programs and student support services;

9. Education or counseling services designed to improve the financial literacy and economic literacy of students or the student’s families.

DEFINITIONS

Native American – The term “Native American” means an individual who is of a tribe, people, or culture that is indigenous to the United States.

Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution (NASNTI) – The term “Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution” means an institution of higher education, as defined in section 101(a), that at the time of application-

1. Is an eligible institution under section 312(b)

2. Has an enrollment of undergraduate students that is not less than 10 percent Native American students; and

3. Is not a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316 of the HEA, as amended).

Supplemental Information

The following information supplements the information provided in the “Dear Applicant” letter and the Federal Register NIA.

1. Certification of Eligibility

All applicants for the NASNTI program must have received a Designation of Eligibility to be considered for funding.

2. Estimated Funding

• Available Funds for FY 20XX

Title III, Part A, NASNTI $TBD

Program Name And Type of Award	Minimum/ Maximum Award Amount	Estimated Number of Awards	Estimated Average Award Amount
Native American- Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) Title III, Part A, Five-year Individual Development Grants Title III, Part F, Five-year Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants	TBD TBD	TBD TBD	TBD TBD

The U.S. Department of Education is not bound by these estimates.

3. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs was issued to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on state and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.

Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State’s process under Executive Order 12372.

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

4. Applicant Funding

The Department is often unable to award the full amount of funds requested. Applicants should pay close attention to the “Award Information” section of the Federal Register Notice. The Department will not fund any application at an amount exceeding the applicable maximum level.

5. Evaluation of Applications

A three-member panel of non-federal reviewers evaluates each application. Each reviewer assigns points for each selection criterion and prepares evaluative comments based on the extent to which the application addresses each selection criterion component.

6. Selection Criteria

The selection criteria in EDGAR 34 CFR part 75 section 75.210 are used to evaluate applications. The selection criteria and maximum possible points are included in the Federal Register Notice.

7. Notice to Successful Applicants

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

8. Notice to Unsuccessful Applicants

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing.

9. Annual Performance Report Requirements

If you receive a new grant award under the NASNTI program, you will be required to complete an Interim Performance Report after six months into the grant period, an Annual Performance Report each year and Final Performance Report at the end of the grant period.

Grantees will be reminded of these reporting requirements prior to the due dates.

10. Contact Information

NASNTI Program

Don Crews

Grants Management Specialist

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Room 250-14

Washington, DC 20202

(202) 453-7920 (Telephone)

(202) 205-0063 (Fax)

Don.Crews@ed.gov (E-mail Address)

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

Support Desk: Grants.gov Support Desk

Telephone: (800) 518-4726

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. Eastern Time

Project Narrative Instructions

Upload the project narrative to the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” in the application package, in Grants.gov.

Before preparing the Project Narrative, applicants should review the program statute, program regulations, the Federal Register Notices associated with this application, and the Dear Applicant Letter for specific guidance and requirements.

The Secretary evaluates an application according to the program specific criteria in EDGAR 34 CFR part 75 §75.210. The Program Narrative should provide in detail the information that addresses each selection criterion. The maximum possible score for each category of selection criterion is indicated in parenthesis. For ease of reading by the reviewers, applicants should follow the sequence of the criteria as provided below. Applications should be written in a clear and concise manner. You should limit the section of the narrative that addresses the selection criteria to not more than 55 pages for the Individual Development Grant application and 75 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development application.

We recommend that applicants limit the section of the application that addresses the competitive preference priorities to 15 additional pages. Please include a separate heading when responding to a priority and include a detailed implementation strategy and timeline. Upload responses to a priority to the Other Attachments Form in Grants.gov.

Your development grant application (individual or cooperative arrangement) must contain the following:

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

• Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

Note: Applicants must complete the SF 424 form first because the information you provided here is automatically inserted into other sections of Grants.gov.

2. U.S. Department of Education Budget Summary Forms

• ED 524 (Section A and Section B)

The “U.S. Department of Education Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs” Form (found in Grants.gov) is where applicants provide budget information for Section A – Budget Summary U.S. Department of Education Funds and Section B – Budget Summary Non-Federal Funds. Applicants should include costs for all project years. Note: Section C – Budget Narrative should be included in the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form.”

3. ED Abstract Form

The “ED Abstract Form” (found in Grants.gov) is where applicants will attach, in a .pdf document, their one-page project abstract that will provide an overview of the proposed project and how the project addresses one or more of the legislatively authorized allowable activities relative to supporting Native American and low-income students. Do not use charts.

4. Other Attachments Form

• Program Profile Page

• Competitive Preference Priority

• Invitational Priority

5. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

6. ED GEPA 427 Form

7. Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013)

8. Program Narrative Selection Criteria

As part of addressing the selection criteria and developing your program application, we presume that your institution has analyzed the major problems affecting it and designed specific strategies to address and possibly resolve these problems relative to serving Native American and low-income students. You should be ready to carry out the proposed project once you receive the grant and should not use the funds for intensive planning activities.

Be sure to include a Table of Contents. The Table of Contents will not be included in the page count. Prepare your complete program narrative in .pdf format and attach it to the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” in Grants.gov.

Content: This is the narrative portion of your application where you address the weighted selection criteria that the readers will use to evaluate your application and to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal. These pages will be included in the recommended page count.

For each proposed activity, separately address the selection criteria I through VII, in the same order as they appear below and as precisely as possible, to ensure your application contains the information readers will need to judge the quality of the proposed development grant or cooperative arrangement grant activities.

I. Need for the project. (Maximum 15 points)

II. Quality of the project design. (Maximum 25 points)

III. Quality of the project services. (Maximum 10 points)

IV. Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 20 points)

V. Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 points)

VI. Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 15 points)

VII. Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 10 points)

THE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE MAY ASSIST YOU IN ADDRESSING THE SELECTION CRITERIA:

Need: When addressing this criterion, applicants should provide detailed information that not only identifies a need for their proposed project, but they should also provide data that supports their claim for a need for the proposed project. Supporting documentation may consist of recent statistics from State, local and Federal sources; mission statement; comparison data from similar institutions; etc.

Project Design: When addressing this criterion, applicants should clearly and succinctly identify the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved. A mere listing of the goals, objectives, and outcomes is not sufficient. The identified goals, objectives, and outcomes should not only address the identified need for the project but should also be measurable, support the purpose of the program relative to one or more of the legislatively authorized activities.

Project Services: When addressing this criterion, applicants should clearly spell out the activities and services they are proposing and the intended recipients or beneficiaries of each service activity. A mere listing of the services and beneficiaries is not enough. Provide details as to the types of activities and services to be provided and the extent to which the activities and services reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. In other words, will the proposed activities and services meet the need of the project?

Project 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. The type and minimum amount of work-related experience should also be described for each position. Failure to include the efforts your institution will carryout to garner applicants for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability will result in zero points awarded for the applicable sub-criterion.

Adequacy of Resources: This section should provide information that shows that the proposed budget will provide adequate resources necessary to successfully carry out the proposed project. Applicants should demonstrate how the proposed costs would enable them to carry out the project and that the proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and significance of the proposed project.

In response to this criterion, applicants must also provide a detailed, itemized budget (ED Form 524) and a detailed budget narrative for each 12-month budget period. The budget narrative addressing the selection criterion is to be included in the Project Narrative.

Management Plan: Describe the plan of management. Who will be responsible for which task? What are the expected timelines and proposed budgets for each activity or service? What are the expected milestones for accomplishing the proposed activities or services? Have you included procedures that will ensure feedback and the opportunity for continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project? Be sure that the management plans are clearly and concisely defined.

Project Evaluation: A strong evaluation plan should be included and should be 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. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources to project evaluation and should explain the measures and strategies that will be used to ensure that the evaluation is appropriately rigorous and independent.

Notice Inviting Applications

Note: The U.S. Department of Education is not planning to have a NASNTI grant competition in the current fiscal year (FY 2023). Therefore, the most recent Notice Inviting Applications for this program (FY 2022) has been included.

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.031X. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1840-0816.

DATES:

Applications Available: May 10, 2022.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 11, 2022.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 7, 2022.

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: Don Crews, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 2B110, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-7920. Email: Don.Crews@ed.gov.

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 NASNTI Program provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to enable them to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native Americans and low-income individuals. Institutions may use the grants to plan, develop, undertake, and carry out activities to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native American and low-income students.

Background: Students’ sense of belonging impacts postsecondary retention.¹ Creating that sense of belonging begins with ensuring the institution’s ability to serve students well. Research shows that implementing intrusive advising practices² and other proactive strategies to directly support underserved students can lead to successful outcomes. Such proactive practices may be increasingly important as institutions reengage postsecondary students following enrollment decreases due to COVID-19.

Proactive practices alone may not be sufficient to retain students who suffer from financial hardship, however. Data have shown that higher education opportunity and outcomes are highly inequitable across family income groups.³ Therefore, implementing or expanding supports that provide students with financial literacy, paid internship placement, and other services that help to alleviate financial stressors further support student retention.

Through this grant program, the Department encourages Native American-serving nontribal institutions to develop, create, or enhance programs that foster students’ sense of belonging and to implement services that will help students complete their degree programs. Through the competitive preference priorities for this grant competition, the Department invites applicants to submit proposals to provide high-quality learning, improve student engagement, and reduce the cost of obtaining a college degree for Native American and low-income students. Although the most effective strategy to reduce the cost of attending college may vary across IHEs, we encourage applicants to consider strategies that reduce a student’s need to incur debt to earn a degree, for example, by reducing the time to degree completion.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities. The priorities are from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grants Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).

Competitive Preference 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 competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 5 points to an application for each priority, depending on how well the application meets the priorities. Applicants may respond to one or both priorities, for a total of up to 10 additional points.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs (up to 5 points).

Projects that are designed to improve students' social, emotional, academic, and career development, with a focus on underserved students (as defined in this notice), by creating a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe climate at IHEs through one or more of the following activities:

(a) Fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for underserved students.

(b) Implementing evidence-based practices for advancing student success for underserved students.

(c) Providing evidence-based professional development opportunities designed to build asset-based mindsets for faculty and staff on campus and that are inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success (up to 5 points).

Projects that are designed to increase postsecondary access, affordability, completion, and success for underserved students by addressing one or more of the following priority areas:

(a) Increasing postsecondary education access and reducing the cost of college by creating clearer pathways for students between institutions and making transfer of course credits more seamless and transparent.

(b) Increasing the number and proportion of underserved students who enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs, which may include strategies related to college preparation, awareness, application, selection, advising, counseling, and enrollment.

(c) Reducing the net price or debt-to-earnings ratio for underserved students who enroll in or complete college, other postsecondary education, or career and technical education programs.

(d) Supporting the development and implementation of student success programs that integrate multiple comprehensive and evidence-based services or initiatives, such as academic advising, structured/guided pathways, career services, credit-bearing academic undergraduate courses focused on career, and programs to meet basic needs, such as housing, childcare and transportation, student financial aid, and access to technological devices.

Note: Applicants must include in the one-page abstract submitted with the application a statement indicating that they are addressing one or both competitive preference priorities. If the applicant has addressed one or both competitive preference priorities, this information also must be listed on the NASNTI Program Profile form in the application booklet.

Definitions: The definitions below are from 34 CFR 77.1, 20 U.S.C. 1059f, and the Supplemental Priorities.

Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in the project’s logic model is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes.

Department means the U.S. Department of Education.

Fiscal Year means the Federal fiscal year--a period beginning on October 1 and ending on the following September 30.

Grantee means the legal entity to which a grant is awarded and that is accountable to the Federal Government for the use of the funds provided. The grantee is the entire legal entity even if only a particular component of the entity is designated in the grant award notice (GAN). For example, a GAN may name as the grantee one school or campus of a university. In this case, the granting agency usually intends, or actually intends, that the named component assume primary or sole responsibility for administering the grant-assisted project or program. Nevertheless, the naming of a component of a legal entity as the grantee in a grant award document shall not be construed as relieving the whole legal entity from accountability to the Federal Government for the use of the funds provided. (This definition is not intended to affect the eligibility provision of grant programs in which eligibility is limited to organizations that may be only components of a legal entity.) The term “grantee” does not include any secondary recipients, such as subgrantees and contractors, that may receive funds from a grantee pursuant to a subgrant or contract.

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

Note: In developing logic models, applicants may want to use resources such as the Regional Educational Laboratory Program’s (REL Pacific) Education Logic Model Application, available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp. Other sources include: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf, and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf.

Native American means an individual who is of a tribe, people, or culture that is indigenous to the United States.

Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program.

Underserved student means a student in postsecondary education or career and technical education, and adult learners, as appropriate, in one or both of the following subgroups:

(a) A student who is living in poverty.

(b) A student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian Tribe.⁴

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1059f (title III, part A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)).

Note: In 2008, the HEA was amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), Pub. L. 110-315. Please note that the regulations in 34 CFR part 607 have not been updated to reflect these statutory changes.

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

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 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 607. (e) The Supplemental Priorities.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Five-year Individual Development Grants and Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants will be awarded in FY 2022.

Note: A cooperative arrangement is an arrangement to carry out allowable grant activities between an institution eligible to receive a grant under this part and another eligible or ineligible IHE, under which the resources of the cooperating institutions are combined and shared to better achieve the purposes of this part and avoid costly duplication of effort.

Estimated Available Funds: $3,200,000.

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.

Individual Development Grants:

Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$350,000 per year.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000 per year.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $350,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Estimated Number of Awards: 6.

Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants:

Estimated Range of Awards: $400,000-$550,000 per year.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $475,000 per year.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $550,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

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

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: This program is authorized by title III, part A, of the HEA. At the time of submission of their applications, applicants must certify their total undergraduate headcount enrollment and that not less than 10 percent of the IHE’s enrollment is Native American. An official for the applicant must execute and submit an assurance form, which is included in the application materials for this competition.

To qualify as an eligible institution under the NASNTI Program, an institution must--

(i) Be accredited or preaccredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered;

(ii) Be legally authorized by the State in which it is located to be a junior or community college or to provide an educational program for which it awards a bachelor's degree;

(iii) Be designated as an “eligible institution,” by demonstrating that it: (1) has an enrollment of needy students as described in 34 CFR 607.3; and (2) has low average education and general expenditures per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student as described in 34 CFR 607.4.

Note: The notice announcing the FY 2022 process for designation of eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2021 (86 FR 71470). The Department reopened the process for applications in a notice published in the Federal Register on February 7, 2022 (87 FR 6855). Only institutions that the Department determines are eligible, or which are granted a waiver under the process described in that notice, may apply for a grant in this program.

An eligible IHE that submits applications for an Individual Development Grant and a Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant in this competition may be awarded both in the same fiscal year. A grantee with an Individual Development Grant or a Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant may be a partner in one or more Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants. The lead institution in a Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant must be an eligible institution. Partners are not required to be eligible institutions. Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, as authorized by title III of the HEA, may participate in more than one Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant as a partner.

Relationship between the Title III, Part A Programs and the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program

A grantee under the DHSI program, which is authorized under title V of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, title III, part A program. The title III, part A programs are: Strengthening Institutions Program; the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program; the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program; the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program; and the NASNTI Program. Furthermore, a current DHSI program grantee may not give up its HSI grant to receive a grant under any title III, part A program as described in 34 CFR 607.2(g)(1).

An eligible HSI that is not a current grantee under the DHSI program may apply for a FY 2022 grant under all title III, part A programs for which it is eligible, as well as receive consideration for a grant under the DHSI program. However, a successful applicant may receive only one grant as described in 34 CFR 607.2(g)(1).

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost sharing or matching unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those grant funds with non-Federal funds (20 U.S.C. 1057(d)(1)-(2)).

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. Grant funds must be used so that they supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the funds that would otherwise be available for the activities to be carried out under the grant and in no case supplant those funds (34 CFR 607.30(b)).

c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: A grantee may not use an indirect cost rate to determine allowable cost under its grant (34 CFR 607.30(c)).

d. 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.

3. 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 607.10(c). We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative 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 to no more than 55 pages for Individual Development Grants and no more than 75 pages for Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants and (2) use the standards below. If you are addressing one or both competitive preference priorities, we recommend that you limit your response to no more than an additional 10 pages total, four additional pages for Competitive Preference Priority 1 and six additional pages for Competitive Preference Priority 2. Please include a separate heading when responding to one or both competitive preference priorities.

• A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract and the bibliography. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.

Note: The Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs Form (ED 524) Sections A-C are not the same as the narrative response to the Budget section of the selection criteria.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. Applicants should address each of the following selection criteria separately for each proposed activity. The selection criteria are worth a total of 100 points; the maximum score for each criterion is noted in parentheses.

(a)  Need for project. (Up to 15 points) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (5 points)

(2) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (5 points)

(3) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)

(b) Quality of the project design. (Up to 25 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:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (10 points)

(2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (5 points)

(3) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this notice). (10 points)

(c) Quality of project services. (Up to 10 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project.

(1) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (4 points)

(2) In addition, the Secretary considers:

(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services. (4 points)

(ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (2 points)

(d) Quality of project personnel. (Up to 20 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project.

(1) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (9 points)

(2) In addition, the Secretary considers:

(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator. (3 points)

(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (8 points)

(e) Adequacy of resources. (Up to 5 points) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (3 points)

(2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (2 points)

(f) Quality of the management plan. (Up to 15 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (8 points)

(2) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (2 points)

(3) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products and services from the proposed project. (5 points)

(g) Quality of the project evaluation. (Up to 10 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:

(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (5 points)

(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible. (5 points)

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 may also 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).

A panel of three non-Federal reviewers will review and score each application in accordance with the selection criteria. A rank order funding slate will be made from this review. Awards will be made in rank order according to the average score received from the peer review and from the competitive preference priority, if addressed by the applicant.

In tie-breaking situations for development grants, under 34 CFR 607.23(b), we award one additional point to an application from an IHE that has an endowment fund of which the current market value, per FTE enrolled student, is less than the average current market value of the endowment funds, per FTE enrolled student, at comparable type institutions that offer similar instruction. We award one additional point to an application from an IHE that has expenditures for library materials per FTE enrolled student that are less than the average expenditure for library materials per FTE enrolled student at similar type institutions. We also add one additional point to an application from an IHE that proposes to carry out one or more of the following activities:

(1) Faculty development.

(2) Funds and administrative management.

(3) Development and improvement of academic programs.

(4) Acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening

management and academic programs.

(5) Joint use of facilities.

(6) Student services.

For the purpose of these funding considerations, we use 2019-2020 data.

If a tie remains after applying the tie-breaker mechanism above, priority will be given to applicants that have the lowest endowment values per FTE enrolled student.

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 or subgrantee 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: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of NASNTI:

(a) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students at 4-year NASNTIs who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same NASNTI;

(b) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students at 2-year NASNTIs who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same NASNTI;

(c) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at 4-year NASNTIs who graduate within 6 years of enrollment; and

(d) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at 2-year NASNTIs who graduate within 3 years of enrollment.

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 award, 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:

_ ___________________________

Michelle Asha Cooper,

Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education.

Authorizing Legislation

The Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) Program (ALN 84.031X) is authorized under Title III, Part A, Section 319 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended.

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS

Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98 and 99

The OMB 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

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474

Program regulations 34 CFR part 607

EXECUTIVE ORDER 12372 -

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

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—ALN# 84.031X, U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.

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. (Eastern 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.

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427

Section 427 requires each applicant 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 section allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six barriers that can impede equitable access or participation that you may address: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age.

A general statement of an applicant’s nondiscriminatory hiring policy is not sufficient to meet this requirement. Applicants must identify potential barriers and explain steps they will take to overcome these barriers.

*Notes:

• Applicants are required to address this provision by attaching a statement to the ED GEPA 427 Form that must be downloaded from Grants.gov.

• All applicants must include information in their applications to address this provision in order to receive funding under this program.

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 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:

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

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

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

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

What are the performance indicators for NASNTI?

The specific performance indicators for NASNTI are:

1. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students at four-year NASNTI institutions who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same NASNTI institution.

2. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students at two-year NASNTI institutions who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same NASNTI institution.

3. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at four-year NASNTI institutions graduating within six years of enrollment.

4. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at two-year NASNTI institutions who graduate within three years of enrollment.

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 progress reports and a final report as a condition of the award. The reports will document the extent to which project goals and objectives are met.

The most recent version of this program’s annual performance report can be viewed at https://hepis.ed.gov. To login, please click on the training tab and request login information to obtain access.

Instructions for Completing the Application

The NASNTI application consists of the following four parts. These parts are organized in the same manner that the submitted application should be organized. Remember to upload all forms and sections and follow carefully the Grants.gov application instructions. Note: All attachments must be PDF files. The parts are as follows:

Part I: 424 Forms

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

• Department of Education Supplemental Information form for SF 424

Note: Applicants must complete the SF 424 form first because the information you provide here is automatically inserted into other sections of the Grants.gov application package.

Part II: U.S. Department of Education Budget Summary Forms

• ED 524 (Section A and Section B)

The “U.S. Department of Education Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs” is where applicants provide budget information for Section A – Budget Summary U.S. Department of Education Funds and Section B – Budget Summary Non-Federal Funds. Applicants should include costs for all project years. Note: Section C – Budget Narrative should be included in the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form,” located in Part III; the details of each task line item are to be included here.

Part III: Other Forms

• ED Abstract Form

• Project Narrative Attachment Form

• Budget Narrative Attachment Form

• Other Attachments Form

ED Abstract Form is where applicants will upload their one-page project abstract that will provide an overview of the proposed project and how the project addresses one or more of the legislatively authorized allowable activities relative to supporting Native American and low-income students.

Project Narrative Attachment Form is where applicants will upload the narrative responses to the selection criteria that will be used to evaluate applications submitted for this competition. Please include a Table of Contents as the first page of the project narrative. You should limit the project narrative to no more than 55 pages for the Individual Development Grant application and 75 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant application. The Project Narrative pages should be numbered consecutively.

Budget Narrative Attachment Form is where applicants will upload a detailed line item budget to justify that costs are reasonable and necessary to accomplish the proposed project objectives. Note: the selection criteria also require a budget section that you will respond to as a part of your project narrative.

Other Attachments Form is where applicants will upload the NASNTI Program Profile Form and a response to the optional competitive preference and invitational priorities.

Please note that if these forms are missing from your application, your application will be deemed ineligible.

Part IV: Assurances and Certification.

• GEPA Section 427 Form

• Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013)

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although the form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached to the attachment forms listed above. All attachments should be in .pdf format.

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

To obtain instructions for standard forms included in this application package, please visit https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

84.031X Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program Profile

INSTRUCTIONS: ALL applicants must complete these pages. The completed pages must be attached to the “Other Attachments Form” in the application package in the Grants.gov system (as a .PDF document). DO NOT MODIFY OR AMEND THESE PAGES.

OPE ID #___________

1. INSTITUTION (Legal Name):

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Are you applying as a Branch Campus? _____ Yes _____ No

3. ADDRESS (Applicants must indicate the address where the project will be located):

Project Address: _______________________________________________________

City: _____________________________________State: ______Zip: _____________

4. Cooperative Arrangement for Participating Institutions: The applicant institution must provide for each participating institution the information (the institution name, DUNS number, location (city and state), branch campus status)

Institution Name	Unique Entity Identifier	City	State	Branch Campus (yes or no)

5. Are you addressing the competitive preference priority – to provide high-quality remote learning specifically for one or more of the student groups that follows below? _____ Yes _____ No

If yes, select all that apply?

_____ Competitive Preference Priotity 1

_____ Competitive Preference Priotity 2

6. Tie-Breaker Information

If the selection process ends in a tie and funds are not sufficient to fund all institutions, we will use the information provided here to determine who will receive a grant. In accordance with Section 607.23(b), the Secretary will award up to three (3) additional points based on the information provided here.

Please provide the following information below:

Total 2019-2020 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) STUDENTS = ____________

A. Total market value of endowment fund at the end of 2019-2020 $___________

B. Total expenditures for library material during 2019-2020 $___________

C. Check activities applicant proposes to carry out in application:

1. Faculty development ____________

b) Funds and administrative management ____________

c) Development and improvement of academic programs ____________

d) Acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening management ­­­­­­­­ ____________

and academic programs

e) Joint use of facilities ____________

f) Student services ____________

7. Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Certification:

___ By placing a check here, you, the applicant, certify pursuant to the statutory requirements governing the Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program, authorized under Title III, Part A, section 319 (84.031X) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), that:

The named institution of higher education, at the time of the application, has an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least ten percent (10%) Native American students and is not a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)). The term “Native American” means an individual who is of a tribe, people, or culture that is indigenous to the United States.

See the Office of Management and Budget’s Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity as published on October 30, 1997 (62 Fed. Reg. 58789).

Application Checklist

Use this checklist while preparing your application package. All items listed on this checklist are required. Applications that do not adhere to this checklist will not be read.

 Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

 Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

 Department of Education Budget Information Non-Construction Programs Form (ED 524)

 One-Page Program Abstract – Attached to the “ED Abstract Form” in Grants.gov

 Project Narrative – Attached to the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” in Grants.gov

 Budget Narrative – Attached to the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form” in Grants.gov

Note: Have you addressed all Application Requirements including Selection Criteria and Priorities?

 NASNTI Program Profile and Responses to Priorities – Attached to the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov

 Assurances and Certifications – found in Grants.gov

 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

 Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013)

 ED GEPA 427 Form

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 1840-0816.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 40 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 (Title III, Part A, Section 319 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended). If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this application, please contact Don.Crews@Ed.Gov directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.]

1 Davis, G.M., Hanzsek-Brill, M.B., Petzold, M.C., and Robinson, D.H., “Students' Sense of Belonging: The Development of a Predictive Retention Model.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 117-27 (Feb. 2019).

2 Museus, S.D., Ravello, J.N., “Characteristics of Academic Advising That Contribute to Racial and Ethnic Minority Student Success at Predominantly White Institutions.” NACADA Journal, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 13-25 (2021). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1300278.pdf.

3“Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States: 2016 Historical Trend Report,” The Pell Institute and PennAHEAD (Jan. 2016). https://firstgen.naspa.org/report/indicators-of-higher-education-equity-in-the-united-states-2016-historical-trend-report.

4 The NASNTI Program serves Native American and low-income students. For the subgroup of “underserved students” described in paragraph (b) of this definition, for the purpose of this program, we refer to those students who are Native American, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059f.