United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education — Dear Project Director (December 3, 2020)
Summary
Letter of December 3, 2020 from Christopher J. McCaghren, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, to Federal TRIO Programs and GEAR UP project directors on flexibilities under section 3518 of the CARES Act. The Department will entertain requests such as higher stipends for McNair, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science and Veterans Upward Bound participants, Grant Aid and match waivers for Student Support Services grantees, and summer stipends in Talent Search. For the FY 2021 Educational Opportunity Centers and Talent Search competitions, prior experience points will use only the highest-scoring two of three years. Requests go in writing to the assigned program specialist and must be reasonable and necessary under 2 CFR part 200; the flexibility runs until September 30, 2022.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- Ppr Int A8C65Ba7996B9Bb7 Covid 19 Cares Act Flexibilities Letter To Student Services Grant
- Case
- Ppr Int A8C65Ba7996B9Bb7 Covid 19 Cares Act Flexibilities Letter To Student Services Grantees E207Ebb71A
Cite this document
“United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education — Dear Project Director (December 3, 2020).”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/ppr-int-a8c65ba7996b9bb7-covid-19-cares-act-flexibilities-letter-to-student-services-grantees-e207ebb71a/
, SHA-256 863650b5485ef55fda4734cab4c528c07db47b1a5db9205629ac2e3b489d9949.Full text
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
December 3, 2020
Dear Project Director:
We have now embarked upon a new fiscal year (FY) as of October 1. The last few months have
been challenging for all of us as we maintain our dedication to providing a high-quality
education to the Nation’s students, in spite of difficulties posed by the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic. Despite these challenges, I want to assure you the staff at the U.S.
Department of Education (Department) is here to assist you in implementing your grant project
and keeping it operating smoothly.
As a follow up to the July 1, 2020, memorandum issued by Robert L. King, Assistant Secretary
for the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), the Student Service Division would like to
provide information on additional flexibilities to Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) and Gaining
Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grantees impacted by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants the Department
authority to “modify the required and allowable uses of funds”1 for the following programs in the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), at the request of an institution of higher
education (IHE) or other grant recipient:
• Title IV, subpart 2 chapter I (TRIO Programs)
• Title IV, subpart 2 chapter II (GEAR UP)
While the CARES Act does not describe the extent of permissible modifications to these
programs, the Department will, for example, entertain the following requests for additional
flexibilities that may be granted by program:
• Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) Program
Projects under the McNair Program may request approval to use carryover funding (any
remaining funding from a budget year prior to 2020-21) and/or reallocate travel funding
for the provision of additional stipends/increased stipends for participants to minimize
disruption to activities and to enhance virtual services for participants.
Due to the interruptions of COVID-19 and the flexibilities extended to the Secretary
under section 3518 of the CARES Act, the Department will entertain requests to increase
1
Section 3518 of the CARES Act, P.L. 116-136; 134 Stat. 281.
400 MARYLAND AVE., S.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20202
www.ed.gov
The Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by
fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
the dollar amount of stipends during the academic and summer component. As described
at the end of this letter, requests must be submitted to the project’s assigned program
specialist. The Department has not designated a specific dollar amount; however, all
requests must adhere to the requirement to be reasonable and necessary under Subpart E
of 2 CFR part 200, the Cost Principles of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, And Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance).
McNair projects also may request approval to use carryover funding and/or reallocate
travel funding, as described above, to purchase, lease or rent computer hardware,
software, supplies and equipment to support student completion of on-site and remote
student research and other scholarly activities.
• Student Support Services (SSS) Program
Under SSS Program regulation 34 CFR § 646.30, grantees are allowed to provide Grant
Aid to eligible participants. Due to the interruptions of COVID-19 and the flexibilities
extended to the Secretary under section 3518 of the CARES Act, the Department will
entertain requests to allow SSS projects to amend their approved budgets to include Grant
Aid.
In addition, the Department will also entertain waiver requests for the following matching
requirements: waiver of the match of Federal funds used for grant aid, in cash, from non-
Federal funds, in an amount that is not less than 33 percent of the total amount of Federal
grant funds used for Grant aid; and waivers of the matching requirement for institutions
who are not eligible to receive funds under part A or B of Title III or Title V of the HEA,
as amended. Grantees will not be allowed to use more than 20 percent of the Federal
program funds awarded to the grantee each year for Grant Aid.
These flexibilities are extended to SSS grantees that have one or more years remaining
under the FY 2015 grant. Grantees funded under the FY 2020 competition are not eligible
for these flexibilities.
• Talent Search (TS) Program
The Department may consider requests from grantees for providing stipends for
participants that participate in the project summer activities beginning with budget
period 2020-21.
• Upward Bound (UB), Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS), and Veterans
Upward Bound (VUB)—Stipends
The Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science and Veterans Upward Bound
regulation 34 CFR § 645.42 allows stipends for participants who are enrolled in the
project on a full-time basis. During the COVID-19 interruption of services, the
Department is aware that many institutions are providing distance learning options to
students, and as such, a student that continues to be enrolled full-time through distance
learning remains eligible to receive allowable stipends.
2
Currently the allowable stipend for a participant per regulations for the UB and UBMS
program may not exceed $40 a month during the academic year and $60 a month during
the summer component not to exceed a three-month period, except youth participating in
a work-study position may be paid $300 per month during the summer school recess. The
allowable stipend for a participant per regulations for the VUB Program may not exceed
$40 a month. Due to the interruptions of COVID-19 and the flexibilities extended to the
Secretary under section 3518 of the CARES Act, the Department will entertain requests
to increase the dollar amount of stipends during the academic and summer component.
As described at the end of this letter, requests must be submitted to the project’s assigned
program specialist for approval before increases may occur. The Department has not
designated a specific dollar amount; however, all requests must adhere to the requirement
to be reasonable and necessary under Subpart E of 2 CFR part 200, the Cost Principles of
the Uniform Guidance.
In addition, students participating in the summer bridge component of an UB or UBMS
project may also receive a stipend in accordance with the amounts allowable per
regulations or at an approved increased amount.
• Upward Bound (UB) and Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) Programs—
Computers for Students Participating in Summer Bridge Component
Under the UB and UBMS program regulation 34 CFR § 645.13, UB and UBMS projects
may provide a summer bridge component to those participants who have graduated from
secondary school and intend to enroll in postsecondary education. Students participating
in an UB or UBMS summer bridge component may be provided with a computer to
complete the bridge component activities. In addition, the computer may be utilized
during the participant’s transition into postsecondary education as long as the project can
verify that the participant is enrolled in postsecondary education and a certification is
received from the enrolling institution that the participant has not been granted the use of
a computer. If the participant has received a computer from the enrolling institution, the
participant must return the computer issued by the project.
• Calculating Prior Experience Points for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Competitions under
the Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) and Talent Search (TS) Programs and
Beyond
As you are aware, for each competition, the Department uses the scores awarded for the
second, third and fourth year of expiring grants to calculate the final prior experience
(PE) points. The average of the three applicable years’ PE scores earned by current
grantees that submit an application under any of the TRIO program competitions is added
to the average score awarded by the three non-Federal reviewers to determine the final
score. Typically, this would mean that for the FY 2021 EOC and TS competitions, the PE
points earned for project years 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 would be used to
calculate the final PE points.
We have determined that due to the challenges faced by current grantees under the EOC
and TS Programs as a result of the national pandemic, the Department will only utilize
3
the highest-scoring two years from the three years of data submitted by each grantee to
calculate PE points under the FY 2021 TS and EOC competitions.
Please note that the Department has not made a determination regarding calculation of PE
points for the scheduled competitions in FY 2022 under Upward Bound, Upward Bound
Math and Science, Veterans Upward Bound and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate
Programs. Further information will be provided once planning begins in the fall or winter
of 2021.
• GEAR UP Program
The GEAR UP program statute currently provides flexibilities for GEAR UP Partnership
projects, which allows for match waiver for a GEAR UP Partnership projects that can
demonstrate it meets the waiver requirements as described in the GEAR UP regulations.
The Department will be using its authority provided under section 3518 of the CARES
Act to extend these same flexibilities to our State GEAR UP grantees.
Requesting Grant Modifications
Modification requests must be directed in writing to your respective program specialist and
describe the proposed use of funds, amount, and brief rationale for each specific proposed
modification. As noted earlier, requests must adhere to the requirement to be reasonable and
necessary under Subpart E of 2 CFR part 200, the Cost Principles of the Uniform Guidance. OPE
will respond to any request and will follow up with an approval, denial, or, when necessary,
request for further clarification.
Requests must continue to directly serve project participants and not replace services that, during
the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, are already being offered. The CARES Act places a time
limit on this flexibility, from March 13, 2020 and ending on September 30 of the FY following
the end of the qualifying emergency, which, as of now, is until September 30, 2022.
Approval letters from the Department will indicate the length of time in granting the proposed
modifications, with the possibility of future time extensions based on the course of the COVID-
19 pandemic.
Thank you for your continued commitment to support Federal TRIO and GEAR Up participants
during this time through the ongoing delivery of services to them. Please contact your assigned
program specialist if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Christopher J. McCaghren, Ed.D.
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Higher Education Programs
4
File and source
- File
- ppr-int-a8c65ba7996b9bb7-COVID-19-CARES-Act-Flexibilities-Letter-to-Student-Services-Grantees-e207ebb71a.pdf
- Size
- 250,053 bytes
- SHA-256
- 863650b5485ef55fda4734cab4c528c07db47b1a5db9205629ac2e3b489d9949
- Original
- www.ed.gov