Title IV A, Subpart 4, Higher Education Act, Educational Opportunity Centers This program is designed to serve diverse areas with major concentrations of low-income persons by providing residents thereof with information concerning financial and academic assistance available for postsecondary education; assistance in preparing the necessary applications and other documentation for admission to an institution; and counseling, tutoring and other necessary assistance for students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in admitting educationally disadvantaged persons. These These program services are to be developed and offered in coordination with other applicable programs and services. The Commissioner is authorized to make grants to, or contracts with, institutions with vocational and career education programs; combinations of such institutions; public and private agencies; and, in exceptional cases, secondary schools, for planning, developing and carrying out the Educational Opportunity Centers Program. The Federal government may pay up to 75% of the cost of establishing and operating the Centers. For further information on this program, please contact: David D. Johnson Chief, Special Programs Branch Division of Student Support and Special Programs Washington, D. C. 20202 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education [45 CFR Part 154] EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS Proposed Criteria for Funding for Fiscal Pursuant to the authority contained in Title IV, Part A, Subpart 4 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1070d-1070d-1), notice is hereby given that the Commissioner of Education, with the approval of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare proposes to issue the regulations set forth below which contain funding criteria which he will utilize in evaluating applications to carry out Educational Opportunity Centers. Educational Opportunity Centers serve areas with major concentrations of lowincome persons by providing, in coordi nation with other applicable programs and services, information with respect to financial and academic assistance available for persons in such areas desiring to pursue a program of postsecondary education; assistance to such persons in applying for admission to institutions of higher education, including the preparation of applications for use by admissions and financial aid officers; and counseling and tutorial services and other necessary asstance to such persons while attending such institutions. Interested persons are invited to submit writtd. comments, suggestions, or objections regarding the proposed criteria to the Division of Student Suppert and Special Programs, Bureau of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Office of Education, Scventh and D Streets SW., Room 4010, Washington, D.C. 20202. Comments received in response to this Notice will be available for public inspection at the above office Mcndays through Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All relevant material must be received on or before January 21, 1975, unless January 21, 1975, is a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, in which case such material must be received by the next following business day. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number: 13.543 Educational Opportunity Centers) Dated: October 10, 1975. T. H. BELL. U.S. Commissioner of Education. Approved: November 21, 1975. MARJORIE LYNCH, Acting Secretary of Health, Ed- EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS Section 154.6 of Part 154 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations is revised to read as follows: $154.6 Funding criteria. (a) Continuation awards. Priority will be given to a request for funds to continue the operation of a Center that (1) received funds in a prior fiscal year and (2) was approved for a multi-year work period that has not expired. (continuation award) (b) Conditions for approval. Requests for continuation awards will be approved only if (1) the need continues to exist for the services provided by the Center; (2) Satisfactory progress has been made in implementing the approved work plan and in achieving the Center's goals and objectives, as indicated by site visits, progress reports, and other relevant data; (3) The Center continues to offer promise of success in providing information to residents of the target area on the variety of postsecondary options available, increasing the rate at which persons from the target area enroll in postsecondary educational institutions, and improving the rate at which enrolled students from the target area remain in and complete programs of postsecondary education; (4) All required reports, including data collections reports and quarterly performance and fiscal reports, have been received and accepted by the Commis sioner; and (5) Funds are available to continue the Center, (c) New awards. Except as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the Commissioner will select applicants to be funded under this part on the basis of the criteria set forth in § 100a.26(b) of this chapter, as well as the following additional criteria: (1) The degree to which services are needed to enhance access to postsecondary education, as indicated by (1) the number of secondary and postsecondary students and other persons residing in the area; (ii) the number of low-income families in the target area; (ii) the historical rate of participation in postsecondary education by residents in the area; and (iv) the number of persons to be served by the Center; (2) The extent to which the applicant has successfully operated a Center comparable or identical to those authorized under this part. If that Center was not funded under the Educational Opportunity Centers Program, the applicant shall provide a description of that Center, including the number of low-income persons served and the kinds of services offered, the number of persons enrolled in and graduated from postsecondary institutions as the result of services offered and the percentage of increase in postsecondary enrollment and graduation by residents of the area served, (3) The comprehensiveness of the applicant's plan for carrying out the activi❤ ties under § 154.7 and the extent to which these activities will result in increased enrollment and retention in and gradua tion of low-income, educationally disad-: vantaged persons from postsecondary institutions; (4) The qualifications of the proposed staff and the extent to which the staff has experience in dealing with lowincome and physically handicapped persons; (5) The extent to which representa tives from the community, secondary schools, and postsecondary schools have participated in the formulation of the proposal and will participate in the operation of the Center; (6) The extent to which all members of a consortia will make resources available and participate in the activities of the Center to reach the goals and objectives of the proposed work program; (7) The extent of the Center's 14lationship to Talent Search, Upward Bound, and Special Services for Disadvantaged Students projects in the arca and to such other similar programs and services, including those for the physically handicapped, in terms of (1) coordinating services to individuals who participate in more than one such program; (ii) providing services not other wise available from Talent Search, Upward Bound, and Special Services projects and other similar programs; and (ii) avoiding duplication of scrviers; (8) The degree to which the Center vill draw upon and coordinate the resources and staff efforts of institutious of higher education and postsccoudary education in admitting low-income, educationally disadvantaged persons. (9) The reasonableness of the allocation of résources among the Center's required activities; and (10) The reasonableness of the cost for operating the Center. (d) Geographic consils.allen. Commissioner win award grants or contracts to insure that major concentrations of low-income persons, in both urban and rural areas, will be represented among the arens served by Centers. (20 U.8.0. 1970d-1) [FR Doc.75-34134 Filed 12-19-78:8:45 cm] |