To provide scholarships to support postsecondary
education to outstanding high school seniors who show promise of continued
academic achievement in an effort to recognize and promote student excellence
and achievement.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Scholarships of $1,500 are awarded to support a maximum of 4 years of study at
any eligible institution of higher education.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: The State educational
agencies (SEA), which supervise public elementary and secondary schools in the
States, are responsible for administering the program. For the purposes of
this program, the States include the fifty States, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands,
Guam, Palau, The Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands.
Beneficiary Eligibility: A student must meet
residency and citizenship requirements, be a graduate of a public or private
secondary school or have been accepted for enrollment at an institution of
higher education, have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, and show
promise of continued academic achievement to be eligible to receive a
scholarship.
Credentials/Documentation: To receive allotments
for scholarships, a State must submit a participation agreement to the
Department of Education as required by Section 419E of the program statute. A
State is not required to provide further application information for funding
unless the State wants to modify an approved agreement. This program is
excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Pre-application Coordination: This program is
excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure: This program is excluded
from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedure: Annual allotments are provided
through grant awards to the State educational agencies for making scholarships
to qualifying students. Students apply to their State of legal residence for a
scholarship under this program. Student applicants must follow the application
procedures as directed by each State. Each participating State awards
scholarships to eligible students in accordance with selection procedures
approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
Deadlines: Grant awards to States for
scholarships are made in time for the States to make scholarship payments
before the end of the secondary school academic year. Students must submit an
application according to the deadlines established by each participating
State.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Not
applicable.
Appeals: Not applicable.
Renewals: To be eligible for allotments for any
year, States must enter into an agreement with the Department of Education in
accordance with Section 419E of the program statute and the program
requirements for the year as published in the Federal Register by the
Secretary. To be eligible for renewal of scholarships, students must continue
to meet residency and citizenship requirements, be enrolled as a full-time
student, and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Renewals are subject to
the availability of appropriations.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: Each
participating State is allotted scholarships (amounting to $1,500 each) based
on the ratio of the State's population ages five through seventeen years to
the population ages five through seventeen in all participating States, except
that no State shall receive less than 10 scholarships.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Awards may
be made for up to 4 years. Renewals are subject to the availability of
appropriations.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: An annual performance report of the
expenditure of Scholarship funds and other reports as required by the
Secretary.
Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB
Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that
expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a
single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal
entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No.
A-133.
Records: Records must be maintained for 5 years
after the activity for which the funds were awarded or until completion of the
Department Audit, whichever is later.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 91-0201-0-1-502.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $41,001,000; FY 02
est $41,001,000; and FY 03 est $41,001,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: Awards
to States in fiscal year 2001 ranged from $60,000 to $4,993,500. Scholarships
to individuals were $1,500.
All 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Palau, the Federated
States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are eligible to
participate in this program. In fiscal year 2001, 27,334 students received
$1,500 in Scholarships.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
34 CFR 654 (Program Regulations) published in the Federal Register on August
11, 1993, fact sheet, program description, and Directory of State Agency
Official Contacts (current). Contact the program office for more information.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office: Department of Education,
Office of Postsecondary Education, Division of Higher Education Incentive
Programs, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024-5251. Contact:
Argelia Velez-Rodriguez. Email. argelia.velez-rodriguez@ed.gov. Phone: (202)
502-7582.
