Overview
Title
Applications for New Awards; Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP)
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The U.S. Department of Education is looking for people to apply for money that helps Native Hawaiian students learn important job skills. They have a set of rules and instructions, but figuring them all out might be a little tricky!
Summary AI
The Department of Education is inviting applications for the 2021 Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP), funded under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. This program aims to enhance career and technical education for Native Hawaiians. This notice outlines eligibility criteria, application requirements, and deadlines, highlighting significant changes from the Perkins V Act. Successful applicants may receive grants ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 for projects up to five years.
Abstract
The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP), Assistance Listing number 84.259A. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1830-0564.
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AnalysisAI
General Summary
The document in question is a notice from the Department of Education inviting applications for the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP) for the fiscal year 2021. This program, under the authority of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, seeks to improve career and technical education opportunities for Native Hawaiians. Grants ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 are available for projects of up to five years. The notice outlines eligibility criteria, application procedures, deadlines, and significant updates from the Perkins V Act.
Significant Issues or Concerns
The document is filled with technical jargon and references to numerous statutes, which might pose comprehension challenges for individuals without a legal or educational policy background. Terms like "acute economic need" and "special populations" are not clearly defined, potentially leading to ambiguity in applications. Additionally, the requirement for independent evaluations may impose additional financial burdens on applicants, especially for smaller organizations with limited resources. The stipend calculations are complex, potentially resulting in administrative hurdles in fair distribution.
Moreover, the conditions outlined for providing "Direct Assistance to Students" might overlap with existing funding sources, making it challenging to adhere to the supplement-not-supplant requirement. The administrative cost limitations remain vague, and terms like "in-demand industry sector or occupation" are broadly defined, which might not be uniformly interpreted across different contexts.
Impact on the Public
Broadly speaking, this document affects educational institutions and community organizations within Hawaii focused on improving career and technical education for Native Hawaiians. The guidelines set forth in the document are aimed at enhancing educational opportunities, potentially leading to better career prospects for participating students. However, the complexity of regulations and the administrative burden may discourage smaller organizations from applying, potentially restricting access to the funds meant to support them.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Positive Impact:
The NHCTEP intends to deliver significant benefits to Native Hawaiian students by providing funds focused on career and technical education. Successful projects can lead to improved educational outcomes, better job readiness, and a stronger position in modern economies. Community-based organizations could play a crucial role in achieving these educational objectives if they secure the necessary funding.
Negative Impact:
On the negative side, the complexity of the application and compliance process might be a barrier for organizations with fewer resources. This could particularly impact smaller, community-based institutions that are well-placed to serve Native Hawaiian populations but may lack the capacity to manage intricate application procedures and financial regulations. In addition, if the stipulations are not clearly understood or adhered to, there may be increased instances of funds being mistakenly used contrary to policies, possibly resulting in penalties or loss of funding.
Overall, while the NHCTEP offers opportunities for advancement, it also requires navigating a heavily regulated framework that may prove daunting for some applicants.
Financial Assessment
The document in question relates to the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP) and includes several financial references and allocations. This commentary aims to elucidate these financial aspects and discuss how they interact with identified issues in the document.
Financial Allocations and Spending
The document announces the availability of federal funds for NHCTEP for the fiscal year 2021. The estimated available funds amount to $3,176,000 for the first 12 months of the project period. This allocation aims to support various educational initiatives tailored for Native Hawaiian communities focusing on career and technical education.
Applicants under this program can expect award amounts to range from $250,000 to $500,000, with an estimated average size of $350,000. The number of anticipated awards is between 9 and 10. It is important to note that these allocations are contingent upon the quality of applications and the availability of funds beyond the first year.
Stipend Calculations
The document outlines that students participating in program-funded activities can receive stipends to support their educational endeavors. The stipend is calculated based on the number of hours a student attends classes. For example, if a student attends classes for 20 hours a week and the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage of $7.25 is applied, the student would receive $145 per week. This calculation illustrates how financial support is designed to alleviate barriers to education participation.
In circumstances where a student's total financial need is $2,000 for a 16-week program, adjustments are made to the stipend amount to ensure it does not exceed this financial need. This example of a weekly stipend adjustment to $125 highlights the complexity of matching financial aid to individual economic needs, a process that could lead to administrative challenges as noted in the issues.
Integrity and Financial Reporting
The document stipulates financial integrity measures for award recipients. If an award's value exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, currently set at $250,000, the awardee's integrity and performance are scrutinized through systems like the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. Additionally, entities with active federal grants exceeding $10,000,000 must report integrity information semiannually.
These requirements may impose additional administrative burdens on recipients, potentially leading to confusion or compliance difficulties, especially if an organization lacks the resources to meet these stringent reporting standards.
Issues Related to Financial References
Several complexities arise from the financial requirements in this document. The calculation and distribution of stipends, for example, involve multiple conditions and eligibility criteria that might lead to confusion. The stipends are meant to supplement but not replace other available financial aids, which, without clear guidelines, may lead to potential conflicts with the "supplement-not-supplant" rule.
Moreover, certain terms, such as "acute economic need," lack specificity. This vagueness might result in inconsistent application across different contexts, complicating the fair distribution of financial aid under NHCTEP.
In conclusion, while the document provides a clear framework for financial allocations, it also presents challenges that require careful consideration to ensure that funds are equitably and effectively distributed to support Native Hawaiian education initiatives. Addressing these issues could involve clarifying terms and simplifying stipend calculations to enhance comprehension and compliance.
Issues
• The document contains highly technical language and numerous references to statutes that may be difficult for a general audience to understand without prior knowledge.
• The requirement for an independent evaluator to conduct project evaluations may incur additional costs that could be considered excessive depending on the scope and complexity of the project.
• Stipend calculations and eligibility criteria are complex, which may lead to administrative difficulties in ensuring fair and accurate stipend distribution.
• There is a lack of specificity in the definitions of terms such as 'acute economic need' and 'special populations', which could lead to ambiguity in application.
• The process of determining financial need for stipends is described in a way that may be confusing due to the multiple conditions and calculations involved.
• The document mentions 'program requirements and selection criteria that are from statutory requirements or from the Notice of Final Requirements' without providing a clear explanation of how these statutes apply or why they were chosen.
• Requirement 4 regarding 'Direct Assistance to Students' includes conditions that might lead to potential overlap or conflicts with existing funding sources, which could complicate compliance with the supplement-not-supplant clause.
• The regulatory frameworks referenced, such as 34 CFR parts and 2 CFR parts, make the document cumbersome to navigate without a legal background or access to those regulations.
• The administrative cost limitation and indirect cost rate information are mentioned, but there is no clear indication of what would be considered reasonable and necessary, leaving room for subjective interpretation.
• Certain phrases like 'in-demand industry sector or occupation' are used but rely heavily on broad definitions that may not be uniformly understood or applied across different contexts.