Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Strengthening Institutions Program CFDA Number 84.031A

Note: The notice announcing the FY 2017 process for designation of eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal Register on November 25, 2016 (81 FR 85210). 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.

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

A grantee under the HSI 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: SIP; 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 Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions program.

Furthermore, a current HSI program grantee may not give up its HSI grant to receive a grant under SIP or 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 HSI program may apply for a FY 2017 grant under all title III, part A programs for which it is eligible, as well as receive consideration for a grant under the HSI program. However, a successful applicant may receive only one grant as described in 34 CFR 607.2(g)(1).

Purpose of Program: The Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to help them become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the institution’s academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability.

Note: The Department of Education (Department) is conducting two separate competitions for SIP grants in 2017. This competition (CFDA number 84.031A) does not include any priorities. The Department is conducting a separate competition under the 84.031F CFDA number. In that competition applicants must address an absolute priority and
may address a competitive priority. The 84.031F competition will be announced in a separate Federal Register notice. Applicants may apply for grants in both the 84.031A and 84.031F competitions, but can only receive one grant.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031A.

Applications for grants under the SIP (CFDA number 84.031A) must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
You may access the electronic grant application for this competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.031, not 84.031A).