Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Talent Search Program Grant Opportunity

This notice corrects the “Estimated Available Funds” and “Maximum Award Amounts” in the notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016 for the Talent Search program, published on December 22, 2015. In the Federal Register of December 22, 2015 (80 FR 79574), on page 79576, in the third column, section II. Award Information, under “Estimated Available Funds,” we correct the estimated amount to $150,000,000. In addition, we correct the “Maximum Award,” which is located a couple paragraphs below the “Estimated Available Funds,” to read:
Maximum Award:
For an applicant that is not currently receiving a Talent Search Program grant, the maximum award amount is $240,000 for a project that will serve a minimum of 500 participants, based upon a per-participant cost of no more than $480.
For an applicant that is currently receiving a Talent Search Program grant, the maximum award amount is the greater of (a) $240,000 or (b) the award amount obtained by multiplying the applicant’s approved FY 2015 number of participants by $480, to serve at least the number of participants approved to serve in FY 2015. The minimum number of participants an applicant proposes to serve must be 500 and the project must propose a per-participant cost that does not exceed $480 per participant. For example, an applicant whose FY 2015 approved number of participants is 600 is eligible for a grant of up to $288,000 to serve 600 participants.
We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amount listed above for a single budget period of 12 months. We will also reject any application that proposes a budget to serve fewer than 500 participants, and will reject any application that proposes a budget that exceeds the maximum per participant cost of $480.
All other information in the December 22, 2015, notice remains unchanged.

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Talent Search Program is to identify qualified individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds with
potential for education at the postsecondary level and encourage them to complete secondary school and undertake postsecondary education.
Talent Search projects publicize the availability of, and facilitate the application for, student financial assistance for persons who seek to pursue postsecondary education, and encourage persons who have not completed programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or reenter and complete these programs.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.044A.

Applications for grants under the Talent Search Program, CFDA number 84.044A, 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 the Talent Search Program 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 84.044, not 84.044A).