Learn and Serve America_Higher Education
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IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
This grant program has two main objectives: (1) To support high quality service learning projects that engage students in meeting community needs with demonstrable results, while enhancing students' academic and civic learning; and (2) to support efforts to build capacity and strengthen the service infrastructure with institutions of higher education.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
To strengthen the service-learning infrastructure and support high quality programs.
Who is eligible to apply...
Entities eligible to receive a grant are limited to individual institutions of higher education (as defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965), consortia of institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations or public agencies, including States, working in partnership with one or more institutions of higher education.
Credentials/Documentation
None.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
Contact the Corporation for National and Community Service headquarters.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
A range has not been established.
Preapplication Coordination
Grant applicants apply directly to the Corporation for National and Community Service through an annual grant cycle. Selected institutions and organizations receive grants directly from the Corporation. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
None.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
None.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
Graduate and undergraduate students, faculty members, local and national nonprofit organizations, and public agencies will benefit.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Project Grants
The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
From $40,000 to $320,000; $188,600.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $10,665,000; FY 04 est $10,686,500; and FY 05 est 10,750,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
95-2720-0-1-506.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
(1) Over 150 teacher education students at three State colleges are learning how to use service- learning in K-12 classrooms, while working alongside K-12 students in service projects assisting the homebound elderly. (2) As part of a credit bearing clinical program, over 35 law students at a private university are providing legal assistance to low-income communities in order to reduce toxic exposure and work place environmental hazards. (3) As part of their clinical rotations, over 250 nursing and allied health professions students from one private and one community college are providing community-based health education and primary care to senior citizens and low-income people. (4) A national organization of community colleges is providing subgrants, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to eight member colleges engaged in developing service learning projects and infrastructure.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
For fiscal year 2002, the Corporation awarded continuation grants to support 57 service-learning programs at colleges and universities across the Nation. These programs engaged over 30,000 students at over 300 institutions of higher education in service activities such as tutoring, mentoring, health outreach and education, primary and preventive health care, conflict resolution, neighborhood clean-up and revitalization, gang violence, and substance abuse prevention. Through structured reflection and related course work, the students translate their service activities into opportunities for academic and civic learning. The Corporation monitors and provides technical assistance to funded programs in order to enhance quality and networking opportunities. In fiscal year 2003, the Corporation's funding will support approximately 62 continuing programs.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Grant applications are reviewed against the following quality criteria: (1) Program design, (2) organization capacity, and (3) Budget/Cost-Effectiveness. All applications are evaluated in a multi-stage process that includes a peer review. Continuation applications are reviewed by corporation staff.
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
The Corporation awards grants for a one-year period, with the possibility of renewal in each of the two following years, contingent upon program performance and the availability of funds.
Formula and Matching Requirements
Grant recipients are required to provide a cash and/or in-kind match of an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the grant award.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
None.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
Audits must be performed as required by the Law.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
None.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
National and Community Service Act of 199o; as amended and the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
Application regulations have been specified in the Law. Contact the Corporation's headquarters office for further details.