22 Availability of Adult Education Act Section 322 funds for adult basic education including English as a second language and adult secondary education programs for Program Year 1998-99

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Availability of Adult Education Act Section 322 Funds for Adult Basic Education Including English as a Second Language and Adult Secondary Education Programs for Program Year 1998-99

[28 Pa.B. 52]

   The Adult Education Act as amended by the National Literacy Act of 1991 provides funds to local agencies through the Department of Education (Department) for the establishment of adult education programs that will:

   1.  Enable all adults to acquire basic educational skills necessary for literate functioning;

   2.  Provide these adults with sufficient basic education to enable them to benefit from job training and retraining programs in order to obtain and retain productive employment so that they might more fully enjoy the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship; and

   3.  Enable adults who so desire to continue their education to at least the level of completion of secondary school.

   Eligible applicants include local education agencies and public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations and institutions. A for-profit agency is eligible to participate in the program only if it is part of a consortium with a local education agency or other eligible sponsor, with the nonprofit agency acting as fiscal agent. A for-profit organization must also have the capability and capacity to augment significantly the adult education services of such a consortium.

   Consistent with the purpose of the Adult Education Act, for Program Year 1998-99, the Department will give primary consideration to programs for the educationally disadvantaged.

   Priority for funding will be given to applicants for the continuation of existing programs that have demonstrated an ability to produce results consistent with the objectives of the Adult Education Act.

   The Federal share of a grant will be 75% of the total cost of the program. The applicant must provide 25% match of the total cost of the program. The local match may be in kind. Other Federal funds may not be used for the local match unless specifically identified as eligible for use as matching funds.

   Restrictions placed upon the Department by the United States Department of Education on the administration of the grant include:

   1.  Not more than 20% of the Federal grant to the State Department of Education may be used for programs of equivalency for a certificate of graduation from a secondary school.

   2.  Not less than 10% of the State's allotment must be used for adult education for institutionalized adults.

   3.  Not more than 5% of a local applicant's grant may be used for administrative costs, unless a higher percent is approved in advance by the Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education.

   Application due dates:

   1.  Section 322 Federal Grant renewals for
agencies that did not receive a 1997-98
new/expansion grant
March 13, 1998

   2.  Section 322 Federal Grant renewal
applications for agencies that received
1997-98 new/expansion grants.***
April 17, 1998

   3.  New/expansion Section 322 Grant
applications for agencies in the counties
that still have new money available
April 24, 1998

   ***Agencies need time to prepare applications after the grant allocation letters go out. The allocation letters will be issued after the evaluation of the New/Expansion Grant Recipients' Interim Reports which are due in the Bureau on March 13, 1998.

   Note:  The Bureau reserves the right to consider proposals received after the deadlines and, if appropriate, to approve them if and when funds become available.

   Application Procedures and Program Guidelines will be mailed to current adult basic education providers in mid-January. Others desiring additional information or Application Procedures and Program Guidelines may obtain them after January 9, 1998, by written request to: Chief, Regional Programs Division, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education, 333 Market Street, 12th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333.

   All potential applicants are urged to attend the combined proposal development workshop for Federal Adult Education Act, Section 322, and State Adult Literacy Program, Act 143 of 1986. This workshop will be conducted by teleconference on January 29, 1998 at 9 a.m. Downlink site locations will be announced at a later date. In order to ensure timely administration and processingof applications, both the grant writer and the fiscal officer should attend the workshop.

EUGENE W. HICKOK,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 98-22. Filed for public inspection January 2, 1998, 9:00 a.m.]