Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program CFDA Number 84.031S

performance measures, priorities and program contact information. The HSI Program provides grants to assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students. The HSI Program grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability. General Background In 2008, the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEA). The HEOA made a number of changes to the HSI program. The regulations for the HSI Program in 34 part 606 have not been updated since before the HEA was amended by the HEOA. Therefore, we encourage applicants to carefully read this notice, which references the statutory provisions when the corresponding regulatory provisions for this program have not been updated. For example, section 501 of the HEOA amended section 503(b) of the HEA to include, among the authorized activities under the HSI Program-- (1) Activities to improve student services, including innovative and customized instruction courses designed to help retain students and move the students into core courses; (2) Articulation agreements and student support programs designed to facilitate the transfer of students from 2-year to 4-year institutions; and (3) Providing education, counseling services, or financial information designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students or their families. (4) The list of authorized activities in section 503(b) of the HEA was also amended to use the term ``distance education technologies'' in place of ``distance learning academic instruction capabilities.'' Therefore, notwithstanding the description of authorized activities in Sec. 606.10, applicants may include these activities in their proposals under this competition. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031S. Applications for grants under the HSI Program, CFDA Number 84.031S, 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 Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions 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 84.031S).