Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher education Program CFDA Number 84.938T

     We will make the pre-applications available upon publication of this notice, and we will make the applications available after review of the pre-applications. We intend to make the applications available 60 days after publication of this notice.

     Purpose of Program: Under the Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education Program (EAI Program or EAI), we will award grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) for emergency assistance in areas directly affected by a covered disaster or emergency: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the wildfires in calendar year 2017 for which the President declared a major disaster or emergency under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191) (covered disaster or emergency). Under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Budget Act) the funds available under the EAI Program are for programs authorized under subpart 3 of part A and part C of title IV and part B of title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended (20 U.S.C. 1087-51 et seq.; 20 U.S.C. 1138 et seq.), but the funds may be used for activities beyond those supported by those specific programs. 

     In accordance with the Budget Act, we will award grants to eligible IHEs for emergency assistance for any purpose authorized under the HEA. We will prioritize, to the extent possible, projects that support students who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless as a result

of displacement, and IHEs that have sustained extensive damage, by a covered disaster or emergency.

    Exemption From Rulemaking: This program is exempt from the rulemaking requirements in section 437 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232) and section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553). Division B, Subdivision 1, Title VIII, ``Hurricane Education Recovery'' paragraph (6), of Public Law 115-123, the ``Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.'' 132 Stat. 98.

     Program Authority: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123.

      Note: The Budget Act provides that funds provided through the EAI Program must be for certain programs established under the HEA (the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, and the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education programs), but use of the funds is not limited to the activities authorized under those programs. Funds provided through these grants may be used for student financial assistance, faculty and staff salaries, equipment, student supplies and instruments, or any purpose authorized under the HEA.

      Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.

      Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.938T.

     Pre-Application: IHEs intending to submit an application for funds under this program must first complete and submit a pre-application data information form from which institutional allotments will be calculated. The data form can be downloaded from www.ed.gov/hurricane-help. Complete the form and send it to EAIProgram@ed.gov by the date established under Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications. Within 30 days after the Pre-Application deadline, if the IHE is eligible for funding, the Department will either: (1) Calculate the applicant IHE's allotment and email notice of the amount back to the contact person identified by the IHE on the pre-application form, and the eligible IHEs will then have until August 1, 2018 to submit their application and budget information to the Department through Grants.gov; or (2) request additional information from the eligible IHE in order to calculate the applicant IHE's allotment.

          On May 3, 2018, we published in the Federal Register a notice inviting pre-applications and applications for new awards for the FY 2018 Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education Program (CFDA number 84.938T) (83 FR 19550). This notice corrects the Application and Submission Instructions section of that document by clarifying that applications are to be submitted via email, and not through Grants.gov.

 Correction

     In FR Doc. 2018-09417, we are revising the sentence beginning on page 19551 in the middle column, at line 17 from the top of the page, under the heading ``Content and Form of Application Submission'' to delete the words ``through Grants.gov'' and insert in their place ``at EAIProgram@ed.gov''.

    Program Authority: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123.