03-8131. Federal Student Aid; Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership and Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Programs

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Notice of the closing date for receipt of State applications for Award Year 2003-2004 funds.

SUMMARY:

This is a notice of the closing date for receipt of State applications for Award Year 2003-2004 funds under the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) and Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (SLEAP) programs.

The LEAP and SLEAP programs, authorized under Title IV, Part A, Subpart 4 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA), assist States in providing aid to students with substantial financial need to help them pay for their postsecondary education costs through matching formula grants to States. Under section 415C(a) of the HEA, a State must submit an application to participate in the LEAP and SLEAP programs through the State agency that administered its LEAP Program as of July 1, 1985, unless the Governor of the State has subsequently designated, and the Department has approved, a different State agency to administer the LEAP Program.

DATES:

To receive an allotment under the LEAP and SLEAP programs for Award Year 2003-2004, applications submitted electronically must be received by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time) May 30, 2003. Paper applications must be received by May 23, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP Program Manager, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, 830 First Street, NE., Room 111H1, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: [phone].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Individuals with disabilities also may obtain a copy of the application in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the application package.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Only the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands may submit an application for funding under the LEAP and SLEAP programs.

State allotments for each award year are determined according to the statutorily mandated formula under section 415B of the HEA and are not negotiable. A State may also request its share of reallotment, in addition to its basic allotment, which is contingent upon the availability of such additional funds.

In Award Year 2002-2003, 47 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands received funds under the LEAP Program. Additionally, 34 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands received funds under the SLEAP Program.

On-Line Application Submitted Electronically: The Financial Partners Channel within Federal Student Aid has automated the LEAP and SLEAP application process in the Financial Management System (FMS). Applicants are encouraged to use the web-based form (Form 1288-E OMB 1845-0028) which is available on the FMS LEAP on-line system at the following Internet address: http://fms.sfa.ed.gov

Paper Application Delivered by Mail: States or territories may request a paper version of the application (Form 1288 OMB 1845-0028) by contacting Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP Program Manager, at [phone] or by E-mail at [e-mail]. A paper version will be mailed to you. An application sent by mail must be addressed to: Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP Program Manager, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, 830 First Street, NE., Room 111H1, Washington, DC 20202.

The Department of Education encourages applicants that are completing a paper application to use certified or at least first-class mail when sending the application by mail to the Department. Applications that are mailed must be received by the Department no later than May 23, 2003.

A late applicant cannot be assured that its application will be considered for Award Year 2003-2004 funding.

Paper Applications Delivered by Hand: Applications that are hand-delivered must be delivered to Mr. Greg Gerrans, LEAP Program Manager, Financial Partners, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, 830 First Street, NE., Room 111H1, Washington, DC. Hand-delivered applications will be accepted between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily (Eastern time), except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Applications that are hand-delivered will not be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on the closing date.

Applicable Regulations: The following regulations are applicable to the LEAP and SLEAP programs:

(1) The LEAP and SLEAP Program regulations in 34 CFR part 692.

(2) The Student Assistance General Provisions in 34 CFR part 668.

(3) The Regulations Governing Institutional Eligibility in 34 CFR part 600.

(4) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR 75.60 through 75.62 (Ineligibility of Certain Individuals to Receive Assistance), part 76 (State-Administered Programs), part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department Regulations), part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities), part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments), part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)), part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses) and part 99 (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/​legislation/​FedRegister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC area at [phone].

Note:

The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/​nara/​index.html.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070c et seq.

Dated: March 31, 2003.

Theresa S. Shaw,

Chief Operating Officer Federal Student Aid.