Assistance to Tribally Controlled Community Colleges and Universities (15.027)

Program

15.027 Assistance to Tribally Controlled Community Colleges and Universities

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of the Interior
Office: Bureau of Indian Education

Authorization

Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act, Public Law 95-471, 25 U.S.C. 640c - 1(c); 25 U.S.C. 1815.

Program Number

15.027

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide grants for the operation and improvement of tribally controlled community colleges to insure continued and expanded educational opportunities for Indian students, and to allow for the improvement and expansion of the physical resources of such institutions.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds must not be used in connection with religious worship or sectarian instruction. Funds may be used for the general operating costs of the Tribally Controlled Community College to defray, at the determination of the College, expenditures for academic, educational and administrative purposes and for the operation and maintenance of the College.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Colleges sponsored by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes or tribal organizations which are governed by a board of directors, are in operation more than one year, admit students with a certificate of graduation from a secondary institution or equivalent, provide certificates, associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees, are nonprofit and nonsectarian.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Indian students who are a member of or are at least a one-fourth degree Indian blood descendant of a member of an Indian tribe which is eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States through the Bureau of Indian Affairs to Indians because of their status as Indians.

Credentials/Documentation

Written evidence of approval of the application by the governing body of one or more Indian tribes of the students served by or to be served by the college. "Tribal governing body" means the tribal governing body or tribal governing bodies that represent at least 90 percent of the students served by such school. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

An applicant should consult the Branch Chief of Post-Secondary Education. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. The organization should submit written evidence of approval of the application by the governing body of one or more Indian tribes of the students served by or to be served by the college to the Director, Office of Indian Education.

Award Procedure

After receiving approval of the application by the governing body or governing bodies, the Director will designate a study team to determine whether there is justification to encourage maintaining a college.

Deadlines

Jul 01, 2009 Colleges must submit the Tribe's approval of the application by March 1 of the fiscal year preceding the year in which they wish to be eligible for funding. Evidence that all administrative systems are in place such as accounting, personnel and property must be submitted by July 1 of the preceding year in which they wish to be eligible for funding.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

The study team will be designated within 30 days. Within 60 days the team must complete its eligibility study. The tribe will be notified of approval within 60 days of completion of the study.

Appeals

A negative determination may be appealed to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs. Within 30 days of receiving a notice of appeal the Assistant Secretary must conduct a hearing at which the applicant may present evidence and offer arguments in support of the appeal. Within 30 days after the hearing the Assistant Secretary must issue a written ruling on the appeal. Specifics relative to the appeals process are found in 25 CFR 41.7.

Renewals

Colleges must file an annual application to receive continued funding.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Awards are made on an annual basis and the funds remain available without fiscal year limitation until expended by the contractor/grantee. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Not available.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

OMB 1076-0105, Annual Report. Cash reports are not applicable. No progress reports are required. Federal Financial Report, SF 425 is required. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

Financial records must be retained for 3 years from the date of submission of the single audit report. Procurement records must be retained for 3 years from the date of final payment. Property records must be retained for 3 years from the date of disposition, replacement, or transfer. Records pertaining to any litigation, audit exceptions or claims must be retained until the dispute has been resolved.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: Annually, over 20,000 Indian students receive an education above the secondary level, and approximately 1,000 Indian students receive an associate, bachelors or masters degree or a vocational certificate. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

14-2100-0-1-501.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $56,713,000; FY 09 est $56,713,000; FY 10 est $56,713,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Range is $396,000 to $11,923,000; Average $2,256,000. The amount of the award is determined by the number of eligible Indian students enrolled in the college. Indian Tribes may choose to supplement the funding provided by the grant program by identifying additional amounts in the Tribal Priority Allocations portion of the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

25 CFR, Part 41; 25 CFR, Part 276.

Related Programs

15.026 Indian Adult Education; 15.114 Indian Education_Higher Education Grant Program

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. See Education Line Officers' addresses in Catalog Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Headquarters Office

Chris Redman Bureau of Indian Education, Dean Am McGee, Suite 610, Oklahoma, Oklahoma 73102 Email: chris_redman@bia.gov Phone: (405)605-6001

Web Site Address

http://www.oiep.bia.edu.; http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Twenty-five Tribally Controlled Community Colleges received financial assistance. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Applicants which the study team determines as eligible will be funded.