Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Institutional Service: Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program

Eligible Applicants

Additional Requirements

1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs that (a) qualify as an eligible HSI and (b) offer a postbaccalaureate certificate or postbaccalaureate degree program are eligible to apply for new grants under the PPOHA Program. See section 512(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1102a(b)).An eligible IHE for purposes of the PPOHA Program, under sections 502 and 512(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101a and 1102a(b)), must(a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section 502(b) of the HEA (section 502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));(b) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA, average educational and general expenditures that are low, per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar instruction (section 502(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));Note 1: To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students and low average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student, an IHE must be designated as an eligible institution in accordance with 34 CFR 606.3 through 606.5 and the notice inviting applications for designation as an eligible institution for the fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted.Note 2: Only institutions that the Department determines are eligible, or are granted a waiver, may apply for a grant in this program.(c) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered, or making reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an agency or association (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));(d) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide within the State, an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelors degree (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iii)(I) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)(I)); and(e) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application (section 502(a)(5)(B) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)).Note 3: Funds for the PPOHA Program will be awarded each fiscal year; thus, for this program, the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application refers to the end of the fiscal year prior to the application due date. The end of the fiscal year occurs on September 30 for any given year.Note 4: In considering applications for grants under this program, the Department will compare the data and documentation the institution relied on in its application with data reported to the Departments Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the IHEs State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional annual report. If different percentages or data are reported in these various sources, the institution must, as part of the 25 percent assurance verification, explain the reason for the differences. If the IPEDS data show that less than 25 percent of the institutions undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic, the burden is on the institution to show that the IPEDS data are inaccurate. If the IPEDS data indicate that the institution has an undergraduate FTE less than 25 percent, and the institution fails to demonstrate that the IPEDS data are inaccurate, the institution will be considered ineligible. (f) A grantee under the PPOHA Program, which is authorized by title V of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, title III, part A or part B program during the period for which funds under this program are awarded (section 505 of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101d). The title III, part A programs include: the Strengthening Institutions Program; the American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program; the Ala

Geographic Eligibility

All