DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UPDATE
During the 2019 Seminar on Relations with the U.S. Department of Education, Student Services Division Director Linda Byrd-Johnson provided the following updates.
There is extra money with the 2019-2020 appropriations, which will mean a percentage increase for TRIO--with no increase in the number of students a project needs to serve.
This is the 30th Anniversary of the McNair program--serving more than 5,000 participants.
The Department will be providing technical assistance webinars for Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math/Science in the near future.
No additional news on the timing of the Student Support Services grant competition. They are hoping for a November/December 2019 due date.
The Department will be reviewing grants that still have large available balances, with an understanding that many UB and UBMS programs use the bulk of their monies for their summer programs.
Department staff met with COE to discuss potential collaboration to promote awareness of projects undertaken as a result of the STEM supplemental funding in Upward Bound and UBMS. Still awaiting agency approval to move forward. In response to a question as to whether other programs would have the opportunity to apply for supplemental funds in the future, Dr. Byrd-Johnson indicated that the Department would take that idea under consideration.
Finally, in terms of "substantial progress," the Department indicated that it is taking COE's recommendation and would not revoke grants for failure to meet substantial progress this year and that non-competing continuation award notices would be out soon. However, the Department is working to establish criteria for "substantial progress" for the future.
