Timeline

Current competition: FY 2012
Applications available: December 19, 2011
Deadline for applications: Extended to February 1, 2012

Federal Register Notices

• Notice to Extend the Closing Date for New Awards for FY 2012 (January 25, 2012) | PDF
• Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for FY 2012 (December 19, 2011) | PDF

Current Application

All applicants are required to submit an application online through Grants.gov. Grants.gov is a single access point for over 1,000 grant programs offered by federal and other grant-making agencies. We encourage you to read the notice thoroughly to ensure that applications are submitted precisely as specified.

It is strongly recommended that potential applicants familiarize themselves with the Grants.gov Web site and complete the required registration well before the closing date. You can begin the registration process before the application is published on Grants.gov or while you are filling out the application. However, registration must be completed before you can submit your completed package. Please note that the registration process for organizations may take three to five days to complete. The site offers users extensive customer support options and resources for applicants.

Application packages in Grants.gov consist of two downloadable files: application instructions and the application package. To view the package, including required forms, the free Adobe Reader or compatible Acrobat Professional software must be installed on your computer.

Accessing the Application Package

1. Start at the Grants.gov home page: http://www.grants.gov/.
2. Go to the Apply for Grants page: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp.
3. Click on Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms_apps_idx.html.
4. Enter the CFDA number for this program: (84.047) and click "Download Package."
   Note that alpha suffixes to the CFDA number cannot be included in the search criteria. If there is more than one program sharing the numeric CFDA you will be able to select specific programs under that number using the program title after the numeric CFDA search.
5. Click "Download" to access the application package and instructions.

Applicants who are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system may submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic submission requirement. Requests for waivers are due at least two weeks before the application deadline date. See the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for additional details on requesting a waiver.

Page limits and acceptable fonts for grant applications. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for page limits and font types an applicant may use when submitting grant applications for this competition.

Important Note to all Prospective Applicants:

Please be advised that www.Grants.gov will be undergoing scheduled maintenance and will be unavailable from Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. ET until Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants should plan accordingly. As a reminder, funding opportunity applications can be downloaded and completed offline. You do not need to be logged in to work on an application.

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to OPE_TRIO@ed.gov or you may call Ken Waters at (202) 502-7586 or Gaby Watts at (202) 502-7545.

Tips for submitting applications electronically through Grants.gov:

• Begin the Grants.gov registration process as soon as possible. Register early: preferably at least five days before the deadline.
• Download and review the application instructions from Grants.gov.
• Complete the application package according to the application instructions.
• Review and verify all program assurances and certifications.
• Verify on Grants.gov that registration is complete and that your Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) status is approved if you are the submitter.
• Submit your application early, ensuring sufficient time for the Grants.gov validation process.
• Verify your submission through the Grants.gov Web site.

Tips and Assistance

FY 2012 Upward Bound Pre-Application Technical Assistance Workshops: In preparation for the FY 2012 Upward Bound Program competition, the Student Service Area conducted on-site and webinar pre-application workshops on the following dates and locations. For information about the results of the workshops, contact the program office.

On-Site Pre-Application Workshops

Webinar Pre-Application Workshops Dates

• November 8, 2011
• November 9, 2011
• November 10, 2011
• November 15, 2011
• November 16, 2011
• November 17, 2011
• November 22, 2011
• December 8, 2011
• December 12, 2011
• December 14, 2011

Application Contact

Ken Waters, ken.waters@ed.gov
U.S. Department of Education
1990 K Street, N.W., Suite 7000
Washington, DC 20006-8510
Telephone: (202) 502-7586
E-mail: OPE_TRIO@ed.gov

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