September 21, 2005

Dear Project Director:

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2000, we awarded your institution/organization the first year of a five-year grant under Title III, Part A of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended. On September 30, 2005, many of you will have completed the five-year grant period; however, some of you may have completed it earlier. Under the terms of the grant, your institution/organization is required to submit a Final Performance Report containing an evaluation of the activities and accomplishments funded by the program. This report is due within ninety (90) days after the end of the final budget period of the grant or December 30, 2005.

To assist in the preparation of the Final Performance Report, we are pleased to provide instructions for complying with the Department's reporting requirements. For more details, see Section 74.50-53 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).

The instructions are for grantees under the following programs:

• Strengthening Institutions;
• American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities;
• Alaska Native Serving Institutions; and
• Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.

I am taking this opportunity to call your attention to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). GPRA was enacted by Congress in 1993 and requires that all federal agencies improve their accountability for expenditure of public funds. Federal agencies assist in the improvement of Congressional decision-making by providing more objective and quantitative information on the effectiveness of Federal programs.

The Department has determined that indicators based on academic quality, institutional management, fiscal stability, and student success would yield the best evidence of Title III, Part A program effectiveness. The performance indicators, as formulated by the Department, examine the impact of activities supported by the grant that implemented faculty development, access to technology, establishment or improving development offices, fiscal balances, minority student access, degree attainment and development/ improvement of the physical plant. We expect to receive useful information of the impact of the Title III, Part A grant award on your institution/organization.

In order for us to comply with GPRA, we ask that you include in your Final Performance Report the most accurate qualitative and quantitative data available. Your cooperation will help in preparing more comprehensive reports for the Congress that reflect the Department's priorities, service delivery, accomplishments and customer satisfaction.

Please send an original and one copy of the completed report by regular mail or by a courier service to:

Title III, Part A Programs/Final Performance Report
Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education Service
U.S. Department of Education
1990 K Street, NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20006-8512

Any questions or comments regarding the instructions and completion of the report should be directed to the program officer assigned to your grant.

Sincerely,

Maria Carrington, Ph.D.
Team Leader
Team A
Strengthening Institutions Program

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