A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Biennial Evaluation Report - FY 93-94

Chapter 530

Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program

(CFDA No. 84.185A)

I. Program Profile

Legislation: Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart 6, P.L. 98-558 as amended by P.L. 102-325 (20 U.S.C. 1070d-31 et seq.) (expires September 30, 1997).

Purpose: To promote academic excellence and achievement among students and to recognize exceptionally able students who show promise of continued excellence.

Funding History

Fiscal Year	Appropriation
1987	$8,000,000
1988	7,659,000
1989	8,200,000
1990	8,627,000
1991	9,271,000
1992	9,642,000
1993	9,470,000
1994	9,294,000

II. Program Information and Analysis

Performance Indicators

The program office at the Department of Education is currently developing the performance indicators that will be used to assess the program's performance. Three of those indicators will be: (1) the number of States and territories that participate in the program; (2) the extent to which the States and territories award all of the scholarship monies that they receive from ED; and (3) the number of students who continue to receive Byrd scholarships throughout their college careers due to their ability to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirement.

These indicators reflect three of the program's goals: (1) to have all States and eligible territories participate; (2) to have all of the participating States and territories award all of the scholarship monies each year; and (3) to have scholarship recipients receive scholarships throughout their 4 years of college.

Population Targeting

To be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must have a high-school diploma or equivalent, and must have applied or been accepted for enrollment at an institution of higher education. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and are renewable for up to the first four years of study at an institution of higher education of the scholar's choice.

Services

Byrd scholarships were awarded for the first time in the spring of l987 for study in the 1987-88 academic year. Each scholarship recipient received $1500 for the first year of study at an institution of higher education. The Byrd scholars selected for the 1993-94 academic year are the first cohort of scholars eligible to receive a $1500 scholarship annually for up to the first four years of study.

Fiscal Year	Appropriation
1987	4,370
1988	5,175
1989	5,138
1990	5,384
1991	5,561
1992	5,798
1993	6,313

Program Administration

The Byrd Scholarship Program is administered by State education agencies, which establish specific scholar-selection criteria in consultation with school boards, teachers, counselors, and parents. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) are eligible to participate in the program. The scholarships are allocated to each State in proportion to its school-age (5-17) population, except that each State shall have at least 10 scholarships. The scholars must be selected in a manner that ensures an equitable geographic distribution of scholarships within the State.

Outcomes

The current Annual Performance Report form that is being used in the Byrd Scholarship Program does not ask the States for any information on the educational outcomes of students who receive the scholarships. The only information currently asked about students includes the number of recipients by type of institution, and the total amount paid to recipients at each type of institution. In program year 1992-93, the number of recipients was as follow:

Type of Institution	Number of Recipients
In-State Public	1,957
In-State, Private Nonprofit	969
Out-of-State Public	514
Out-of-State Private Nonprofit	1,857

The program office is currently designing a new form that will ask the States for some student outcome data. Such data would include the number of scholarship recipients whose scholarship is renewed each year due to the recipients' academic performance, and the number of scholarship recipients who graduate from college each year.

Management Improvement Strategies

The Department reviews all State reports for the accuracy of the performance data. States are provided with edits with which to check or revise their data. Department staff review edits annually to refine them and to improve data quality. Finally, the Department provides case-by-case assistance to the States regarding various administrative aspects of the program and distributes appropriate guidance to all participating entities.

III. Sources of Information

Program files.

IV. Planned Studies

None.

V. Contacts for Further Information

Program Operations:: Darlene B. Collins, (202) 260-3394
Program Studies:: Elizabeth Eisner, (202) 401-0182

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