Must Be Licensed or Otherwise Authorized by the State Where It Operates to Offer a Postsecondary Education Program

– State Must Authorize Institution by Name to Operate Postsecondary Educational Programs

– State Must Have a Process to Review and Act on Complaints and Enforce Applicable State Laws

Must Be Accredited by an Institutional Accrediting Agency Approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education

Must Admit as Regular Students only Persons with High School Diplomas or the Recognized Equivalent or Beyond the Age of Compulsory Attendance

Institution of Higher Education

– Public or Private Nonprofit Institution Located in U.S. or Its Territories

– Traditional Universities and Community Colleges

Proprietary Institution of Higher Education

– Private, For-Profit Institution Located in U.S. or Its Territories

– Traditional or Non-Traditional Universities and Colleges

– Career Training Institutes and Colleges

Postsecondary Vocational Institution

– Public or Private Nonprofit Institution Located in U.S. or Its Territories

– Vocational Program Institutions

Two-Year Rule (Proprietary and Vocational Institutions Only)

– Must Have Been Licensed and Offering the Same Postsecondary Programs for at Least Two Consecutive Years Prior to Application

Financial Statements

– Must Provide the Two Most Recent Audited Financial Statements Prepared According to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Audited According to Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards

Must Offer at Least One Eligible Program with Actively Enrolled Students

Must Not Have Filed for Bankruptcy Protection

Institution, Owner, and CEO Must Not Have Pled Guilty, Pled No Contest, or Been Found Guilty of a Crime or Determined to Have Committed Fraud Involving Federal, State, or Local Government Funds

Institution, Owner, and CEO Must Not Have Been Administratively or Judicially Determined To Have Committed Fraud Involving Federal, State, or Local Government Funds

High School Diploma Requirement

– At Least 50% of the Regular Students Enrolled in an Award Year Must Be High School Graduates or the Equivalent

Incarcerated Students Rule

– No More Than 25% of the Regular Students Enrolled in an Award Year Can Be Incarcerated

Correspondence Instruction Limitations

– No More Than 50% of Courses in an Award Year Can Be Offered by Correspondence

• Telecommunications Courses are Correspondence Courses if All Telecommunications Courses and Correspondence Courses Together Equal at Least 50% of All Courses Provided

– No More Than 50% of Regular Students Enrolled in an Award Year Can Be Enrolled in Correspondence Courses

– Distance Education Programs Could Be Classified as Correspondence Programs if Lacking Regular and Substantive Faculty/Student Interaction

Institution of Higher Education Programs

– Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Graduate or Professional Degree; or

– At Least a Two-Year Program that Is Acceptable for Full Credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree; or

– At Least a One-Year (Federal Definition) Program that Leads to a Credential and Prepares Students for Gainful Employment in a Recognized Occupation
– Gainful Employment Rules (Disclosures and Metrics) Apply to Certificate Programs Not Leading to or Transferable to a Degree

– Comprehensive Transition Programs (Intellectually Disabled Students)

Proprietary Institution of Higher Education Programs

– Programs Must Be in Existence for at Least Two Years with No Substantial Changes at the Time of Application (Two-Year Rule)

– ED May Restrict Program Additions or Modifications for Two Years After Approval

– Eligible Programs That Provide Training for Gainful Employment in a Recognized Occupation; Gainful Employment Rules (Disclosures and Metrics) Apply

– Program Leading to a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts (very limited exemption and likely not applicable for most for-profit schools)

– Comprehensive Transition Programs (Intellectually Disabled Students)

Minimum Program Lengths at Proprietary Institutions

– At Least 15-Week Undergraduate Program with 600 Clock Hours or 16 Semester or 24 Quarter Credits, May Admit Students without an Associate’s Degree; or

– At Least 10-Week Program with 300 Clock Hours or 8 Semester or 12 Quarter Credits at Graduate Level or that Admits Only Students with at Least an Associate’s Degree; or

– At Least 10-Week Undergraduate Program with 300-599 Clock Hours that Admits Students without an Associate’s Degree and that Has Verified Completion and Placement Rates of at Least 70% (Federal Calculation), Has Been in Existence for at Least One Year, and Meets Certain Program Length Requirements (Eligible Only for Direct Loan Participation)

An institution of higher education that has a teacher preparation program that is a qualified teacher preparation program and in exchange for funding improve public academic achievement

– Recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and principals;

– Increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; and

– Reforming teacher and principal certification programs.

Proposed improvements must be based on a needs assessment, and, among other things, be aligned with state academic content standards, student academic achievement standards, and state assessments (for formula grants). Institutions must provide road map on (1) recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and principals; (2) increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; and (3) reforming teacher and principal certification programs.

By law, an institution applying for consideration in Title II partnership must contain at least one institution of higher education that either:

• Produces graduates who exhibit strong performance by (1) demonstrating an 80 percent or higher pass rate on all applicable state qualifying assessments for new teachers (including assessments of subject matter knowledge); or (2) ranking among the highest-performing teacher preparation programs in the state, as determined by the state; or
• Requires all students to participate in intensive clinical experience, to meet high academic standards, and to complete an academic major or demonstrate competence in relevant content areas.

Institutional grantees are selected through a rigorous peer review process that includes members of the higher education and K-12 communities. Selection is based on criteria stated in the application and published in the Federal Register.

By law, an eligible grant applicant is a partnership that includes, at a minimum:

1. a public or private institution of higher education whose teacher education program is effective (as demonstrated by certain types of evidence stipulated in the statute);
2. a school of arts and sciences; and
3. a high-need local educational agency (LEA).

Because many entities contribute to the success of teacher education programs, partnerships may also include other school districts and higher education institutions (including community colleges), governors, state boards of education, state educational agencies and agencies for higher education, nonprofit organizations, preschool programs, teacher organizations, and the business community.

The strength of applications will be assessed in terms of their quality, feasibility, sustainability, and potential significance. Reviewers must determine that an application is of high quality and can be sustained during and beyond the grant period. Selection will be made based on the selection criteria published in the application and in the Federal Register. The grants will support efforts to strengthen teacher education by:

• increasing collaboration between schools of education and the schools of arts and sciences in order to improve prospective teachers’ content knowledge;
• improving links to K-12 schools and providing high-quality, intensive, clinical experiences to ensure that prospective teachers learn effective teaching skills;
• integrating reliable, research-based teaching methods and technology instruction into the curriculum; and
• creating opportunities for enhanced, sustained professional development.

Partnerships may also use grant funds to prepare teachers to work with diverse student populations, including students with disabilities and limited English proficiency, and to involve their parents; to broadly disseminate information on effective practices in teacher education; and to provide principals and superintendents with effective leadership skills.

Only Programs that target improving the recruitment, preparation, and retention of high-quality teachers in high-need communities as an essential step in expanding access to quality education are considered for the grant.

In addition, Programs that are identifying the best techniques for preparing teachers for our nation’s most challenging teaching assignments will be eligible for grants that provide foundation for excellence in the preparation of all our teachers.

OCTAE Funding is for public schools, community colleges, libraries, and community-based organizations, and other providers (e.g. sub-providers)

The Department provides grants to these state eligible agencies, which in turn, fund local projects. The following types of entities are eligible to apply to state eligible agencies for funds:
– Local education agencies (LEAs);
– Community-based organizations of demonstrated effectiveness;
– Volunteer literacy organizations of demonstrated effectiveness;
– Institutions of higher education (IHEs);
– Public or private nonprofit agencies;
– Libraries;
– Public housing authorities;
– Other nonprofit institutions that have the ability to provide literacy services to adults and families.

For profit and unaccredited postsecondary institution of higher education licensed to operated in any State may qualify through WIBs and One-Stop Career Center Operators in their native and local domicile to participate in this program. Private for-profit institutions may be eligible to apply for Adult Education and Family Literacy (AEFLA) funding, depending on the type of entity that serves as the WIB or One-Stop Operator, and whether that type of entity is an eligible provider under Title II.

OCTAE funded programs and grants support a wide range of activities that help prepare young people and adults for further education and successful careers.

Adult Education & Literacy

This program provides grants to fund adult education and literacy services, including workplace literacy services; family literacy services; English literacy programs and integrated English literacy-civics education programs. Participation in these programs is limited to adults and out-of-school youths age 16 and older who are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under state law.

Career and Technical Education

The programs is made available to develop more fully the academic, career, and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary students who elect to enroll in CTE programs.