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Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2018

Adult Basic Education Transition to Community College
Fund Code: 668

Purpose:The purpose of this competitive grant program is to provide a foundation of services within Massachusetts community colleges that enable adult learners to transition into and ultimately complete postsecondary education.
Priorities: The priority is to support programs in community colleges that:

  1. successfully enroll and retain adults who were previously enrolled in ESE-funded adult learning programs (e.g., Community Adult Learning Centers and Adult Basic Education Programs in Correctional Institutions);

  2. are fully integrated into the community college;

  3. provide instruction (i.e., academic and college-readiness skills) and advising support to ensure that students function successfully in postsecondary education;

  4. provide students access to degree-bearing college credit courses at no cost through participation in the Transition program; and

  5. create clear, effective pathways to degree programs, certificate programs, and/or careers for students upon completion of the Transition program designed to fill in academic gaps in order for students to bypass developmental education courses.
Eligibility:Eligible applicants are Massachusetts public community colleges.

Funding Type:State

Funding:$1,000,000 is available to fund up to 11 community colleges with grants ranging from $80,000 to $100,000. Funding is subject to state and federal appropriations.

Fund Use: Funds may be used to support personnel and non-personnel costs in the following areas, in accordance with the FY18 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Adult Basic Education (ABE) Transition to Community College1: outreach and recruitment; student intake, orientation, and placement; college advising; instructional services including College for Success courses (required), Technology for College courses (optional, based on student need), and writing, reading, and math courses; data entry, analysis and reporting; program coordination and administration; staff development; and other costs including supplies, staff travel, and indirect costs.

Not less than 85 percent of funds must be spent on Transition program direct services; not more than 15 percent may be spent on administrative costs, including indirect costs.

Agencies with an approved federal indirect cost rate shall not receive more than an 8% indirect rate for adult education programs. Agencies with an ESE-approved indirect cost rate (IDC) shall not receive more than a 5% indirect rate for adult education programs. The total of direct and indirect costs may not exceed the total grant award. In lieu of charging for indirect costs, grantees that provide an appropriate and detailed allocation of agency-wide costs to their grant programs may receive DESE approval to include them as direct costs.
Project Duration: Upon approval through 6/30/2018; conditionally renewable for up to an additional two (2) years.

Transition to Community College grants are renewable for the duration of a maximum of three (3) years, subject to satisfactory performance, the appropriation of state and federal funds, and the continuance of federal authorizing legislation.
Program Unit:Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)
Contact: All inquiries must be submitted in writing to TransitionRFP@doe.mass.edu; all answers will be posted to the Adult and Community Services webpage.

Requests for assistance utilizing the RFP mailbox and/or the ACLS webpage may be directed to the ACLS receptionist at (781) 338-3850.

A Bidders' Conference for the Transition to Community College grant program will be held on December 19, 2016 at 10:30, at the Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board Office at 340 Main Street, Suite 400, Worcester, MA (directions and parking information will be posted on the ACLS website). Snow date will be December 21, 2016, same time and location.

Due Date: March 31, 2017

Proposals must be received at the Department by 3:00 p.m. on the date due.
Required Forms:
Download Word Document
Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)
Download Excel Document
Part II — Program Expenditures Budget Detail Pages (Include both pages.)
Download Word Document
Part III — Required Program Information
 
Budget Narrative (designed by applicant; see instructions in Part III, Section VI)
 
Match Narrative (designed by applicant; see instructions in Part III, Section VI)
Download Excel Document
Schedule B — Cost Sharing or Matching Schedule
Download Word Document
FY18 Statement of Assurances for ESE-funded Transition to Community College Programs
  
Required Appendices (see below)
Required Appendices: The following items are required and should be developed by the applicant.

Appendix A Memoranda of Agreement with collaborating ESE-funded ABE program partners

Appendix B Resumes of key staff
Additional Requirements: Compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, As Amended, is a pre-requisite to receipt of a grant award.

Applicants are required to provide an auditable matching share of 30% of the total amount of the requested grant award. Currently funded grantees must provide a matching share that is not less than their FY15 matching share (maintenance of effort amount) or 30% of the requested amount, whichever is greater.

Upon notification of funding, successful applicants will be required to enter certain program design elements, including required classes, into SMARTT2.

All successful applicants must comply with Adult and Community Learning Services' reporting requirements.
Additional Information:
Download Word Document
Letter from ABE State Director

  
FY18 Massachusetts Policies for Effective ABE Transition to Community College Programs, posted on the ACLS Transition webpage

  
Adult and Community Learning Services Disability Guidelines, posted on the ACLS Disability Services webpage

View HTML Page
DESE Grants Management Procedural Manual
Proposal Submission Instructions: Proposals must be submitted electronically via this link: transrfp.

Applicants will create an account and be able to enter the portal for the Adult Basic Education Transition to Community College RFP.

Once you have created a user account and entered the portal for the RFP, you will be asked to:
  • Enter basic information
  • Upload the following required documents:
    • Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)
    • Part II — Program Expenditures Budget Detail Pages (Include both pages)
    • Paste responses to Part III — Required Program Information
  • Upload:
    • Budget Narrative
    • Match Narrative
    • Schedule B — Cost Sharing or Matching Schedule
    • FY18 Statement of Assurances for Transition Program Grants
    • Required Appendices
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. You will not be able to submit your grant unless you include data or uploads in all required fields.

Please note that you are presented with two choices at the bottom of the submission webpage: <Save Draft> and <Submit>. Once you choose Submit, you are no longer able to make edits or change the files you wish to upload. Save Draft should be used routinely until you have completed the entire process and are certain you are ready to send your materials submission to us.

Also, please note that the Part II-Budget is an Excel for PC document. Please do not work on this document in Excel for Mac, as it will not render properly, even if you subsequently save the document in a PC environment.

If problems occur while using the portal, contact Wyvonne Stevens-Carter.

Proposals are due on March 31, 2017, by 3:00 p.m.

Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget and Part I in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.
Pagination Directions: Narrative responses may not exceed 10 pages. Responses to Section VI (Budget) are not included in the page limit. Likewise, required attachments and appendices do not count toward the page limit.

Additional, non-required appendices and narrative pages that exceed 10 pages will not be read.


Note:

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1 The FY18 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Adult Basic Education Transition to Community College are posted to the ACLS ABE Transition to Community College webpage.

2 "SMARTT" refers to the Department's web-based planning and reporting System for Managing Accountability and Results Through Technology, or SMARTT. See SMARTT System Information webpage.