Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Targeted Assistance
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
To provide funding for employment-related and other social services for refugees, asylees, Amerasians, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and entrants in areas of high refugee concentration and high welfare utilization.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Assistance is limited to employment-related and other social services for refugees, asylees, Amerasians, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and entrants, as defined in the authorizing Acts, supplemented by appropriate documentation provided to the refugee from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS), formerly INS.
Who is eligible to apply...
The State agency designated as responsible for the Refugee Resettlement Program is eligible to receive funding for assistance to counties and similar areas in States where, because of factors such as unusually large refugee or entrant populations, high refugee or entrant concentrations in relation to the overall population, and high use of public assistance by refugees, there exists a need for supplementation of available resources for services to refugees.
Credentials/Documentation
Persons for whom assistance is authorized are limited to refugees, asylees, and Amerasian immigrants with documentation from the BCIS as to their status and to Cuban and Haitian entrants with documentation from the BCIS as to status allowed under Title V of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, and victims of a severe form of trafficking who have been certified by ORR. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
States with qualifying counties must submit an application for funding in accordance with application requirements described in the annual notice of availability of formula allocation funding for targeted assistance grants. A State must submit a single application on behalf of all qualified counties in that State. Funding is contingent upon the submission and approval of a State application. Subsequent to the approval of the application by ORR, county governments develop local targeted assistance plans and submit them to the State.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Grants are made to designated State agencies on behalf of qualifying counties. State agencies, in turn, receive, review, and determine the acceptability of individual county targeted assistance plans. Not less than 95 percent of targeted assistance funds must be allocated by the State to qualified counties.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
The deadline for applications is 30 days from the date of publication of the final notice. Contact Headquarters Office listed below for further information.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Approximately 1 month.
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
None.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
Grants are for annual budget period and a 3-year project period. FY 02 was the first year of the 3-year grant cycle (FY 02 - FY 04). IN FY 05, ORR will again review data on all counties that could potentially qualify for TAP funds.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
Persons admitted to the U.S. within the last 5 years as refugees under Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; granted asylum under Section 208 of the Act; Cuban and Haitian entrants, as defined in Section 501 of the Refugee Education Assistance Act; and certain Amerasians from Vietnam and their accompanying family members, as defined by Section 584(c) of the Foreign Relations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriation Act of 1988. Victims of a severe form of trafficking who have received a certified or letter of eligibility from ORR.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Formula Grants
Allocations of money to States or their subdivisions in accordance with distribution formulas prescribed by law or administrative regulation, for activities of a continuing nature not confined to a specific project.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
From $15,982 to $8,082,345; $1,535,000.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $44,239,860; FY 04 est $44,122,535; and FY 05 est $44,529,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
75-1503-0-1-609.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
(1) Job development and placement; (2) on-the-job training; (3) business and employer incentives; (4) job- related and vocational English; and (5) short-term job training.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
In FY 03, 53 qualified counties in 28 States received formula funds to provide employment-related and other social services. FY 02 was the new budget year for the 3-year cycle. For FY 03, ORR weighed both the 5-year arrival population (fiscal year 1998 through fiscal year 2002) for each county and the concentration of refugees within that county to determine eligibility for this program. In FY 04, 53 qualified counties in 28 States will receive formula funds to provide employment related and other social services. For FY 05, ORR will review data on all counties that could potentially qualify for targeted assistance based on the published criteria.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
A State with at least one qualifying county submits an application on behalf of the qualified counties in that State. Subsequent to the approval of the State's application by ORR, county governments develop local targeted assistance plans for its submission to the State.
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Funds are appropriated on a yearly basis. Payments to States are made through the Payment Management System (PMS).
Formula and Matching Requirements
The program provides funding, to the extent of available appropriations, for employment-related and other social services for eligible refugees, asylees, Amerasian immigrants, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and entrants. The formula for allocation is not established in legislation. Funds are distributed to States according to a formula which takes into account refugee, asylee, Amerasian, and entrant arrivals in the past five fiscal years. Procedures for documenting the number of asylees are being developed. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Targeted assistance funds must supplement, rather than supplant, existing State and local resources.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
Quarterly expenditure and program performance (and related statistics) reports are provided by the State agency to ORR.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133."
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
Separate financial records must be maintained by State agency for 3 years after final payment or of the time period for the particular records in Parts 1-20 of Federal Procurement Regulations, whichever expires earlier.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 412(c)(2), as amended; Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986, Public Law 99-605, 8 U.S.C. 1522(c); Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, Section 501(a), Public Law 96-422, 8 U.S.C. 1522 note; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, Section 584(c), Public Law 100-202; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1989, Public Law 100-461; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1990, Public Law 101-167; Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1991, Public Law 101-513; and Section 107(b)(1)(a) of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, Public Law 106-386.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
45 CFR Subpart L- 400.310 to 400.319. Various materials are available on request from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20447.