DOL - ED 2026 FIPSE BasicNeedsfor Postsecdary Students Program ANI_1.pdf

U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education- Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program

Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Competition

Posted May 21, 2026

Contents Program Information

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Costs

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Program Description

Overview

Priorities

Selection Criteria

Performance Measures

Application Submission Information

Application Review Information

Definitions

Award Requirements

Application Checklist

Program Information The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor) is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) – Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Secretary of Education (Secretary). The purpose of the FIPSE-Basic Needs Program is to advance systemic and sustainable solutions to student basic needs insecurity through support programs that address the basic needs of students and to report on practices that improve outcomes for students.

Assistance Listing Number: 84.116N.

OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.

Program authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d;

the Explanatory Statement accompanying

Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Pub. L. 119-75).

For further information contact: Robin Dabney, Telephone: (202) 453-7908.

Email:

BasicNeedsforPostsecondaryStudentsPr ogram@ed.gov.

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $10,000,000.

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000- $5,000,000 for the 48-month project period.

Average Award: $1,000,000 for the 48-month project period.

Maximum Annual Award: $5,000,000 for the 48-month project period.

Estimated number of awards: 2-10.

Project Period: 48 months.

Application Deadline: June 23, 2026.

Note: ED is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education (IHEs) (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)(20 U.S.C. 1001)), consortia or systems of eligible IHEs, and public and private nonprofit organizations and agencies.

An applicant that is applying as a nonprofit organization may, under 34 CFR 75.51, demonstrate its nonprofit status by providing:

• Proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

• A statement from a state taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual.

• A certified copy of the applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or

• Any item described above if that item applies to a State or national parent organization, together with a statement by the State or parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.

Note: State Education Agencies and State Higher Education Agencies are eligible as public agencies

Costs Cost Sharing

This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

Indirect Cost Rate Information

This program uses an unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division.

Administrative Cost Limitation

This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses.

All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.

Subgrantees

Under 34 CFR §75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under this competition may award subgrants— to directly carry out project activities described in its application—to entities listed in the grant application.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines Applications Available May 21, 2026 Application Deadline June 23, 2026 Deadline for Intergovernmental Review August 24, 2026

Applicants are required to follow the 2025 Common Instructions and Information for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at ED 2025 Common Instructions.

Program Description

Overview This funding opportunity supports students’ basic needs and prioritizes workforce development priorities as outlined in America’s Talent Strategy. This grant program is intended to provide competitive grants to advance solutions to identify, address, and prevent student basic needs insecurity.

This competition also invites applications that focus on helping students attain workforce relevant credentials, including degree-connected Registered Apprenticeships (as described in 29 CFR part 29 and 5 CFR 362.102), and earn-while-you-learn pathways in advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, energy, healthcare, and emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI). Equipping students with the ability to understand the impact of AI and effectively use it is critical to creating a more resilient, skilled workforce ready to power national economic resurgence and the reindustrialization of America.

Achieving these goals requires a modernized postsecondary ecosystem—an ecosystem that is more responsive to labor market demands and better aligned with high-growth, high-wage sectors. Central to this effort is a shift away from one-size-fits-all “college-for-all” models toward more flexible, employer-driven pathways. These pathways emphasize Registered Apprenticeships, short-term and stackable credentials, and other high-quality alternatives to traditional four-year degrees that enable individuals to gain relevant skills and enter or advance in the workforce more efficiently. Expanding access to these pathways—including through the development and scaling of Workforce Pell-eligible programs—is critical to ensuring that more Americans can benefit from affordable, outcomes-oriented training opportunities.

At the same time, rapid advancements in AI are reshaping the nature of work and the skills required across nearly every sector. Strengthening institutional capacity to integrate AI into education and training programs—both as a field of study and as a tool for teaching and learning—is essential. This includes expanding AI literacy, embedding AI-related competencies into curricula, and preparing educators and institutions to adapt to technological change while maintaining a focus on student success and workforce relevance.

Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative, results-driven projects that intentionally link basic needs supports to improved completion rates and direct workforce outcomes, recognizing employment as a key component of long-term student success.

Priorities This notice includes one competitive preference priority and two invitational priorities. The competitive preference priority is from the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities and Definitions on Evidence-Based Literacy, Education Choice, and Returning Education to the States (2025 Supplemental Priorities) (90 FR 43514), published in the Federal Register on September 9, 2025. The invitational priorities are established for this competition consistent with 34 CFR §75.105(c)(1).

All priorities that are being addressed must be identified in the abstract form, the project narrative, and the Other Attachment Forms sections of the application.

Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2026, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. An application may receive 0 or 10 points under the Competitive Preference Priority. ED will not review or award points where an applicant fails to clearly identify the competitive preference priority that it wishes ED to consider for purposes of awarding competitive preference priority points.

Priorities

Title Required Points Priority Language

Competitive Preference Priority (CPP): Returning Education to the States (from 2025 SSPs)

No 0 or 10 points

Projects or proposals that will be carried out by one or more of the following:

(a) State educational agencies (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49)),

(c) State workforce development agencies or boards,

(d) State vocational rehabilitation agencies,

(e) State higher education agencies (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1003(22),

(f) An Indian Tribe (as defined in 25 U.S.C.

5304(e)), Tribal organization (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304(l)), or Tribal educational agency (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(3)), or

(g) Consortia of the entities identified under this priority.

Note: Only one State higher education agency within each State may apply for the CPP, consistent with the adopted definition in 20 U.S.C. 1003(22) that a State higher education agency is “the officer or agency primarily responsible for the State supervision of higher education.”

Invitational Priority 1—Basic Needs Security

No N/A Projects that are designed to (a) conduct surveys or assessments of student basic needs security, including surveys of student needs conducted upon enrollment, to identify and connect students with existing resources, and that

(b) leverage State, local and institutional partnerships and resources to provide additional resources to such students, (c) coordinate and collaborate with government and community-based organizations to execute such activities and (d) prioritize students enrolled at institutions with high percentages of Pell recipients.

Activities may also include providing direct services such as temporary or affordable housing, free or subsidized food, access to on-campus childcare, emergency financial aid, so long as such activities are part of systemic plan to address and prevent student basic needs insecurity.

Invitational Priority 2—Connecting Students to Work-based learning

No N/A Projects designed to promote the long-term economic security of students by connecting students to work-based learning opportunities for which a student may receive wages and/or academic credit, and other strategies, including promoting AI and the AI Literacy Framework, that support the attainment of industry-recognized postsecondary credentials, including Registered Apprenticeships.

Selection Criteria Selection criteria outline how the application will be scored. The maximum possible total score an application can receive for addressing the criteria is 100 points. The maximum possible score for addressing each criterion is indicated in parentheses following the criterion. The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR §75.210.

(a) Need for the project (up to 10 points) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (up to 5 points)

(2) The extent to which the specific nature and magnitude of gaps or challenges are identified and the extent to which these gaps or challenges will be addressed by the services, supports, infrastructure, or opportunities described in the proposed project. (up to 5 points)

(b) Quality of the project design (up to 45 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with the purposes of the grant program. (up to 15 points)

(2) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate or build on ideas, strategies, and efforts from similar external projects to improve relevant outcomes, using existing funding streams from other programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal resources. (up to 15 points)

(3) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this notice) that is aligned with the purposes of the grant program. (up to 5 points)

(4) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to build recipient and project capacity in ways that lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services. (up to 5 points)

(5) The extent to which the design of the proposed project demonstrates meaningful community engagement and input to ensure that the project is appropriate to successfully address the needs of the target population or other identified needs and will be used to inform continuous improvement strategies. (Up to 5 points)

(c) Quality of the management plan (up to 25 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (up to 10 points)

(2) The adequacy of plans for ensuring the use of quantitative and qualitative data, including meaningful community member and partner input, to inform continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (up to 5 points)

(3) The applicant's capacity (such as qualified personnel, financial resources, or management capacity), together with any project partners, to bring the proposed project effectively to scale on a national or regional level during the grant period.

(up to 10 points)

(d) Quality of the project evaluation or other evidence-building (up to 20 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation or other evidence-building of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation or other evidence-building, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other evidence-building are thorough, feasible, relevant, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project (up to 10 points)

(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other evidence-building include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quality data that are quantitative and qualitative. (up to 7 points)

(3) The extent to which the evaluator has the qualifications, including the relevant training, experience, and independence, required to conduct an evaluation of the proposed project, including experience conducting evaluations of similar methodology as proposed and with evaluations for the proposed population and setting. (up to 3 points)

Performance Measures ED has developed the following performance measures for the purposes of reporting to ED under 34 CFR §75.110.

Program Performance Measures. ED developed the following program performance indicators to evaluate the overall effectiveness of this program. These measures constitute the indicators of success for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project. If funded, you will be required to collect and report data in your project's annual performance report (34 CFR §75.590).

Program Performance Measure 1 The percentage of low-income students at the institution(s) served by any direct student service supported by the grant.

Program Performance Measure 2 The annual persistence rate at the institution(s) for all students who are served by any direct student service supported by the grant.

Program Performance Measure 3 By the end of the grant period, the rate of degree or certificate completion at the institution(s) for all students served by any direct student service supported by the grant.

Program Performance Measure 4 The change in the level of basic needs insecurity among all students served by any direct student service supported by the grant, measured before and after implementation of the grant.

Note: For purposes of Program Performance Measure 4, “low-income student” means a student— (a) Who is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the award year for which the determination is made; or (b) Who would otherwise be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the award year for which the determination is made, except that the student fails to meet the requirements of section 484(a)(5) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1091(a)(5), because the student is in the United States for a temporary purpose.

Application Submission Information Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions and Information for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234), which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

Registration

To apply, you must first be registered in two systems: SAM.gov and Grants.gov. If you are already registered, make sure your registration is active and up to date.

Grants.gov registration involves several steps including registration on SAM.gov. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot apply until all registration steps are complete. Once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can apply through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the registration steps, please go to:

Grants.gov Applicant Registration. Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

SAM.gov

You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process early.

To register, go to SAM.gov and click on "Get Started."

Click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register in SAM.gov.

If you need help, you can call 866-606-8220 or live chat with the Federal Service Desk.

ED strongly recommends that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application.

Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. If Grants.gov rejects your application, you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

You must provide the UEI on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.

A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared environment in Grants.gov where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. You begin by creating an individual Workspace for each application and establish, for that application, a collaborative application package that allows more than one person in your organization to work concurrently on an application.

You will then complete the application forms in Workspace and submit the application when completed. For further instructions on how to apply using Grants.gov, refer to:

https://grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants.

Intergovernmental Review

This is subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of Executive Order 12372 is to strengthen federalism – or the distribution of responsibility between localities, states, and the Federal government – by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that state or local governments have developed to coordinate and review proposed Federal financial grant applications. Grant applicants need to contact State Single Points of Contact (SPOC) for information on their state’s procedures. Multi-state applicants should follow procedures specific to each state. Further information about the SPOC and the official list of entities can be found at:

https://www.ojp.gov/IntergovernmentalReviewSPOCList.pdf.

Grants.gov

You must also have an active account with Grants.gov.

To register, go to Grants.gov and click “Register.” When ready click on “Get Registered Now” and complete required fields.

For more information or assistance, click on “Applicant Registration Page.”

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the point of contact listed in this notice.

Verify Submission

Verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/encountering-error-messages. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self- Service Knowledge Base web portal.

Application Review Information Review and Selection Process

We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR §75.217, information outside the rank order of applications, including: the information in each application; and any other information—

(1) Relevant to a criterion, priority, or other requirement that applies to the selection of applications for new grants;

(2) Concerning the applicant's performance and use of funds under a previous award under any Department program; and

(3) Concerning the applicant's failure under any Department program to submit a performance report or its submission of a performance report of unacceptable quality.

Before making awards, ED staff will screen applications submitted in accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether applications have met eligibility and other requirements, including whether an application may fail to meet the “General Terms and Conditions” applicable to awarded funds referenced elsewhere within this notice. This screening process may occur at various stages of the review and selection process.

Applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a grant, regardless of whether the application was included in the peer review process. Applications not selected for funding will be informed of the Secretary's decision in accordance with 34 CFR §75.218.

Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and score the assigned applications, using the selection criteria provided in this notice.

For this competition, a panel of non-Federal reviewers will review each application in accordance with the selection criteria. The individual scores assigned by the reviewers will be added and the sum divided by the number of reviewers to determine the peer reviewer score received in the review process.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from ED (34 CFR §100.4, §104.5, §106.4, §108.8, and §110.23).

Tiebreaker

In the event there are two or more applications with the same final score in the rank order listing, and there are insufficient funds to fully support each of these applications, the Department will apply the following procedure to determine which application, or applications, will receive an award:

First Tiebreaker: Under the first tiebreaker, the Secretary will select the application(s) with the highest percentage of students who are Pell grant recipients. If after implementing this tiebreaker, there are still tied applications and insufficient funding to support each application, the Secretary will implement the second tiebreaker.

Second Tiebreaker: Under the second tiebreaker, the Secretary will select the application(s) with the smallest total amount of their grant funds allocated toward indirect costs.

Third Tiebreaker: The third tiebreaker will be the application(s) that promotes equitable geographic distribution of program grantees.

Definitions Unless otherwise noted, the following definitions are from 34 CFR §77.1.

Demonstrates a rationale means that there is a key project component included in the project's logic model that is supported by citations of high-quality research or evaluation findings that suggest that the project component is likely to significantly improve relevant outcomes.

Indian Tribe has the meaning defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304(e).

Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a framework that identifies key project components of the proposed project (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key project components and relevant outcomes.

Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or metric used to gauge program or project performance.

Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a project.

Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).

Public, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, means that the agency, organization, or institution is under the administrative supervision or control of a government other than the Federal Government.

Recognized postsecondary credential means a credential consisting of an industry-recognized certificate or certification, a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship, a license recognized by the State involved or Federal Government, or an associate or baccalaureate degree, as defined in section 3(52) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.((2025 Supplemental Priorities)

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program.

State educational agency has the meaning defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49).

State higher education agency has the meaning defined in 20 U.S.C. 1003(22).

Note: Only one State higher education agency within each State may apply for the CPP, consistent with the adopted definition in 20 U.S.C. 1003(22) that a State higher education agency is “the officer or agency primarily responsible for the State supervision of higher education.”

Tribal organization has the meaning defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304(l).

Tribal educational agency has the meaning defined in 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(3).

Work-based learning is used in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 2302(55), to mean sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction. (2025 Supplemental Priorities)

Award Requirements Terms and Conditions

If you are awarded a grant under this competition, you must ensure and may be required to demonstrate that federal funds will not be used under this project in any manner that violates the United States Constitution, Title VI or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq. or 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7905), section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1011f), or other applicable federal law. To the extent that a grantee uses grant funds for such unallowable activities, ED may pursue termination under 2 CFR 200.340.

The Grant Award Notification document accompanying your award may contain further terms and conditions, as necessary to ensure grantee compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and administrative priorities.

Please note the provisions of Executive Orders 14151, 14168, 14173, and 14190 as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s July 29, 2025, non-regulatory “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” which clarifies the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) programs.

Such activities may risk violating federal civil rights laws and may jeopardize federal funding. This includes any discriminatory equity ideology in violation of a Federal anti-discrimination law. A definition of “discriminatory equity ideology” is contained in Section 2(b) of Executive Order 14190.

Additionally, grantees must comply with all “Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations” annual registration requirements made in SAM.gov, including any provisions in the annual registration that address civil rights, DEI programs or activities, and support of illegal aliens.

To the extent that any entity receiving grant funds under this grant uses those grant funds for such unallowable activities, ED reserves the right to take appropriate enforcement actions, including the recovery of grant funds or may pursue termination or non-continuation.

Applicable Regulations

(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) (2025 Supplemental Priorities.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian Tribes.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.

Application Checklist The application will require you to fill out several forms, which are listed and linked in grants.gov. See below for a description of forms and sections:

1. Standard Documents

❑ Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

❑ Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

2. Budget Information

❑ Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A)

3. Abstract Form

❑ Abstract –– Attach this document to the Abstract Form in the Grants.gov application.

4. Project Narrative

❑ Application Narrative (Project Narrative Attachment Form)

5. Budget Narrative

❑ Budget Narrative Attachment Form

6. Other Attachment Forms

❑ Competitive Preference Priority Narrative (Letter of attestation identifying the qualifying State entity that will carry out the proposed project)

❑ Invitational Priority(ies) Narrative (No more than 3 pages for each priority)

❑ Proof of nonprofit status to meet the eligibility requirements (if applicable)

❑ Curriculum Vitae (CV) ❑ Letters of support from all members of the consortium and other partners ❑ Bibliography

7. Assurances and Certifications

❑ Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL)

❑ Grants.gov Lobbying Form

Part 1: Standard Documents

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

ED Supplemental Information for SF 424 (Instructions)

This form requires basic identifying information about the applicant and the application. Please provide all requested applicant information (including name, address, e-mail address and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)). When applying electronically via Grants.gov, you will need to ensure that the UEI on your application is the same as the UEI your organization used when it registered with the System for Award Management.

Applicants are advised to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF

424) first. Grants.gov will automatically insert the correct Assistance Listing Number and program name automatically wherever needed on other forms.

Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, ED will only review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within this application.

Part 2: Budget Information

Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A)

The SF 424A Form is required. This part of your application contains information about the Federal funding you are requesting. The form requires total funding requests for each year of the project, but only requires detailed information for Year 1 of the project. You will provide information on all years of the project, including an itemized budget breakdown for each year of the proposed project, in your Budget Narrative. Specific instructions for completing the Budget Narrative are provided within this application notice and instructions under Budget Narrative. Budget Narrative attachments are not included in the page count.

Instructions for completing SF-424A:

The SF-424A has six sections (A-F). While the form includes several sections and boxes, please use the information below to complete only the necessary sections.

Section A – Budget Summary

• Section A-Budget Summary: Enter the name of the grant program for which you are requesting funds in 1(a).

• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(b): Enter the Assistance Listing Number (Example 84.044A).

• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(e) “Federal”: Include the total amount requested for the entire performance period. The amount you enter here will auto populate in 5 (e).

• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(f) “Non-Federal”: Only include an amount in this section if you propose to include non-Federal financial resources as part of this project, including any non-Federal funds to meet any program cost sharing requirements. If not including non-Federal financial resources, leave this blank or include 0.

• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(g): If using Grants.gov form, the total amount included here will be auto-calculated based on what is included in 1(e) and 1(f).

Section B – Budget Categories

• Section B-Budget Categories:

o Line 6. Object Class Categories: The categories listed here (a-k) are the categories you will need to further describe in the Budget Narrative. For this section, only include the total amount by category for Year 1 of the project. You will provide a breakdown by category for each year of the project in the Budget Narrative. If using Grants.gov, line 6 column (1) will be auto-populated with the name of the program for which you are requesting funding.

• Personnel (line 6a.): Enter project personnel salaries and wages only. Include fees and expenses for consultants on line 6f or 6h.

• Fringe Benefits (line 6b): The organization’s normal fringe benefits contribution may be charged to the program. Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.

• Travel (line 6c): Indicate the travel costs of employees and participants only.

Include travel of persons such as consultants on line 6f or 6h.

• Equipment (line 6d): Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal property that has a usefulness greater than one year and acquisition costs that are the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $10,000 per article. Lower limits may be established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s policy.

• Supplies (line 6e): Show all tangible, expendable personal property. Direct supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost. Supplies purchased with grant funds should directly benefit the grant project and be necessary for achieving the goals of the project.

• Contractual (line 6f): The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract.

• Construction (line 6g): Construction funds are not authorized, unless specified by the program. If construction is allowable, include the amount request for construction costs.

• Other (line 6h): Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. For example, include costs such as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. If applicable, include stipends under other. If stipends are included under other, do not include stipends when calculating the indirect cost. Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.

• Total Direct Costs (line 6i): The sum of lines 6a-6h. If using Grants.gov, this number is auto-calculated.

• Indirect Costs (line 6j): Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per 34 CFR 75.560 - 75.564. If an applicant does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency, the applicant must apply to ED for a temporary indirect cost rate if it wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant.

For more information, go to ED's website. In addition, a grantee, if it is eligible, may also use de minimis rate as provided for under 2 CFR 200.414(f).

• Total Cost (line 6i and 6j): This number should be equal to sum of lines 6i-6j (total of direct costs + indirect costs). If using Grants.gov, this number is auto-calculated. The sum for column one, labeled Project Year 6 (1), should also be equal to item 15a on the application cover sheet (SF Form 424).

• Line 7. Program Income: You may leave this field blank.

Section C – Non-Federal Resources

This section should only be completed if you are proposing a cost share or if the program for which you are applying requires a Non-Federal cost share. If you include a cost share, provide a breakdown by including the dollars that will come from the applicant, State, and other sources, as applicable.

Section D – Forecasted Cash Needs

• Line 13. Federal: The total for 1st Year column will automatically calculate based on the funding amounts included in Quarters 1-4. These quarters apply to Year One ONLY. Enter the forecasted cash needs from Federal sources for each quarter of the first program year. The amount entered for each quarter will be used to auto-calculate the amount in line 15 and is your forecasted needs. You will have an opportunity to provide updates to these quarterly amounts in post-award.

• Line 14. Non-Federal: The total for 1st year column will automatically calculate based on the funding amounts included in Quarters 1-4. These quarters apply to Year One ONLY. Leave this blank for each quarter if you are not including any Non-Federal Funds. If including non-Federal funds, enter the forecasted cash needs from non-Federal sources for the first quarter of the first program year. If not applicable, leave blank.

• Line 15. (sum of lines 13 and 14): If using Grants,gov, the total is auto-calculated.

Section E – Budget Estimates of Federal Funds Needed for Balance of the Project

This section collects information for future funding periods. While the columns are labeled First (b) through Fourth (e), this is the section where you will include the total amount of Federal funds requested for Years 2-4, for four-year projects. You are only including the total amount of Federal funds requested for the outyears beyond Year 1.

The total amount in Section D. line 13 plus the total amount in the outyears should match the project total requested in Section A line 5 (e).

• Line 16 Column (a) Grant Program: If using Grants.gov, this box will be auto-populated with the name of the program you included in Section A Line 1.

• Line 16 Column (b)First: Include the total amount requested for the first outyear.

Year 2 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your Budget Narrative.

• Line 16 Column (c) Second: Include the total amount requested for the second outyear. Year 3 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your Budget Narrative.

• Line 16 Column (d) Third: Include the total amount requested for the third outyear. Year 4 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your Budget Narrative.

Section F – Other Budget Information

• Line 21. Direct Charges: You may leave this field blank.

• Line 22. Indirect Charges: Enter the type of indirect rate (provisional, predetermined, final or fixed) or 15% de minimis rate that will be in effect during the funding period, the estimated amount of the base to which the rate is applied, and the total indirect expense.

• Line 23. Remarks: You may leave this field blank.

Part 3: Abstract Form

The project abstract should not exceed one (1) page and should use language that will be understood by a range of audiences. In addition, it must include the following:

• Project title, goals, and expected outcomes and contributions related to research, policy, and practice.

• Responses to Competitive Preference and/or Invitational Priority(ies), if applicable

• Population(s) to be served.

• Primary activities to be performed by the recipient.

• Subrecipient activities that are known or specified at the time of application submission.

Part 4: Project Narrative

This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the ED approved file types detailed in the 2025 Common Instructions. When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names.

❑ Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double-spaced page.

❑ Application Narrative

ED encourages applicants to limit this section of the application to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages. The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one- abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, logic model, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to the Project Narrative.

Part 5: Budget Narrative

This section should be attached as a single document to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. It should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you attach the ED approved file types detailed in the 2025 Common Instructions.

Each application must also provide a Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds. The Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds should provide a justification of how the money requested for each budget item will be spent, and the total amounts for each project year should match the total amounts in Section E – Budget Estimates of Federal Funds Needed for Balance of the Project in SF-424A.

This section requires an itemized budget breakdown for each project year and the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel, materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected expenditures. Be sure to complete an itemized budget breakdown and narrative for each year of the proposed project. Below is a breakdown of the categories to be included in the Budget Narrative for each project year:

• Personnel: List all staff positions by title including roles and responsibilities. For each position give the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project, and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant.

• Fringe Benefits: The institution’s normal fringe benefits contribution may be charged to the program. Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.

• Travel: For grantee staff only, specify the purpose, number of staff traveling, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips, and other estimated costs for each type of travel.

• Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $10,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $10,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR Part 200.1 for the definition of Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.

• Supplies: Identify the cost of supplies (e.g., general office supplies, desk/chairs, laptops/printers, other specialty items) in the detailed budget per category.

Except for general office supplies, list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR Part 200.1 for the definition of Supplies). Items with a unit cost of less than $10,000 are supplies, not “equipment.”

• Contractual: The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract.

• Construction: Construction funds are not authorized.

• Other: Indicate all direct costs not covered elsewhere. For example, include such costs as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. List items, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere. Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.

• Indirect Costs: Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per sections 34 CFR 75.560 - 75.564. If an applicant does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency, the applicant must apply to ED for a temporary indirect cost rate if it wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant.

For more information, go to ED’s website. In addition, a grantee, if it is eligible, may also use de minimis rate as provided for under 2 CFR 200.414(f).

• Total Cost: This number should be total direct costs + indirect costs.

The Budget Narrative provides an opportunity for the applicant to identify the nature and amount of the proposed expenditures. The applicant should provide sufficient detail to enable reviewers and project staff to understand how requested funds will be used, how much will be expended, and the relationship between the requested funds and project activities and outcomes.

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.232, ED staff perform a cost analysis of each recommended project to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project, are reasonable, allowable and allocable. ED may delete or reduce costs from the budget during this review.

Note: Applicants are encouraged to review the Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance.

6. Other Attachment Forms

❑ Competitive Preference Priority Narrative (Letter of attestation identifying the qualifying State entity that will carry out the proposed project)

❑ Invitational Priority(ies)Narrative (no more than 3 pages per priority)

❑ Proof of nonprofit status…