Strengthening Institutions Program FY 2026 Competition
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- ED-GRANT-26-025
- Agency
-
Department of Labor
- Applications due
- Award size
- $250,000 to $3,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Education
- Eligible applicants
-
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- Points of contact
-
- Robyn Wood robyn.wood@ed.gov (202) 987-1577
- Nalini Lamba-Nieves nalini.lamba-nieves@ed.gov (202) 453-7953
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education is soliciting applications for the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) FY 2026 competition to award approximately 600 grants strengthening academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability at eligible higher education institutions, with applications due June 23, 2026. No cost sharing is required unless funds are used for endowment purposes; indirect costs are not permitted.
Eligible applicants are accredited public and private institutions legally authorized to award bachelor's degrees or operate as junior/community colleges, with enrollment of needy students and low average educational expenditures per full-time equivalent undergraduate student. Institutions currently holding SIP grants may only submit Cooperative Arrangement grants; former grantees whose grants ended before September 30, 2024 face a two-year wait-out period before reapplication.
Individual Development Grants range from $2.25 million to $3 million over five years; Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants range from $3 million to $5 million. Estimated total available funding is $365.875 million. Subgrants for direct project activities are prohibited.
Applicants propose activities including faculty development, funds and administrative management, academic program development and improvement, equipment acquisition, joint use of facilities, and student services. Applicants may use up to 20 percent of yearly grant awards to establish or increase endowment funds, subject to Department of Education regulations under 34 CFR Parts 628 and 607.
Selection criteria award up to 100 points based on comprehensive development plans, project design, activity objectives, implementation strategy, key personnel, project management, evaluation plans, and budget. Four competitive preference priorities address career pathways and workforce readiness, high-quality short-term Workforce Pell-eligible programs, artificial intelligence integration in education, and applications from rural institutions. One absolute priority addresses institutional capacity strengthening. Performance is tracked through changes in enrollment, retention rates, graduation rates, and median incomes of graduates. CFDA 84.031A. Applicants must comply with all federal civil rights laws, Build America Buy America Act requirements, and Executive Orders on discrimination and diversity.
Synopsis
The purpose of SIP is to provide assistance to eligible institutions of higher education to improve their academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal stability in order to increase their self-sufficiency.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SIP ProgProfile FY 2026.pdf | ||
| FY2026_SIP_ANI_84.031A.pdf |
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