Indian Education Assistance to Schools
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.130
- Agency
-
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 82 $133,676,101 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Johnson-O'Malley
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Block Grant
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-2100-0-1-501
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education administers Indian Education Assistance to Schools (CFDA 15.130), which funds supplementary and operational support programs meeting the specialized educational needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students attending public schools, with a September 15 annual application deadline.
The program has remained consistently active over the past five years, though award volume is volatile. Eighty-two total awards have been disbursed since 1991, with the most recent award made on February 13, 2026. The past five years show 3 awards in 2022, 3 in 2023, a spike to 35 in 2024, then 1 each in 2025 and 2026. Applications are processed within 90 days. Awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance, and recipients may adjust award amounts based on tribal priorities established through the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Priority Allocation and Office of Self Governance budget formulation process.
Funded activities include instructional services, language support programs, school improvement initiatives, mathematics curriculum innovation, scholarship administration, and professional development for school leaders. Recent awards funded BIE-Sevier School District instructional services ($1.77 million, January 2025), native student language support ($7.5 million, December 2024), and BIE school improvement services ($148 thousand, February 2026). The program also supports data literacy initiatives and leadership development for principals and district leaders.
The program is predominantly Project Grants (57 percent of awards), with Cooperative Agreements (21 percent), Block Grants (20 percent), and Formula Grants (2 percent). Combined federal dollars obligated total $133.7 million. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs School Operations dominates funding, accounting for 46 awards and $126.1 million in federal obligations. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education contributed 22 awards and $2.7 million, with seven distinct funding agencies active in the portfolio overall.
Eligible applicants include tribal organizations, Indian corporations, school districts, and states that have established Indian Education Committees and serve eligible Indian children in public school districts. Applicants may appeal award denials under 25 CFR Part 900, and BIA provides technical assistance upon request.
Objective and description
- Objective
To fund programs that meet the unique and specialized needs of eligible Indian students.
- Description
Johnson O'Malley (JOM) funds are designed to meet the specialized educational needs of eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students. JOM funds can be used for a variety of programs and materials that support learning and cultural engagement.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Tribal organizations, Indian Corporations, school districts or States which have eligible Indian children attending public school districts and have established Indian Education Committees to approve supplementary or operational support programs beneficial to Indian students. Current funding is calculated with the 1995 JOM student count.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Children who are enrolled members of, or at least one-fourth or more degree of Indian blood descendant of a member of a federally recognized Indian tribal government eligible for service by the Bureau, and are between age 3 through grade 12 with priority given to those residing on or near Indian reservations.
- Uses of assistance
Funds may be used for supplemental programs to meet the special educationally related needs of eligible Indian students. Funds under this program may not be used for capital expenditures.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Awards are made on an annual basis and the funds remain available until expended by the contractor/grantee.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
BIA will provide technical assistance when requested by a tribal organization.
- Application procedure
Tribal Organization, Indian Corporations, school districts or States which have eligible Indian children attending public school districts and have established Indian Education Committees to approved supplementary or operation support programs can apply to BIE.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Johnson-O'Malley Parent Committee determination through needs assessments.
- Award procedure
The dollar value of the award depends upon the amount that has been prioritized by the individual Indian tribe through tribal participation in the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Priority Allocation and Office of Self Governance budget formulation process. Contracts with Indian corporations, States and school districts are negotiated with the BIE Education Line Officer based on their 1995 JOM student count.
- Deadlines
Deadline is September 15 of each year
- Time to approval or disapproval
Applications will be processed within 90 days.
- Renewals
Awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance by the contractor/grantee. A notice of intent to renew should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the current award. The amount of the award may be adjusted as a result of individual tribal priorities established in the budget formulation process.
- Appeals
An unsuccessful applicant may request an informal conference with the deciding official, or may appeal the denial of the application to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, or may bring suit in U.S. District Court. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR Part 900.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 82 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Native Forward Scholars Fund | $20,284,000 | 15% |
| 2 | Dine College | $15,789,439 | 12% |
| 3 | Wested | $7,500,472 | 6% |
| 4 | National Fund For Excellence In American Indian ED | $7,500,000 | 6% |
| 5 | Oglala Lakota College | $7,256,559 | 5% |
| 6 | Tohono O Odham Community College | $6,823,391 | 5% |
| 7 | Northwest Indian College | $5,038,316 | 4% |
| 8 | Fort Peck Community College | $4,584,928 | 3% |
| 9 | Sinte Gleska University | $4,387,139 | 3% |
| 10 | Turtle Mountain College | $4,233,598 | 3% |
10 of 66 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $721,543 |
| FY2025 | $8,932,351 |
| FY2024 | $99,555,375 |
| FY2023 | $13,351,470 |
| FY2022 | $1,308,800 |
| FY2021 | $1,727,529 |
| FY2020 | $1,315,017 |
| FY2019 | $739,901 |
| FY2018 | $81,918 |
| FY2017 | $332,125 |
| FY2016 | $522,398 |
| FY2015 | $624,186 |
| FY2014 | $679,496 |
| FY2013 | $896,164 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.130?
Assistance Listing 15.130 is Indian Education Assistance to Schools, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Indian Education Assistance to Schools?
Its CFDA number is 15.130: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.130 awarded?
82 grant awards under 15.130 have obligated $133,676,101 in federal funds to 66 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.130?
The recipients obligated the most under Indian Education Assistance to Schools are Native Forward Scholars Fund ($20,284,000), Dine College ($15,789,439) and Wested ($7,500,472).
How much did 15.130 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.130 obligated $8,932,351 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
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