Special Education_Grants to States
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
To provide grants to States to assist them in providing a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Funds are used by State and local educational agencies, in accordance with the priorities in the Act, to help provide the special education and related services needed to make a free appropriate public education available to all eligible children. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements and must use a restricted indirect cost rate which is referenced under 34 CFR 76.564-76.569. For assistance call the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Indirect Cost Group at (202)708-7770.
Who is eligible to apply...
State educational agencies in the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and Virgin Islands, may apply to the Department of Education for participation in the Part B, IDEA program. The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs receives 1.226 percent of the total amount available to States. Local educational agencies apply to their State educational agency for funds.
Credentials/Documentation
The designated plan review agencies must be given an opportunity to review the State's policies and procedures. 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 must submit polices and procedures which: 1) Meet the conditions in Section 612 and Section 613 of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and 2) describe the purposes and activities for which funds under this Act will be expended. Local education agencies submit their applications for subgrants to their State educational agency for approval. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.
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:
Once the State policies and procedures are submitted and approved, a grant award document representing the total grant amount for that fiscal year, or portion thereof, if under a continuing resolution, is forwarded to the State department of education. If a State has on file with the Secretary of Education, policies and procedures approved by the Secretary that demonstrate that the State meets the requirements, these policies and procedures remain in effect. Amendments to State policies and procedures are required only when a State makes modifications to its polices and procedures, if the provisions of the Act are revised, if there are new interpretations or regulations, or if there is an official finding of noncompliance. Notification of the award is made to Chief State School Officer.
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
Varies within each State. Submission date is set for April 1 to expedite funding, but plans or amendments are accepted throughout the fiscal year.
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
Not applicable.
Preapplication Coordination
All public and private institutions and institutions of higher education, professional associations, other organizations interested in personnel preparation should be given an opportunity to participate in the development of a State's comprehensive system of personnel development. Representatives of private schools must have an opportunity to participate in the development of State standards. Children in private elementary and secondary schools to the extent consistent with their number and location in the State must have an opportunity to participate in the program assisted or carried out under this grant by providing them with special educational related services, unless prohibited by State law in force on December 2, 1983. Public hearings must be held prior to a State's adoption of policies and procedures. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program.
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
The Secretary of Education must give a State educational agency an opportunity for a hearing before taking any action involving the proposed disapproval of a State plan and the withholding of payments. If a State disagrees with a final action, it may, within 60 days after notice of such action, file a petition for review of that action with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A State may also engage in a hearing with the Secretary of Education if the State disagrees with the action taken regarding a request for a waiver of the Part B supplementing and supplanting requirements.
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
None.
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...
Children and youth with disabilities will benefit.
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
The range is $12,212,212 to $933,124,077.
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 $8,874,398,000; FY 04 est $10,068,106,000; and FY 05 est $11,068,106,000.
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
91-0300-0-1-501.
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...
This is a State-administered program. State educational agencies provide funds to local educational agencies to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities.
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 fiscal year 2003, all eligible State agencies are expected to receive funding and more than 6.6 million children are expected to be served.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
The applicants eligible to participate in the program qualify for funding based upon approved policies and procedures. The criteria for approving policies and procedures appear in the regulations for implementation of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, formerly the Education of the Handicapped Act. See 34 CFR 300.
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are issued each fiscal year. Obligation period is a 15 month period from July 1 through September 30 plus a 1-year carryover provision.
Formula and Matching Requirements
Funds for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, are allotted on the basis of a certified count of the number of children with disabilities aged 3 through 21 years, receiving special education and related services on December 1 of the fiscal year that the grant is made. Funds to the outlying areas are allotted proportionately among them on the basis of their respective need, not to exceed one percent of the aggregate amounts available to the States in a fiscal year, as determined by the Secretary of Education. The Department of the Interior receives 1.226 percent of the total amount available to States. There are non- supplanting and excess cost requirements. The statistical factors used are: 1) The total number of children with disabilities receiving special education (3 through 21 years old) by State: the sources are the unpublished reports from the State educational agencies; 2) the average national per pupil expenditure; and 3) "Revenues and Expenditures," CES. Statistical factors used for eligibility do not apply to this program. This program has maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements. See funding agency for further details.
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
Annual data report and performance reports are submitted to the Department of Education from the State departments of education.
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
All records supporting claims for Federal funds or relating to the accountability of the grantee for the expenditure of such funds must be accessible for administrative review.
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
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, Sections 611, and Part D, Section 674 as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1411 and 1420.
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
Regulations were published on August 23, 1977, 34 CFR 300, as amended, March 2, 1999.