Federal Grants
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The Office of Federal Grants is responsible for overseeing grant management activities for the Department of Education; ensures that all grant management activities are in line with all required regulations and guidelines, thereby preventing adverse audit findings or lapsing of funds. The Federal Grants office further ensures that funds are utilized effectively in meeting the educational needs of children in grades K-12, and beyond. It is the Division’s goal to ensure that all federal funds available to the Department are applied for, obtained, and utilized for the benefit of increasing student achievement, recognizing that the funds are supplemental to the department and all funds are accounted for timely and appropriately.
Our Grant Portfolio
- Perkins Career, Technical Education & Adult Education Act
- Consolidated Grant Application (CGA)
- Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant
- Stronger Connection Grant (SCG)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERS)
- USVI Community STEM Projects
- American Rescue Plan (ARP)
Perkins Career, Technical Education & Adult Education Act
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is a federal law that provides funding to improve career and technical education (CTE) programs. The act was first authorized in 1984 and has been reauthorized several times since.
Purpose
- Improve the quality of technical education in the United States
- Help the economy by preparing students for high-wage occupations
- Increase employment opportunities for underemployed or unemployed populations
What it does
- Provides funding to states and discretionary grantees
- Develops academic knowledge and technical skills for students
- Promotes services that integrate academic and CTE instruction
- Supports partnerships
- Conducts research and disseminates information on best practices
Consolidated Grant Application (CGA)
Under the RLIS program, grants are made to SEAs with eligible school districts. SEAs subgrant RLIS funds to eligible school districts to pay for activities authorized under Titles I-IV of the ESEA, as well as parental involvement activities. If a State elects to not participate in the RLIS program, eligible LEAs from that State are considered specially qualified agencies (SQAs) and can apply directly to the Department for RLIS awards. In order to be eligible school districts must have at least 20 percent of the children they serve come from families with incomes below the poverty line and be located in a rural area. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers for the RLIS and SQA programs are 84.358B and 84.358C.
Uses of Funds
LEAs that receive RLIS grants may use the funds to carry out the following types of activities:
- Title I, Part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Education Agencies)
- Example: A school district develops an entrepreneurial education program to supplement its civics curriculum.
- Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction)
- Example: A school district pays the stipend for a prospective teacher to work alongside an effective teacher, who is the teacher of record, for a full academic year.
- Title III (Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students)
- Example: A school district offers an afterschool enrichment program for English learners.
- Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment)
- Example: A school district purchases a bully prevention program for all schools.
- Parental and Family Engagement
- Examples:
- Professional development for school personnel regarding parent and family engagement strategies.
- Providing materials to help parents improve their child's academic achievement (e.g. trainings on school online portals).
- Enabling parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions (e.g. provide childcare).
- Establishing formal parental advisory council.
- Examples:
Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant
A "Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant" is a federal grant program designed to provide funding to schools specifically focused on improving literacy skills, particularly for disadvantaged students, by supporting comprehensive literacy instruction through evidence-based practices and professional development for teachers, aiming to significantly enhance reading and writing abilities across grade levels, especially for students facing challenges like poverty or language barriers.
The purpose of the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant (SRCL) Program is to advance literacy skills for students from birth through grade 12 including pre-literacy skills, reading and writing, including limited-English-proficient students and students with disabilities.
- Focus on disadvantaged students:
The primary goal is to target schools with a high population of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
-
Comprehensive literacy approach:
The grant encourages schools to implement a holistic literacy program encompassing various aspects like phonics, vocabulary development, comprehension strategies, and writing skills.
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Evidence-based practices:
Schools are expected to utilize research-proven methods for literacy instruction when using grant funds.
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Professional development:
A significant portion of the grant can be used to provide teachers with ongoing training and support to effectively implement the comprehensive literacy program.
Stronger Connection Grant (SCG)
The Stronger Connections Grant Program competitively awards subgrants to high-need LEAs to establish safer and healthier learning environments, and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and hate that impact school communities at individual and systemic levels, among other programs and activities.
The purpose or proposal is about a specific project or opportunity in the future: it explains what you propose to do. This can be a research project, course of study, or professional experience. A proposal is a kind of persuasive writing.
On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which provides $1 billion in funding to State educational agencies (SEAs) to be distributed under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The BSCA specifies that SEAs must make competitive subgrants to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), as determined by the SEA, for activities to support safe and healthy students under section 4108 of the ESEA. The Department has designated BSCA section 4108 funds as the Stronger Connections grant program to distinguish it from the regular Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program, which funds a broader range of activities, including activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities and the effective use of educational technology. The Department announced allocations and awarded Stronger Connections funds to SEAs on September 15, 2022.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that ensures children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). IDEA's purpose is to:
- Provide special education and related services to children with disabilities
- Prepare children with disabilities for employment and independent living
- Protect the rights of children with disabilities and their families
IDEA was originally passed in 1975 as the Education of Handicapped Children Act. It was renamed IDEA in 1990 and last updated in 2004.
How IDEA works
- IDEA provides funding to states and local education agencies to provide special education services
- IDEA ensures that children with disabilities receive services in the least restrictive environment
- IDEA provides services for infants and toddlers with disabilities
- IDEA provides funding for competitive grants to support state personnel development and technology
What IDEA covers
Autism, Deaf-blindness, Deafness, Emotional disturbance, Hearing impairment, Intellectual disability, Multiple disabilities, Orthopedic impairment, Other health impairment, and Specific learning disability.
Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERS)
In 2020, Congress set aside approximately $3 billion of the $30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) Fund. The Department awarded these grants to States (Governor's offices) based on a formula stipulated in the legislation: (1) 60% on the basis of the State's relative population of individuals aged 5 through 24. (2) 40% on the basis of the State's relative number of children counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, 2021, was signed into law on December 27, 2020, and provided an additional $4,053,060,000 for the GEER Fund. The CRRSA Act provides that $1,303,060,000 of those funds be used to supplement the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER II Fund) awarded to each State with an approved GEER application under the CARES Act enacted on March 27, 2020.
USVI Community STEM Projects
American Rescue Plan (ARP)
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan, is a US$1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to speed up the country's recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. First proposed on January 14, 2021, the package builds upon many of the measures in the CARES Act from March 2020 and in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, from December.
Federal Grants Team
Name: Keisha E. Culpepper-Smith
Position: Federal Grants Director
Email: keisha.culpepper@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774-0100 ext. 8050
Name: Cynthia A. Benjamin
Position: Federal Grants Assistant Director
Email: cynthia.benjamin@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774-0100 ext. 8149
Name: Precious Huggins
Position: Federal Grants Program Assistant
Email: precious.huggins@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 8049
21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC)
Name: Carla King
Position: Program Manager of 21st Century
Email: carla.king@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 8011
American Rescue Plan (ARP)
Name: Paula P. Smith
Position: Program Director of CARES
Email: paula.smith@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 8017
Name: Eudora M. Pierre
Position: Program Manager of CARES
Email: eudora.pierre@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 2815
Federal Grant Managers
Name: Samuel N. Williams
Position: Federal Grants Manager
Email: samuel.williams@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 8031
Name: Marvin Shelford
Position: Federal Grants Manager
Email: marvin.shelford@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 8150
Name: Cherish Lathuillerie
Position: Federal Grants Manager
Email: cherish.lathuillerie@vide.vi
Phone: (340) 774 0100 ext. 8065
Forms & Templates
Excel template to help track activities for programs and schools
Tool to help with allocating cost of quote
Tool to track payroll tied to federal fundings
Excel Tool to track federal per diems
Form to complete spending plans
Excel form to help programs manage and track travel expenses tied to federal funds
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How do I know if I am eligible for a Federal Grant?
- How do I report fraud, waste, abuse, misuse or mismanagement of ED program funds?
- How does the federal government work with states to ensure compliance with special education laws?
- My child has a disability, but is not eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). How can my child receive appropriate education services in the public school system?
- Can my Non – Public school receive federal funding?
- What determines the amount of federal funding my school receives?
How do I know if I am eligible for a Federal Grant?
You can find programs by eligibility and select one of the eligibility types (Individuals, Institutions of Higher Education, Local Education Agencies, Nonprofit Organizations, Other Organizations and/or Agencies and State Education Agencies) for a list of all ED programs for which that type of organization or individual is eligible to apply. Not all programs listed are available immediately. Please read the individual application deadlines for each program.
How do I report fraud, waste, abuse, misuse or mismanagement of ED program funds?
To report fraud, waste, abuse, misuse or mismanagement of ED program funds (this could include complaints concerning employees, fund recipients, educational institutions, contractors, collection agencies, or lending institutions); please contact our Office of the Inspector General and use their online Hotline Complaint Form. Additionally, the Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is available to further assist constituents suspecting fraud, waste, or abuse involving U.S. Department of Education funds. Complaints or concerns received through the Hotline are evaluated, consistent with established agency performance measures published in the OIG Annual Plan, and may be referred for OIG investigation, audit, inspection or other review. Please direct any related questions or concerns to the Department's Office of the Inspector General by calling 1-800-647-8733.
How does the federal government work with states to ensure compliance with special education laws?
Educational programs for children with disabilities and for infants and toddlers and their families are supported through grants to states under Parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) monitors those programs to make sure they are administered in ways that are consistent with federal requirements. In addition, OSEP has designated customer service specialists and state contacts for each state. The staff helps people understand IDEA requirements and access appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms. If you need assistance, please contact the OSEP customer service specialist or state contact assigned to your state.
My child has a disability, but is not eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). How can my child receive appropriate education services in the public school system?
If you find that your child does not qualify for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), then you should inquire about services under Section 504. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) is designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education. Section 504 requires a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Your child does not have to qualify under IDEA in order to qualify for FAPE under Section 504. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive federal education funds. For more information, visit Protecting Students with Disabilities.