Selected Recipients for this Program

Not Applicable.

Uses and Use Restrictions

States must distribute all grant funds that the State does not reserve for administration of the program or other State-level activities to eligible local educational agencies.

Funds are used by State and local educational agencies, in accordance with the IDEA, to help provide the special education and related services needed to make a free appropriate public education available to all eligible children and, in some cases, to provide early intervening services.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

State educational agencies in the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and Virgin Islands, the Department of the Interior, and freely associated States.

Local educational agencies apply to their State educational agency for subgrants.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Children with disabilities will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation

No State or jurisdiction may receive a grant unless the Secretary has approved the annual application and statement of assurances. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required.

Environmental impact information is not required for this program.

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.

Application Procedures

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. States are eligible to receive funds under this program if the State establishes eligibility for funds under Section 612 of Part B of the IDEA. Local education agencies establish eligibility by meeting local application eligibility requirements of Section 613 of Part B of the IDEA.

Award Procedures

Once the State application has been approved, a grant award is forwarded to the State department of education. Notification of the award is made to Chief State School Officer. States make subgrants to eligible local educational agencies from their initial grant award after setting aside funds for administration and state-level activities.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended, Part B, Sections 611-618, 20 U.S.C 1411-1418.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

The time for reviewing the State?s application is determined by EDGAR (in 34 CFR §76.703) and ranges from 45 to 90 days.

Appeals

The Department must not take final action to disapprove an application until the State is provided reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing. The State must request a hearing no later than 30 days after it receives notice of the proposed final determination that the State is not eligible to receive its award.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory Formula: Statutory citation: IDEA Part B Sec. 611. Funds are allocated among States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, in accordance with a variety of factors. First, each State is allocated an amount equal to the amount that it received for fiscal year 1999. If the total program appropriation increases over the prior year, 85 percent of the remaining funds are allocated based on the number of children in the general population, between the ages of 3 through 21, in the age range for which the States guarantee a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities. Fifteen percent of the remaining funds are allocated based on the number of children living in poverty, between the ages of 3 through 21, that are in the age range for which the States guarantee FAPE to children with disabilities. The statute also includes several maximum and minimum allocation requirements when the amount available for distribution to States increases. If the amount available for allocation to States remains the same from one year to the next, States receive the same level of funding as in the prior year. If the amount available for allocation to States decreases from the prior year, any amount available for allocation to States above the 1999 level is allocated based on the relative increases in funding that the States received between 1999 and the prior year. If there is a decrease below the amount allocated for 1999, each State?s allocation is reduced from the 1999 level. This program has no matching requirements. However, there are non-supplanting and excess cost requirements. MOE requirements for this program apply to both State Educational Agencies and local educational agencies. Contact the program office for further details. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants are issued each fiscal year. The Federal obligation period is a 15-month period from July 1 through September 30. States and local education agencies have an additional 12-month period to obligate funds they receive. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Contact the program office for this information.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

State Performance Plans (SPPs) and Annual Performance Reports (APR) are submitted to the Department of Education from the State departments of education.

No cash reports are required.

No progress reports are required.

34 CFR 80.40.

34 CFR 80.41.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503.

Records

As required by EDGAR for State administered programs (34 CFR 76.730-731). Generally, the State and its subgrantees must retain records related to grant funds and compliance for a period of 3 years from the date the grantee or subgrantee submits its final expenditure report for that funding period. 34 CFR 80.42. Also, 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.

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0300-0-1-501.

Obigations

(Formula Grants) FY 16 $11,912,848,000; FY 17 est $12,002,848,000; and FY 18 est $12,002,848,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

In FY 2017, regular annual allotments to States, including DC and Puerto Rico, ranged from $18.9 million to $1.2 billion, with an average award of $228 million. Grants to outlying areas ranged from $4.8 million to $14 million. The Department of Interior received $95 million.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

Program regulations are at 34 CFR 300, and 34 CFR 76-77,79,80-82,84-86, and 97-99.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Gregg Corr Office of Special Education Programs, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20202 Email: gregg.corr@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-7309

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

States and other eligible entities qualify for funding based upon applications approved under IDEA, Section 612.