Introduction
At a time when school systems are hard-pressed to make ends meet, grants can be a great source of financial support for various education initiatives, such as special instructional programs, resource acquisitions (textbooks, computers, instructional materials, for example), professional development courses, and recruitment efforts. Though many grants exist, the key is to know what types of grants are available for your institution's needs and where to look for them. In this introductory overview, we will look at different types of federal and state grants, how they work, and where to apply for them.

Types of Federal Grants
Federal grant money comes in two forms: direct grants and pass-through grants. With direct grants, candidates apply directly to the federal government for funding. Pass-through grants, on the other hand, are distributed through state agencies, which apply to the federal government for funds and then pass them on to applicants. In general, most grants are pass-through grants.

Both direct grants and pass-through grants can also be classified as either competitive or formula grants. As the name implies, competitive grants require applicants to compete for a limited amount of money. Early Reading First is one example of a direct, competitive grant. In contrast, formula grants are disbursed by a state agency to certain entities based on a present standard or formula. For example, Title programs, which are part of the No Child Left Behind law, are generally formula grants. In some instances, grants can be both competitive and formula such as the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant.

Specific Grant Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Education's website (www.ed.gov) and dedicated financial assistance website (www.grants.gov) are excellent resources for learning about grant opportunities. In addition to individual listings, you can access the Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs (www.ed.gov/programs/gtep/index.html?src=fp), a catalog of every program administered by the agency. It includes contact information for applicants, program regulations, and eligibility requirements.

Listed below are a number of funding opportunities available through the U.S. Department of Education. In addition to general facts about the grants' aims and scopes, you will find links that direct you to more detailed information about available assistance, program eligibility, and the application process.

Twenty-first Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/index.html

• Purpose: 21st CCLC supports the establishment of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program aims to help students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, including reading and math; to offer students an array of activities to complement their regular academic programs; and provide literacy and other educational services to families of participating children.
• Funding allocation: Formula grants are awarded to state education agencies, which in turn manage statewide competitions and award grants to eligible entities. Local education agencies and nonprofit organizations may apply to states for subgrants.
      Eligible entities include local education agencies, community-based organizations, or a consortium of two or more of these agencies, organizations, or entities. States must give priority to applications that are jointly submitted by a local educational agency and a community-based organization or other public or private entity. Faith-based organizations are also eligible to participate in the program.
  
• Funding use: Funds may be used to carry out an array of before- and afterschool activities (also during summer recess periods) to advance student achievement. These include educational activities in math, science, arts, music, entrepreneurship, and telecommunications and technology; programs in remedial education; tutoring and mentoring services;programs that emphasize language skills and academic achievement for limited English proficient students; recreational activities; expanded library services hours; programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy; programs that assist students who have been truant, suspended, or expelled to improve their academic achievement; drug and violence prevention programs; counseling programs; and character education programs.

Early Reading First
http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/index.html

• Purpose: The program supports the creation of early childhood centers that focus on early language, cognitive, and pre-reading skills to prepare children for continued school success. They will primarily serve children from low-income families.
• Funding allocation: The U.S. Department of Education uses a two-phase system to select recipients. All applicants must submit a pre-application that briefly addresses certain key concepts, and then applicants invited to submit full applications will be expected to respond to more specific selection criteria.
      Local education agencies (LEAs) eligible for a Reading First subgrant, and public or private organizations or agencies located in a community served by an eligible LEA may apply. Projects are funded for three years; grantees receive funds for the entire period in the first.
• Funding use: Funds may be used to enhance children’s language, cognitive, and early reading skills through professional development for teachers; to provide research-based early language and reading development instructional materials; to provide preschool-age children with cognitive learning opportunities in high-quality language and literature-rich environments; to effectively use assessments to identify preschool children who may be at risk for reading failure; and to improve existing early childhood programs by integrating scientifically based reading research into all aspects of the program (including instructional materials, teaching strategies, curricula, parent engagement, and professional development).

Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT)
http://www.ed.gov/programs/edtech/index.html

• Purpose: The primary goal of EETT is to improve student achievement by using technology in elementary and secondary schools. It also aims to help all students become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade, as well as establish research-based instruction methods by integrating technology with teacher training and curriculum development.
• Funding allocation: The U.S. Department of Education provides grants to SEAs on the basis of their proportionate share of funding underTitle I, Part A.States may retain up to 5 percent of their allocations for state-level activities. Since fiscal year 2006, SEAs have the flexibility to reserve up to 100 percent for competitive awards, but if they choose to divide the formula and competitive awards, they can still only award up to 50 percent by formula.
• Funding use: Funds may be used to support professional development programs and public-private partnerships; to improve academic achievement through the use of new or existing technologies; for the acquisition of curricula that integrate technology and are designed to meet state academic standards; for technology to increase parent involvement in schools; and for technology to collect, manage, and analyze data to enhance teaching and school improvement.

Improving Teacher Quality (Title II, Part A)
http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/index.html

• Purpose: This program aims to boost academic achievement by building teacher and principal capacity. To do this, the program increases the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; improves principals' and assistant principals' skills; and increases teachers' and principals' effectiveness by holding LEAs and schools accountable for improvements in student achievement.
• Funding allocation: SEAs receive funds on a formula basis. The majority of the funds are allocated to LEAs also by formula. A portion is retained by the SEA for state-level activities including recruiting and retaining teachers and principals; increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; and reforming teacher and principal certification programs. The state agency of higher education also receives a portion of funds and works in conjunction with SEAs to carry out specific activities through competitive subgrants to partnerships of institutes of higher education, high-need LEAs, and other entities.
      LEAs submit an application based on need to the SEA, describing activities they propose to undertake and how they align with state academic content standards, student academic achievement standards, and state assessments.
• Funding use: Agencies may use funds creatively to address challenges with teacher quality, including teacher preparation and new teacher qualifications, recruitment, induction, professional development, retention, and the need for effective school leaders.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home

• Purpose: The goal of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilities have a free and appropriate public education designed to meet their needs and prepare them for employment and independent living.
• Funding allocation: States receive grants based on the number of children aged three to twenty-one years old with disabilities receiving special education services, and then distribute funds to local educational agencies according to the number of children enrolled in public and private elementary schools and secondary schools in their jurisdiction and the number of children living in poverty, as determined by the state educational agency.LEAs then allocate funds to schools based on their needs and programs.
• Funding use: The grant may be used to develop and implement a fully integrated and coordinated services system for students with special educational needs; to provide special education services and supplementary aids for a child with a disability in accordance with an established Individual Educational Plan for that child; and to offer intervention services to students with reading and math difficulties who have not been referred for special education services.

Innovative Programs
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/programs.html

• Purpose: This state-administered formula grant program is designed to improve student academic achievement and the quality of education for all students. The program provides funding for twenty-seven program areas, including instructional and educational materials, technology, school and education reform, and at-risk students' education needs.
• Funding allocation: State educational agencies apply to the U.S. Department of Education for funds using the Consolidated State Application process—states submit a single application for funds for a number of federal education formula grant programs. Applications are submitted at the beginning of each reauthorization cycle and remain in effect until the next reauthorization.
• Funding use: Funding may be used to support education reform programs and school improvement programs that rely on scientifically based research; to provide a continuing source of innovation and education improvement, including library services and instructional and media materials; and to develop and implement education programs to improve school, student, and teacher performance, including professional development and class-size reduction programs.

Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program
http://www.ed.gov/programs/naancs/index.html

• Purpose: This program provides grants to eligible entities that support language instruction projects for limited English proficient (LEP) children from Native American, Alaska native, native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander backgrounds. The program is designed to ensure these children master English and meet standards for academic achievement. Funds may also support the study of Native American languages.
• Funding allocation: Entities that operate specific types of elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools primarily for Native American children (including Alaska native children), are eligible applicants under this program. These institutions include Indian tribes; tribally sanctioned educational authorities; native Hawaiian or Native American Pacific Islander native language educational organizations; elementary or secondary schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), or a consortium of such schools; elementary schools or secondary schools operated under a contract with or a grant from the BIA in consortium with another such school or a tribal or community organization; elementary or secondary schools operated by the BIA and an institution of higher education, in consortium with elementary or secondary schools operated under a contract with or a grant from the BIA or a tribal or community organization.
• Funding use: Funds may be used for teacher training, curriculum development, and evaluations and assessments to support student instruction and parent-community participation. Student instruction may comprise preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels or combinations of these levels.

Reading First
http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html

• Purpose: This program focuses on implementing proven reading instruction methods in classrooms. States and districts receive support to apply scientifically based reading research—and the demonstrated instructional and assessment tools consistent with this research—to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade.
• Funding allocation: The program provides formula grants to states that submit an approved application. SEAs award subgrants to eligible LEAs on a competitive basis. SEAs fund proposals that show the most promise for raising student achievement and for successful implementation of reading instruction. States may reserve up to 20 percent of their funds for professional development, technical assistance, planning, and administrative and reporting activities.
• Funding use: Funds may be used to implement proven reading instruction programs that are founded on scientifically based research. This includes training teachers in the essential components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension); selecting and administering assessments to identify children who may be at risk of reading failure; supporting diagnostic tools and classroom-based assessments to measure students reading ability and to monitor their progress; and providing professional development to ensure teachers have the skills required to teach these programs effectively.

Rural and Low-income School Program
http://www.ed.gov/programs/reaprlisp/eligibility.html

• Purpose: The program provides financial assistance to rural districts to help them meet their state's definition of adequate yearly progress. Applicants do not compete for funds—they are entitled to them if they meet basic eligibility requirements.
• Funding allocation: Awards are issued annually to state education agencies, which make subgrants to LEAs that meet program requirements. If an SEA does not participate, awards are issued by the department to eligible LEAs in the state either competitively or by formula.
• Funding use: Funds may be used for teacher recruitment and retention, professional development, support for educational technology, activities boosting parent involvement, and other authorized activities.

Title I
http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html

• Purpose: Title I, the largest elementary and secondary education program, supplements state and local funding for low-achieving children, especially in high-poverty schools. The program finances additional academic support and learning opportunities to help disadvantaged students progress along with their classmates.
• Funding allocation: Financial assistance is distributed through state educational agencies to LEAs and public schools based on need to ensure that all children meet state academic content and student academic achievement standards. LEAs target the Title I funds to public schools with the highest percentages of children from low income families. LEAs are required to provide services for eligible private school students, as well as eligible public school students.
• Funding use: Title I funds may be used to provide academic support and learning opportunities for low-achieving children to help them master challenging curricula and meet state standards in core academic subjects. Funds support extra instruction in reading and mathematics, as well as special preschool, afterschool, and summer programs to extend and reinforce their regular school curriculum.
      Unless a participating school is operating a schoolwide program, the school must focus Title I services on children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet state academic standards. Schools that enroll at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school.

Title III
http://www.ed.gov/programs/sfgp/index.html

• Purpose: The program is designed to improve the education of limited English proficient (LEP) children by helping them learn English and providing them with enhanced instructional opportunities to meet state academic content and academic achievement standards.
• Funding allocation: Funds are distributed to states based on a formula that accounts for the number of immigrant and LEP students in each state.
• Funding use: Schools must use funds to implement language instruction programs for LEP students.LEAs may develop new language instruction programs or expand and enhance existing programs. They may also execute programs within individual schools or systemwide programs to restructure, reform, or upgrade all programs, activities, or operations related to educating their LEP students. States must develop annual measurable achievement objectives that evaluate LEP students' success in gaining English language proficiency and meeting state academic content and achievement standards. All methodologies must be research-based.

Additional Links
Grants.gov
http://www.grants.gov

Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs
http://www.ed.gov/programs/gtep/index.html

Open Grant Competitions
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html

U.S. Department of Education Funding Announcements
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/announce/index.html