Indian Education — Special Programs for Indian Children

Funds support two grant programs, (1) Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth (CFDA 84.299A), authorized under section 6121 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7441) and (2) Professional Development (CFDA 84.299B), authorized under section 6122 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7442). The objective of 84.299A is to support projects to develop, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve educational opportunities and achievement of Indian children and youth. The objective of 84.299B is to increase the number of qualified Indian individuals in teaching or other education professions that serve Indian people, to provide training to qualified Indian individuals to enable such individuals to become teachers, administrators, teacher aides, social workers, and ancillary educational personnel, and to improve the skills of qualified Indian individuals who serve in education professions. In addition, section 11006(1) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided onetime funding for a new grant program, the American Rescue Plan--American Indian Resilience in Education (ARP-AIRE) program, CFDA 84.299C.§§.

For Demonstration grants (84.299A), eligible applicants include State educational agencies (SEAs); local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law; Indian Tribes; Indian organizations; federally supported elementary or secondary schools for Indian students (including Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools); Indian institutions (including Indian institutions of higher education); or a consortium of any of these entities. For Professional Development grants (84.299B), eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, including Indian institutions of higher education; SEAs or LEAs in consortium with an institution of higher education; Indian Tribes or organizations in consortium with an institution of higher education; and Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools in consortium with an institution of higher education. LEAs include charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law.

For ARP-AIRE grants (84.299C), eligible applicants are Tribal Educational Agencies (TEAs), including a consortium of TEAs, as defined in the Notice Inviting Applications. See Applications for New Awards; American Rescue Plan-American Indian Resilience in Education (ARP-AIRE), 86 Fed. Reg. 36716 (July 13, 2021).

SEAs, LEAs, Indian students, and teachers and administrators will benefit.

Details of the application process are published in the federal register in a notice inviting applications. Successful applicants are subject to the requirements of applicable OMB Circulars, OMB Memoranda, and regulations related to grant award agreements.

The Department awards these grants on a competitive basis. Applications are reviewed and ranked by a panel of outside reviewers. If an applicant is successful, the Department of Education will notify the applicant's U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and will send the successful applicant a Grant Award Notification (GAN). Contact the program office for more information.

The range of approval/disapproval time is approximately 60-120 days following the application deadline.