High School Equivalency Program 84.141A

The High School Equivalency Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education. This program is authorized under federal statute and is designed as a discretionary grant initiative to support educational attainment among underserved populations. Specifically, the program focuses on improving access to high school equivalency credentials for migratory and seasonal farmworkers and their immediate family members. The initiative reflects a broader federal commitment to workforce development, educational equity, and economic mobility for populations that often face systemic barriers to completing secondary education. The primary purpose of the program is to assist eligible participants in obtaining the equivalent of a secondary school diploma. Beyond credential attainment, the program emphasizes post-completion outcomes such as improved employment opportunities, entry into military service, or enrollment in postsecondary education or training programs, including registered apprenticeships. Applicants are required to design projects that directly support these outcomes, aligning program services with measurable goals related to participant success and long-term advancement. Funding is provided through multi-year discretionary grants with a project period of five years. Annual award amounts range from 180000 to 550000, with total project funding ranging from 900000 to 2750000 over the full performance period. The program anticipates awarding approximately three to four grants, contingent on funding availability and application quality. Allowable uses of funds include personnel, training, student support services, travel, and coordination activities necessary to deliver program outcomes. Indirect costs are limited to the lesser of the negotiated rate or 8 percent of modified total direct costs. There is no required cost sharing or matching component, although voluntary matching funds must be honored if proposed. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education and private nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit applicants that are not institutions of higher education must demonstrate formal collaboration with an institution of higher education and utilize its facilities for program delivery. Applicants must also demonstrate organizational capacity, including experience working with migrant or seasonal farmworker populations, and provide assurances related to recruitment, service delivery, and coordination with community resources. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov following federal registration procedures, including SAM.gov registration and obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier. Required application components include a project narrative, budget narrative, abstract, and supporting documentation such as resumes and nonprofit verification. Applications must include a detailed management plan, evaluation strategy, and clearly defined performance targets aligned with federal performance measures. These measures include the percentage of participants earning a high school equivalency credential and the percentage transitioning to postsecondary education, employment, or military service. Applications are evaluated based on a 100-point scoring system across four primary criteria: quality of project design, quality of project evaluation, quality of the management plan, and adequacy of resources. Competitive preference points may be awarded for prior experience, expansion of education access, and workforce readiness initiatives. The application deadline is June 12, 2026, with intergovernmental review concluding in August 2026. Awards are expected to be made following the review process, and funded projects must comply with federal reporting, performance tracking, and civil rights requirements throughout the project period. For additional information, applicants may contact Jessica Stein via email or phone as listed in the program notice. The program is expected to recur annually or periodically based on federal appropriations, and future funding rounds may draw from unfunded applications submitted during this competition cycle.

Align project design with measurable outcomes and federal performance metrics; demonstrate strong evaluation methods and prior experience; ensure detailed management plan and realistic budget