Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program

The Title IV, Part B Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a federal education program authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. The U.S. Department of Education awards formula funds to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which manages competitive reimbursement grants for eligible subrecipients in North Carolina. The program supports the establishment or expansion of community learning centers that operate during out-of-school time, including before school, after school, weekends, summer, or intersession periods. The grant is intended to provide academic enrichment opportunities for students, particularly students in high-poverty areas and students attending low-performing schools, so they can meet state and local academic standards in core academic subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science. Funded programs must also offer a broad array of enrichment and support activities, which may include youth development, service learning, nutrition and health education, drug and violence prevention, counseling, arts, music, physical fitness, wellness, technology education, financial literacy, environmental literacy, STEM, career and technical education, internships, apprenticeships, and other activities tied to in-demand industry sectors or occupations. Programs must also offer families meaningful engagement opportunities, including literacy and related educational development. Eligible applicants include public or private organizations seeking to provide out-of-school programs for K-12 students in North Carolina. Eligible entities include local educational agencies or public school units, nonprofit agencies, community-based organizations, city or county government agencies, faith-based organizations, Bureau of Indian Education schools, institutions of higher education, and for-profit corporations. North Carolina gives priority to programs that primarily serve students attending schools eligible for Title I, Part A schoolwide programs, and feeder schools must average at least 40 percent poverty. Non-LEA subgrantees serve school-age children enrolled in kindergarten through high school, while LEA subgrantees may serve preschool through high school, subject to state preschool laws and grant guidance. Awards are reimbursement grants, meaning funds must be incurred and paid before reimbursement is requested. The guidance states that North Carolina organizations are eligible to receive up to $500,000 per year, and grant awards may continue for up to two additional years, for a three-year cohort cycle, subject to federal funding availability, compliance, implementation progress, and progress toward local and statewide goals. Earlier program information supplied by the user also states that organizations may receive not less than $50,000 and up to $400,000 per year, so the current FY26 guidance amount of up to $500,000 per year is treated as the controlling amount. Subgrantees must allocate at least 80 percent of the award to direct services to students, and indirect student services such as travel, lease costs, staff development, director salary and benefits, and evaluation services may not exceed 20 percent of the total grant award. Allowable costs include personnel and benefits, staff development and training, student transportation, approved food purchases, reasonable rental space, property insurance related to equipment and furniture, teacher substitutes, travel reimbursements, program equipment and supplies, computers and software, and certain memberships in the name of the 21st CCLC program. Other expenditures may be allowable with conditions, such as educational field trips with pre-approval, leases or contracted service agreements with pre-approval, technology expenses with a per-unit cost of $5,000 or more with pre-approval, and school-supply-type student incentives valued at no more than $25. Unallowable costs include vehicles, grant writing or proposal development costs, staff food, fundraising, land acquisition, capital improvements and renovations, certain audit costs, cash or gift cards, entertainment, prizes, charitable contributions, bonuses, regular school day activities, lobbying, credit card interest, late fees, and service fees. The source material does not provide a current open date or final application deadline for a new competition. It states that North Carolina generally offers a new 21st CCLC competition once every three years and that availability of new competition funding and continuation awards depends on annual federal appropriations. Awarded subgrantees must submit an annual noncompetitive continuation application in CCIP for years two and three, and those that miss the established deadline forfeit funds for that funding year. Before funds are released, subgrantees must submit required documentation and Budget Form 208 in CCIP for NCDPI approval, and budget amendments require Budget Amendment Form 209. Programs must be fully operational and serving students by October 15 each year of the three-year grant cycle, and installment funding is tied to enrollment and attendance thresholds.

Prioritize students from Title I schoolwide eligible feeder schools and document at least 40% average poverty across feeder schools. Design academic and enrichment programming aligned to state standards and statewide performance goals. Budget at least 80% for direct student services and keep indirect student services at or below 20%. Maintain timely attendance data because installments depend on enrollment and attendance thresholds. Ensure facilities are accessible, safe, and documented before budget approval.