CSP Grants to State Entities 84.282A

The Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program Grants to State Entities is a federal discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Education, with application administration support from the U.S. Department of Labor. The program is designed to strengthen the development, expansion, and replication of high-quality public charter schools across the United States. It operates under the authority of Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The program provides competitive funding to eligible state entities, which then distribute subgrants to local eligible applicants such as charter school developers and operators. The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to increase access to high-quality charter schools, particularly those with demonstrated success in improving student academic outcomes. State entities receiving funds are required to allocate at least 90 percent of awarded funds to subgrants that support the opening of new charter schools, replication of high-performing charter schools, and expansion of existing high-quality charter schools. Additional funding allocations must support technical assistance activities and administrative oversight, with strict caps placed on administrative expenditures. The program also emphasizes improving charter authorizing practices and strengthening statewide systems for charter school support and accountability. Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are defined as state entities, which may include state educational agencies, state charter school boards, governors, or charter school support organizations. Eligibility is restricted to entities located in states that have statutes authorizing charter schools and that are not currently operating an active grant under this program unless specific conditions are met. The program includes detailed statutory and regulatory requirements governing eligibility, subgrant distribution, and oversight responsibilities. Applicants must submit proposals through the federal Grants.gov system and must comply with registration requirements including SAM.gov and Unique Entity Identifier validation. The application process requires completion of multiple components including a project narrative, budget narrative, standard federal forms, and supporting documentation such as assurances, resumes, and letters of support. Applications are evaluated based on criteria such as project design, quality of subgrant applicants, state-level planning, and management capacity. Competitive preference priorities may provide additional scoring advantages for proposals that align with specific federal education priorities. The funding structure includes an estimated total program allocation of 60 million dollars, with individual awards ranging from 2 million to 20 million dollars per year and an average award size of approximately 9 million dollars annually. The project period can extend up to 60 months. Subgrants distributed by state entities are capped at 2 million dollars per charter school over a five-year period. The program does not require cost sharing or matching funds, and it allows for an unrestricted indirect cost rate. The application timeline for this funding opportunity begins with the release date of April 16, 2026, and includes a firm application deadline of June 18, 2026. Additional milestones include an intergovernmental review deadline of August 18, 2026. Applicants are expected to carefully follow federal submission procedures and ensure timely validation of their applications through Grants.gov. Award decisions are made following a competitive peer review process, and successful applicants must comply with extensive reporting and performance measurement requirements throughout the grant period.

Align proposal with selection criteria emphasizing strong state plan, clear monitoring systems, and sustainable charter school expansion strategies