Category Archives: News You Can Use

January 2025 – News You Can Use

Impact Aid Grantees,

Happy New Year to our Impact Aid Community!  Now is the time to start your fiscal year (FY) 2026 Impact Aid Application.

The Impact Aid Section 7002 and Section 7003 applications for FY 2026 are due January 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The application is not complete until the signature task is submitted. Applications with the status “Application” or “Signature” are not complete.

FY 2026 Applications – By the Numbers (as of January 6)

  • 24% of school districts that applied last year do not have an active core user account for the Impact Aid Grant System.
  • We have received only 17% of expected 7002 applications. 30% are incomplete because they have no signature.
  • We have received only 6% of expected 7003 applications. 26% are incomplete because they have no signature.
  • Applications received between February 1-April 1, 2025, are assessed a 10% late penalty to all resulting payments.

Act now to ensure your IAGS accounts are active and an authorized representative can sign the application!

Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) Reminders

  • Each Local educational agency (LEA) must have one, and only one, core user. Your LEA’s core user account must be active to start an application. To remove or add a core user to your LEA’s record, request a new account or contact your Impact Aid state analyst. New core users will receive instructions for account setup by email and may find this IAGS user guide helpful. Core users can create or manage up to two IAGS accounts for others.
  • If you have not logged in since September 9, 2024, your account is likely inactive. Core users can request account reactivation by filling out the information in the green box.
  • You may receive a 401 “unauthorized access” error message if the Impact Aid Grant system cannot match the username (email address) entered in the Login.gov portal with an IAGS account username. To resolve, when prompted on the Impact Aid Grant System Login.gov sign-in page, enter the email that is your IAGS Username. You should have already added this email address to your Login.gov account. The email address you enter must be the one associated with your IAGS account.
  • The Login.gov helpdesk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be reached through https://login.gov/help or by phone at (844) 875-6466.

FY 2025 Funding Update

As of today, the Department of Education is funded for FY 2025 through March 14, 2025. We are currently paying Section 7003 LEAs at a proration of 50% and initial payments for Children with Disabilities at $500 per Weighted Student Unit. If there is money available after making these initial payments, we will start making payment increases for LEAs qualifying for Generally Comparable District Local Contribution Rates at a proration of 50%. We are also making foundation payments for Section 7002 LEAs as funds allow.

Virtual Application Workshops

Our virtual 7003 application workshops are our most hands-on sessions. Consider joining if this is your first year submitting a Section 7003 application, you feel lost navigating the Impact Aid Grant System, or you want to walk through the application with a small group. All our sessions are held virtually using Microsoft Teams. We will assign you to a small group of similar school districts led by an Impact Aid analyst. Together you will have the opportunity to complete the FY 2026 Section 7003 application with time to share your screen and ask questions as you work.

Please register for only ONE workshop to allow as many people as possible attend these space limited workshops. Registration will close at 5 p.m. Eastern time the day before the workshop.

You will receive a calendar invitation in your email with the Microsoft Teams link to attend.

Date Eastern Time    Pacific Time    Link to Register
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here

Upcoming Live Webinars

Our live webinar schedule through September 2025 is available on our website. Our webinars are FREE, open to all, and accessed through Microsoft Teams. Registration is required. Once you register, you will receive a calendar invitation with a link.

Topic  Date   Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register 
IAGS Navigation 1/7/2025 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/29/2025 3 p.m. 12 p.m. Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/30/2025 3 p.m. 12 p.m. Register Here

We look forward to assisting you during this busy application season.

Faatimah Muhammad,

Impact Aid Program Director

December 2024 – News You Can Use

The Impact Aid Section 7002 and Section 7003 applications for fiscal year (FY) 2026 are now available in the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS). The deadline for both applications is January 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The application is not complete until the signature task is submitted. Applications with the status “Application” or “Signature” are not complete.

Check out some of our resources:

New Requirement – Supporting Documentation for Properties Requiring Annual Review

If your local educational agency (LEA) claims a property requiring an annual eligibility review, the IAGS will require you to upload the survey documentation to support the children claimed. Examples of properties requiring parent-pupil survey forms or source checks include “rent to own” properties funded under the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act, mining and grazing land, ships, and any other property that may change eligibility status from year to year.  The supporting documentation must contain all required information and be fully certified. IAGS will give an error and you will not be able to include these “annual review” properties on your application unless you upload the survey documents for the property.

Electronic Data Collection (EDC) Pilot for FY 2026 Application

LEAs that want to collect Section 7003 survey data online for the first time should submit a proposal for the Impact Aid Program to review and approve before they send the survey out to parents. Once approved for the first, “pilot” year, the LEA’s application will be monitored to ensure that the data collected is auditable and conforms to the program regulations. Due to the length of time necessary to review and approve proposals, if LEAs want to take part in an EDC pilot for the Impact Aid application due January 31, 2025, they must inform us by December 6, 2024. Any request or proposal received after December 6 will be considered for the FY 2027 application due January 2026.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the EDC Pilot Team at EDCPilot@ed.gov.

IAGS Reminders

  • Your account may be deactivated if you have not logged into the system since August 3. You can request account reactivation by entering your email in the green box.
  • All users must use Login.gov to access the IAGS. Review the Instructions for Account Setup for help getting started with Login.gov.
  • Each LEA must have one, and only one, core user. To remove or add a core user to your LEA’s record, request a new account or contact your Impact Aid state analyst. New core users will receive instructions for account setup by email and may find this IAGS user guide helpful. Core users can create or manage up to two IAGS accounts for others.

FY 2025 Funding Update

Our office continues to release basic support payments for LEAs who have requested an early payment as funds allow. Review our user guide for submitting an early payment if you still need to submit an early payment request.

We anticipate releasing some initial payments for LEAs who have not requested an early payment beginning December 16, depending on the availability of remaining funds.

Upcoming Live Webinars

Our live webinar schedule through September 2025 is available on our website.  Our webinars are FREE, open to all, and accessed through Microsoft Teams. Registration is required.  Once you register, you will receive a calendar invitation with a link.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
IAGS Navigation 12/4/2024 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
IAGS Navigation 1/7/2025 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/29/2025 3 p.m. 12 p.m. Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/30/2025 3 p.m. 12 p.m. Register Here

We look forward to assisting you during this busy application season.

Faatimah Muhammad,

Impact Aid Program, Director

October 2024 – News You Can Use

We are excited to enter a new fiscal year (FY). Last month, our team completed over 95% of FY 2025 application reviews and released all previously blocked FY 2024 payments.

FY 2025 Funding Update

The continuing resolution signed into law on September 23, 2024, provides funding through December 20, 2024.  This means that the Impact Aid Program will receive a small percentage of the funds received for FY 2024 to start distributing initial payments.  It takes several weeks for the funds to make their way through the Department of Treasury, Office of Management and Budget and to the Department of Education, where they will be allotted to our account for distribution.  We expect that local educational agencies (LEAs) who have requested early payments will begin receiving vouchers for initial payments near the end of October.

Early Payment Requests

If your LEA must receive its first FY 2025 Impact Aid payment before the end of December 2024 to meet its expenses, please request an early payment in the Impact Aid Grant System. We will prioritize initial payments for LEAs that need them the most. See the user guide for instructions with screenshots.

Online Resources for the Upcoming Application

We have many training resources available as you prepare for your FY 2026 Impact Aid application, due January 31. We encourage you to visit our training page to review Section 7002 videos and Section 7003 videos, which cover important highlights of our webinars, including how to survey Federally connected children.

You may also find it helpful to visit our resources page to view our new Handbook for Applicants and Grantees, and various tools to support your application preparation.

Upcoming Live Webinars – New Schedule

Does your LEA have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher? Our updated live webinar schedule through September 2025 is available now.

Our webinars are FREE, open to all, and accessed through Microsoft Teams. Registration is required.  Once you register, you will receive a calendar invitation with a link.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
How to Conduct a Survey 10/9/2024 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
IPPs and Waivers 10/24/2024 3 p.m. 12 p.m. Register Here
7003 Overview 11/7/2024 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
7002 Overview 11/14/2024 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here

May 2024 – News You Can Use

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Payment Updates

Impact Aid has released interim section 7003(b) Basic Support payments at 100% of Prorated LOT; and section 7003(d) Payment for Children with Disabilities (CWD) at $1,200 per weighted student unit. All eligible Section 7002 districts have received their foundation payment.  Generally Comparable District and Heavily Impacted adjustments are complete. Look for section 7007 construction payments for eligible Section 7003 grantees and remaining funds payments for 7002 grantees this summer.

Payment Blocks

We anticipate issuing final FY 2024 Section 7003 payments much earlier than usual this year.  If you have concerns about receiving unplanned funds at the end of your school fiscal year, you may request a payment block to hold those funds. Here’s how:

  1. Log in into to the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) using Login.gov at https://impactaidgrant.ed.gov/suite/sites/impact-aid
  2. Click the $ button under 7003 Application Status or 7002 Application Status.
  3. Click the Request Payment Block button at the top right of the Payment History page.
  4. Choose the date you would like the payment block to end and choose 2024 as the fiscal year for which you would like to block your payments.
  5. Click the Send to Review button.

When the request is approved, you’ll receive an email confirmation.  We cannot make payments to your LEA until the block expires or you change the date, so please plan carefully.

Amending FY 2025 Applications

The deadline to submit an amendment is July 1, 2024.  Typically, the annual amendment deadline is June 30, but as that falls on a Sunday this year, the deadline is the next business day.

Please visit this training page to view our amendment user guide, quick tips and short video to assist you in completing an application amendment through the IAGS .

FY 2024 Formula Construction 7007(a) Updates

As this is an even-numbered fiscal year, we received appropriated funds for formula construction grants totaling $19 million, a slight increase over the $17.4 million appropriated for FY 2022.  To be eligible to receive these funds, a local educational agency (LEA) must:

  • Be eligible under section 7003(b)(2)- Payments for Heavily Impacted LEAs; or
  • Have at least 50% military connected children in categories B and D(i): or,
  • Have at least 50% children who reside on eligible Indian lands in category C.

LEAs do not apply for these funds.  Payments are calculated using the FY 2024 Section 7003 application child counts.  LEAs must use these funds for construction and report expenditures on their next Impact Aid application.

Impact Aid Customer Service Survey

Did you know that you can provide anonymous feedback on the assistance you received from an Impact Aid analyst?  Each analyst has a link to our customer service survey at the bottom of their email signature.  Please use this form to let us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve!

Grantee Satisfaction Survey

The 2024 Grantee Satisfaction Survey launched on April 4, 2024, and if you were selected, you should have received the survey from the “CFI Group on behalf of the Department of Education.”  The email subject line is “Department of Education Grantee Satisfaction Survey 2024.” The survey is administered by an independent third-party research firm, so our staff will not receive individual survey responses and will have no way of knowing how individual grantees responded.  While the survey is voluntary, we count on everyone’s participation to provide representative results and to help us identify how best to serve you.  The survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete, and our success depends on how many of you respond.

Upcoming Webinars

Does your local educational agency have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher?

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar.  Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
Electronic Data Collection 5/21/2024 2 p.m. 11 a.m. Register Here
IAGS Navigation 6/5/2024 3 p.m. 12 p.m. Register Here

April 2024 – News You Can Use

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Appropriation News 

On March 23, 2024, the President signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. The act includes provisions for Impact Aid as follows: 

  • $1,474,000,000 for basic support payments under section 7003(b),  
  • $48,316,000 for payments for children with disabilities under section 7003(d),  
  • $19,000,000 for construction under section 7007(a) [formula grants],  
  • $79,000,000 for Federal property payments under section 7002, and  
  • $4,835,000 for facilities maintenance under section 7008 [for Department of Education-owned schools].  

It takes several weeks for the funds to make their way through the Department of Treasury, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and to the Department of Education, where they will finally be allotted to our account for distribution.   We have started making Section 7003(b) interim payments at a proration of 100% using an “above the continuing resolution” increase of $397 million that OMB granted Impact Aid in mid-March, based on our historical rate of obligations.  We are able to pay at a higher proration than the usual 90% interim rate because the FY 2024 maximum payment data is close to final, and we received an increase in appropriated funds for basic support.  We will finish sending out the remainder of interim payments as soon as our full-year funds are available in our accounts.  At that time, we will also raise the rate for 7003(d) payments to send out additional Children with Disabilities funds.  We expect all interim 7003 payments to be released before the end of April. 

Amending FY 2025 Applications 

The deadline to submit an amendment is June 30, 2024.  

Please visit this training page to view our amendment user guide, quick tips and short video to assist you in completing an application amendment through the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS).  

Upcoming Webinars 

Does your local educational agency have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher? 

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar.  Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024.    

Topic  Date  Eastern Time  Pacific Time  Link to Register 
The 7003 Payment Formula  4/25/2024  2 PM  11 AM  Register Here 

 
Electronic Data Collection  5/21/2024  2PM  11 AM  Register Here 

 

 

Faatimah Muhammad, 

Impact Aid Program Director 

March 2024 – News You Can Use

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Monitoring Notifications 

Monitoring notifications for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 application have been emailed to selected grantees. If you have received one of these notifications and need assistance, you should contact the Impact Aid analyst listed on your monitoring notification email.  Our March 6th webinar will specifically focus on providing assistance to districts that were selected for monitoring. Registration links for those webinars have been sent out in the monitoring notices and are included below for your convenience.  We highly recommend attending the webinar.  For local education agencies (LEAs) using electronic data collection (EDC), there will be a special webinar on March 7th at 2 PM ET.  

Late FY 2025 Application 

Did you miss the application deadline?  The FY 2025 late application deadline for Section 7002 and Section 7003 is April 1, 2024.  Late applications are assessed a 10% payment penalty.  

Amending FY 2025 Applications 

The deadline to submit an amendment is June 30, 2024.  

Please visit this training page to view our amendment user guide, quick tips and short video to assist you in completing an application amendment through the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS).  

Upcoming Webinars 

Does your LEA have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher? 

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar. Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024.  

Topic  Date  Eastern Time  Pacific Time  Link to Register 
Impact Aid Monitoring – Tips for Success  3/6/2024  3 PM  12 PM  Register Here 
Impact Aid Monitoring – EDC Tips for Success  3/7/2024  2PM  11 AM  Register Here 

 

February 2024 – News You Can Use

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Application Reminders

Did you miss the application deadline?  There is still time to apply for Impact Aid!  The fiscal year (FY) 2025 late application deadline for Section 7002 and Section 7003 is April 1, 2024.  Late applications are assessed a 10% payment penalty.

The deadline to submit an amendment is June 30, 2024. 

To start an amendment, log in to the Impact Aid Grant System.  On the Home page under the Status box, click the blue person icon to open your 7003 Application or the blue map icon to open your 7002 Application.  On the top right of the application record page, click the button to start an amendment.  Note that starting an amendment stops our review of your application and the review will not resume until your amended application is either canceled or signed and submitted.

On Demand Videos

You can find videos covering many of the most important topics from our webinars by clicking on our training page. You may click on the Section 7003 (Basic Support Payments) Training or Section 7002 (Payments for Federal Property) Training links depending on your interest.

Each video is best viewed in “full screen” mode and has a transcript and related links under the video playlist. 

Upcoming Webinars

Does your local education agency (LEA) have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher?

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar.  Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024.  Join us on March 6 to find out what happens when your LEA is selected for an in-depth application review.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
Impact Aid Monitoring – Tips for Success 3/6/2024 3 PM 12 PM Register Here

 

Faatimah Muhammad,

Impact Aid Program, Director

January 2024 – News You Can Use

Impact Aid Grantees,

Happy New Year to the Impact Aid Community! Now is the time to start your Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 application.

Impact Aid Main Phone Line

The main telephone number for Impact Aid ((202) 260-3858) has been discontinued as planned. Please contact your State assigned analyst directly for any assistance and contact the analyst’s supervisor if you have not received a response within two business days.

FY 2025 Application Update by the Numbers

  • FY 2025 applications are due on January 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • Applications received after the deadline are assessed a 10% late penalty.
  • To date, 64% of school districts that applied last year have not started an application.
  • To date, 3% of school districts that applied last year do not have an active core user account for the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS).

IAGS System Reminders

If you have not logged into the IAGS since August 29, 2023, you likely have not completed the required Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) setup process through Login.Gov.  For more information about account setup, visit this page on our portal November 2023 – News You Can Use.

Application Workshops

This month we will offer three application workshops for Section 7003 local educational agencies (LEAs) that have collected all of the necessary information to enter on the FY 2025 application but want guidance on entering it correctly in the IAGS.  Space will be limited, so please register for just one workshop on either 1/17, 1/18, or 1/23 at 2 p.m. Eastern time.  At the end of each workshop, most attendees will be able to confidently submit their application forward for signature.

New 7002 Videos

We’ve recording two new videos for 7002 applicants, covering the topics of eligibility, how to apply, and the payment formula.   You can find the videos by going to the Training menu on our website, or by clicking here.  Each video is best viewed in “full screen” mode and has a transcript and related links under the video playlist.

 Upcoming Webinars

Does your LEA have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher?

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar.  Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024. Check out our offerings through January below.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
IAGS Navigation 1/11/2024 3 PM 12 PM Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/25/2024 3 PM 12 PM Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/29/2024 2 PM 11AM Register Here

Listserv Changes

This month, we will be transitioning to a new listserv platform.  Your subscription will automatically roll over to the new platform.  We will update our website with new listserv registration links once available.

 

Faatimah Muhammad,

Impact Aid Program, Director

December 2023 – News You Can Use

Now is the time to start your fiscal Year (FY) 2025 application.  Get started today with your LEA’s application today and cross one thing off your to do list!

FY 2025 Application Update by the Numbers

  • FY 2025 applications are due on January 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • Applications received after the deadline are assessed a 10% late penalty.
  • To date, 92% of school districts that applied last year have not started an application.
  • To date, 3.4 % of school districts that applied last year do not have an active core user account for the Impact Aid Grant System.
  • To date, 38% of active users have not yet signed in with a Login.gov account.

Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) System Reminders

If you have not logged into the IAGS since August 29, 2023, you likely not completed the required Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) setup process through Login.Gov.  For more information about account setup, visit this page on our portal November 2023 – News You Can Use.

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Payments Update

The Impact Aid Program has begun releasing basic support payments for local educational agencies (LEAs) that have requested an early payment.  We have released 941 payments set at 50% proration and $500 per weighted student unit for Children with Disabilities (CWD).

If your LEA will require an FY 2024 initial Impact Aid payment before December 30, 2023, to meet operational expenses, you can request an expedited payment through the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS). Go to this link for instructions for submitting the request through IAGS.  We will release additional payments as we receive additional funds in the future.

Upcoming Webinars

Does your LEA have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher?

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar.  Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024. Check out our offerings through January below.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
Section 7002 Overview 12/7/2023 2 PM 11 AM Register Here
IAGS Navigation 1/11/2024 3 PM 12 PM Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/25/2024 3 PM 12 PM Register Here
Ask an Analyst 1/29/2024 2 PM 11AM Register Here

 

You can submit questions from inside the application system when you need help, send an email to Impact.Aid@ed.gov or contact your analyst directly at Impact Aid Staff.

 

Listserv Changes

In January, we will be transitioning to a new listserv platform.  Your subscription will automatically roll over to the new platform.  We will update our website with new listserv registration links once available.

 

Faatimah Muhammad,

Impact Aid Program, Director

November 2023 – News You Can Use

This month we are highlighting tips to prepare you and your local educational agency (LEA) for our upcoming 2025 application season.

Surveying

Has your LEA conducted this year’s Impact Aid Survey? Whether using a parent pupil survey (PPS) form, source check, or Electronic Data Collection (EDC), choosing a survey date, and then conducting a survey is the beginning to your preparation for your Impact Aid application.

If you need help, check out our Section 7003 Overview and the How to Survey training videos, review the How to Conduct A Survey webinar slides, or contact your Impact Aid analyst directly!  You can find all of our Impact Aid staff state assignments at this link.

Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) System Updates
IAGS Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

As of August 29, 2023, to meet current cybersecurity requirements, the IAGS requires school district and state users to access the IAGS through an identity verified Login.gov account.  If you need help with your Login.gov account set-up, see this slide deck with detailed instructions and screenshots or our Frequently Asked Questions document for more information.  Impact Aid staff are unable to assist you with Login.gov identity verification, password, or authentication issues.  The Login.gov helpdesk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be reached through https://login.gov/help or by phone at (844) 875-6466.

Account Deactivation

If you have not logged in to IAGS within the last 120 days, your system account is deactivated. You can request that the system administrator reactivate your account by entering your email address in the green box on the Get Help page. Once reactivated, you will be able to gain entry to the system through Login.Gov.

IAGS User Changes

Do you need to make changes to your IAGS users?  To remove a core user, submit your request to the analyst assigned to your state via email.  Provide the new user’s name, title, email address and phone number.  Once added, the core user will receive instructions for account setup by email.  To add or edit secondary user privileges, contact your LEAs core user listed within your LEA record.

Upcoming Webinars

Does your LEA have staff who are new to Impact Aid or need a refresher?

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar.  Our webinars are FREE and open to all. Click this link for a complete schedule through September 2024. Check out our offerings through December below.

Topic Date Eastern Time Pacific Time Link to Register
The 7003 Payment Formula 11/16/2023 3 PM 12 PM Register Here
IAGS Navigation 12/5/2023 2 PM 11 AM Register Here
Section 7002 Overview 12/7/2023 2 PM 11 AM Register Here