Happy Holidays from Impact Aid Director Faatimah Muhammad!

Welcome to the first issue of this year’s Impact Aid Director’s Quarterly Update.

We are close to completing the monitoring review of fiscal year (FY) 2025 applications, with only five reviews remaining. We are on track to launch the FY 2026 application on December 2, 2024. We encourage you to explore the resources provided in this issue and on our website to get an early start on your application well ahead of the January 31, 2025, deadline.

As we approach the upcoming holiday season, we wish you and your family a very Happy Holiday!

Funding Updates

The Impact Aid Program has begun releasing basic support payments for local educational agencies (LEAs) that have requested an early payment. To date, we still have about 50% of the funds available under the continuing resolution that funds the Department of Education through December 20, 2024.  We will continue to release additional payments for LEAs who request an early payment on a rolling basis as funds allow.

Resource Spotlight– Impact Aid Videos

This month, we highlight one of our most requested resources – videos!  Many attendees of our live webinars request a recording of our events. Over the last few years, we have responded to that request by creating short videos of the most important topics from our live presentations to help you to make the most of your time and provide a resource you can share with others! Each video also contains links to resources and a transcript if you prefer to read the narration.

• Videos covering the most essential Section 7003 topics
• Videos covering the most important 7002 topics
• New this Month! Check out our most recent video designed specifically for Military staff certifiers. We hope you find it helpful to share this video with military staff assisting with your data collection. The video provides an overview of the Impact Aid Program focused on the Uniformed Services requirements and includes links to resources of particular interest to military certifiers. As time allows, we intend to expand our collection of videos for certifiers, including public housing authorities and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Impact Aid Best Practices:  Getting Ready for your FY 2026 Application due January 31, 2025. 

The FY 2026 application will be available on December 2, 2024. Please review the tips below for a great start to your application.

• Surveying is the first step to your Impact Aid Application. If you have not done so, choose your survey date and method and check out some these resources below for help.
  • Section 7003 Overview Video
  • How to Survey Video
  • How to Conduct a Survey Webinar Slides
• Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) accounts are required to complete the application. All users must sign in with Login.gov to edit or view the application.
  • Request access if you are your LEA’s designated core user AND you do not already have an account. Core users can create, delete, and otherwise manage accounts for up to two others in the LEA.
  • If you have not logged in recently, you can request account reactivation by entering your email in the green box.
  • 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.
• IAGS user changes can be made by your LEA’s core user. Your Impact Aid analyst can make core user changes.
  • Core users may find our Core User Guide helpful for adding or managing users.
• For even more help, feel free to contact your LEA’s state assigned program analyst directly.
• Finally, start early to meet the deadline of January 31, 2025, and avoid the 10% late penalty.

Upcoming Webinars

Join the Impact Aid staff in an upcoming webinar. Please see below. Our webinars are FREE and open to all.

See our complete webinar schedule through September 2025.

Faatimah Muhammad

Director, Impact Aid