May 2023 – News You Can Use

Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Final Payments

We are very pleased to announce that we released final FY 2021 payments under Section 7003 yesterday.  The final Basic Support proration was 100%, with a ratable increase of 1.51% added to each LEA’s Learning Opportunity Threshold (LOT).  The final rate for CWD payments was $1,175.24 per weighted student unit.  We will release FY 2021 remaining funds payments for Section 7002 in the coming weeks, and then will turn to closing FY 2022.

FY 2023 Interim Payments

To date, Impact Aid has released initial and interim payments at a 90% proration and $1,050 per weighted student unit for Children with Disabilities (CWD) to all eligible districts. Generally Comparable District adjustments are complete and most Heavily Impacted adjustments are finished.

Grantee Satisfaction Survey

The 2023 Grantee Satisfaction Survey launched on April 11th, 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 2023.” 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 about 15 minutes to complete, and our success depends on how many of you respond.

Amending FY 2024 Applications

Do you need to amend your original application submission?  To start an amendment, log in to the Impact Aid Grant System, navigate to the local educational agency (LEA) summary page, and locate the section labeled “Applications.”  Select the FY 2024 application submission and at the application summary page, click the button “Start a 7002 or 7003 Amendment.”  For step-by-step instructions, watch our instructional video on Starting an Application Amendment. The deadline to submit an amendment is June 30, 2023. 

Upcoming Training Webinars – April through September 2023

The Impact Aid Program is announcing new training opportunities through Microsoft Teams.  Classes are free to all.  You will find class descriptions and registration links by clicking the headers below.

After registering, you will receive a calendar invitation in your email with a Microsoft Teams link and joining instructions.  Microphones and video will be turned off for participants but you can use the chat feature to ask questions.

Slides: The Resources page has PDF or PowerPoint copies of the slide decks for most sessions.

Find session descriptions and registration links by clicking the headers below.

TopicDateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
IAGS Navigation4/19/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
Understanding the Section 7003 Payment Formula5/4/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here
IAGS Navigation 5/10/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
Ask an Analyst – Open Q&A Session5/18/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here
Electronic Data Collection6/6/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here
Overview of Section 7002 (Payments for Federal Property)7/6/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here
Overview of Section 7003 (Payments for Federally Connected Children)7/13/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here
How To Conduct A Survey of Federally Connected Children8/3/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
How To Conduct A Survey of Federally Connected Children8/10/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here
Indian Policies and Procedures Regulatory Compliance9/7/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
IAGS Navigation9/21/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here

We will focus on the requirements for the annual Impact Aid survey that school districts use to count Federally connected children. The survey must be completed before the LEA submits the Section 7003 grant application due January 31.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
8/3/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
8/10/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here

We will provide an overview of the Electronic Data Collection pilot process for LEAs interested in leveraging a parent portal or other software to conduct the Impact Aid survey online. The focus will be on the system requirements for producing survey data that is compliant with the program statute and regulations.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
6/6/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here

We will provide an overview of the data necessary to submit the annual Section 7002 grant application, as well as the payment calculation. Section 7002 school districts receive funds based on the number of eligible Federal acres within their boundaries. If you apply for Impact Aid based solely on a count of Federally connected children, this session is not for you.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
7/6/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here

We will give a broad overview of all aspects of the Section 7003 program (Payments for Federally Connected Children), including the data collection process, application submission, review timeline, and payment information. This session is particularly targeted to those who are brand new to Impact Aid and need to know a little bit of everything.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
7/13/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here

LEAs claiming children living on Indian lands on the Section 7003 application must have Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs) or a waiver updated annually. This session will cover the requirements in the Impact Aid program regulations related to IPPs and waivers.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
9/7/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here

This webinar will take attendees step-by-step through the Section 7003 formula payment calculation and show you how to find the data inputs on your payment voucher. The session is particularly useful for LEAs who need to estimate future Impact Aid payments as part of their budgeting process.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
5/4/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here

This webinar will provide a basic orientation to the Impact Aid Grant System, including account setup. We will address common questions such as how to find a payment voucher, see your application’s status, start and sign an application, and complete assigned tasks.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
4/19/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
5/10/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here
9/21/20233:00 PM12:00 PMRegister Here

These sessions are open “office hours” with no particular agenda. Bring your questions!

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration
5/18/20232:00 PM11:00 AMRegister Here

Seeking Qualified Reviewers for 2023 Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Competition

The Impact Aid Program (IAP) is seeking qualified grant readers/peer reviewers to evaluate applications submitted under our 2023 discretionary construction grant competition.  IAP chooses peer reviewers based on their knowledge, skills, and expertise.

Requirements

  • Experience with school infrastructure evaluation and/or construction, for example, as an architect, engineer, facility inspector, construction manager, state government or school employee
  • Ability to:
    • Analyze grant applications effectively against specific criteria
    • Clearly express evaluations orally and in writing
    • Engage in discussion and bridge differences with other reviewers to resolve discrepancies in scoring
    • Ethically review proprietary information, maintain confidentiality, and avoid conflicts of interest
  • Expertise in the unique challenges associated with construction in rural or remote locations (preferred)

Time Commitment and Compensation

  • Reviewers will be needed during the month of August.
  • It is unlikely that a reviewer will be assigned to score more than 20 applications.
    • Applications are generally short (2-3 page narrative, 1 page independent certification, 1 page budget, a few short answer questions).
    • For each application, the reviewer will provide a score and justification under two criteria.
  • Time commitments vary depending on the grants under review and the number of assigned applications. The peer review process will allow about two weeks for review of assigned applications.
  • All reviews will be coordinated via email, phone, and the online review system.
  • All new reviewers will be required to take an online training prior to participating in the review process.
  • Reviewers will receive compensation per application reviewed.

How to Apply

Prospective peer reviewers should read the Notice Inviting Applications (Federal Register) to find out more about the program priorities and selection criteria. If you have specific, documented experience in these areas, it may greatly increase the likelihood that IAP will select you as a peer reviewer.

To be considered, please submit a current resume to Melissa Torchon-Duke at melissa.torchon@ed.gov by June 1, 2023.

Next Steps

You must complete the following before you can be hired as a peer reviewer for this competition:

  • Register as a “contractor entity” on the Federal Government’s System for Award Management at SAM.gov
    • This is required because your compensation will come directly from the Department of Education.
    • Once you set up an account on SAM.gov, register as a contractor entity and enter your direct deposit information.  See the SAM.gov contractor registration Quick Start Guide (PDF file).
    • If you already have a small business registered on SAM.gov and you would like your compensation to go to that business, please let us know the name of the business and your Unique Entity ID (UEI) number.
  • Set up a peer reviewer account on G5.gov.
    • This is the website that hosts the technical review forms where you will be filling in your scores and comments.
    • There is a detailed user guide on how to register on G5 here.

Discretionary Construction Program Now Accepting Applications

Grant applications for FY 2023 Impact Aid Discretionary Construction awards are now published on Grants.gov (not the Impact Aid Grant System or G5).  The application deadline is May 15, 2023 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time.  We provide copies of related forms, instructions, and training materials on our Resources page.  All necessary, completed forms must be uploaded and submitted via Grants.gov before the deadline in order to be considered.

Discretionary Construction grant funding is available to LEAs who receive heavily impacted funds or meet requirements related to bonding capacity and have at least 50% of their membership either living on Indian lands or with a parent in the Uniformed Services, based on the LEA’s FY 2023 application for Section 7003.  Eligible applicants must also have an educational facility with an emergency health and safety condition.  Please review the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for detailed eligibility criteria and application submission information.  The NIA also outlines how each application will be scored and ranked for funding under this competitive program.

We encourage interested applicants to join us for a pre-application webinar on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time/11 a.m. Pacific Time.  Please register for the webinar here.  We will post the slides on the Resources page after the presentation.

 

March 2023 News You Can Use

FY 2024 Monitoring Notifications

Monitoring notifications for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 application have been emailed to certain 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 webinars will specifically focus on providing monitoring assistance to districts that were selected for monitoring. Registration links for those webinars have been sent out in the monitoring notices.   

IAGS Account Deactivation Warnings

This month, we are sending every active Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) user an email reminder that their account will be deactivated if the password has not been changed in the last 120 days.  Unfortunately, we are unable to send a targeted email to users who are in danger of being deactivated soon.  You may have received this message twice this week, and we regret this error.  It is a legitimate message, and you will not receive another reminder until June. 

 Late FY 2024 Applications

Did you miss the application deadline?  There is still time to apply for Impact Aid!  The FY 2024 late application deadline for Section 7002 and Section 7003 is April 3, 2023.  Late applications are assessed a 10% payment penalty. 

 Amending FY 2024 Applications

Do you need to amend your original application submission?  To start an amendment, log in to the Impact Aid Grant System, navigate to the local educational agency (LEA) summary page, and locate the section labeled “Applications.”  Select the FY 2024 application submission and at the application summary page, click the button “Start a 7002 or 7003 Amendment”.  For step-by-step instructions, watch our instructional video on Starting an Application Amendment. The deadline to submit an amendment is June 30, 2023. 

 FY 2021 Final Payments

In the coming weeks Impact Aid will provide an update regarding the status and timeline for final payments for FY 2021.

 FY 2023 Initial Payments

To date, Impact Aid has released initial payments at a 50% proration and $500 per weighted student unit for Children with Disabilities (CWD) to all eligible districts. Next, we will begin processing interim payments at 90% proration and CWD at a weighted student unit rate of $1,050.

NEW RESOURCE: Section 7003 Videos

In case you are unable to join us for one of our free webinars, we have recorded six short presentations covering the important parts of our two most popular sessions: the Section 7003 Overview and How to Conduct a Survey.  Check them out here.  Each video has related resource links at the bottom and a transcript if you prefer to read the narration.

We will continue to offer webinars that will go into each topic in depth and answer your questions, however the videos are the next best thing if you can’t come or just need a high level overview.

School Year 2022-23 Impact Aid Training Webinars

Below are the webinars that the Impact Aid Program will be giving for the first half of school year 2022-23.  Classes are free and registration is required.

After registering, you will receive a calendar invitation in your email with a Microsoft Teams link to join.  Please mute your microphone and video during the training.  You can use the chat box to ask questions and communicate with the presenter.

Slides: The Resources page has PDF or PowerPoint copies of the slide decks for most sessions.

Find session descriptions and registration links by clicking the headers below. 

Webinar Topic Date Time (Eastern) Time (Pacific) Registration Link
IAGS Navigation for LEA Users 9/21/2022 3:00pm 12:00pm Direct Link (No Registration)
How To Conduct A Survey (Section 7003) 9/28/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
GCD and Heavily Impacted Data Submissions (for SEA) 9/29/2022 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
Electronic Data Collection 10/5/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
Overview of Section 7002 10/6/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
Overview of Section 7003 10/13/2022 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
Regulatory Requirements for Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs) 10/18/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
How To Conduct A Survey (Section 7003) 10/26/2022 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
The Section 7003 Payment Formula 11/3/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
Electronic Data Collection 11/14/2022 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
Regulatory Requirements for Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs) 11/16/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
IAGS Navigation for LEA Users 12/8/2022 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
Overview of Section 7003 12/15/2022 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
IAGS Navigation for LEA Users 1/11/2023 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
Ask an Analyst – Open Q&A Session 1/19/2023 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
Ask an Analyst – Open Q&A Session 1/24/2023 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
Ask an Analyst – Open Q&A Session 1/25/2023 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here
 
We will focus on the requirements for the annual Impact Aid survey that school districts use to count Federally connected children. The survey must be completed before the LEA submits the Section 7003 grant application due January 31.
DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
9/28/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here
10/26/20223:00pm12:00pmRegister Here

This training is for State Educational Agency staff.  Annually, the Impact Aid Program requests data from State Educational Agencies that may be used to increase the payment to certain school districts in the state. This webinar will cover the data needed from states to provide a “generally comparable district” (GCD) local contribution rate increase and a “heavily impacted” payment increase under Section 7003(b)(2).

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
9/29/20223:00pm12:00pmRegister Here

We will provide an overview of the Electronic Data Collection pilot process for LEAs interested in leveraging a parent portal or other software to conduct the Impact Aid survey online. The focus will be on the system requirements for producing survey data that is compliant with the program statute and regulations.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
10/5/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here
11/14/20223:00pm12:00pmRegister Here

We will provide an overview of the data necessary to submit the annual Section 7002 grant application, as well as the payment calculation. Section 7002 school districts receive funds based on the number of eligible Federal acres within their boundaries. If you apply for Impact Aid based solely on a count of Federally connected children, this session is not for you.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
10/6/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here

We will give a broad overview of all aspects of the Section 7003 program (Payments for Federally Connected Children), including the data collection process, application submission, review timeline, and payment information. This session is particularly targeted to those who are brand new to Impact Aid and need to know a little bit of everything.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
10/13/20223:00pm12:00pmRegister Here
12/15/20223:00pm12:00pmRegister Here

LEAs claiming children living on Indian lands on the Section 7003 application must have Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs) or a waiver updated annually.  This session will cover the requirements in the Impact Aid program regulations related to IPPs and waivers.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
10/18/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here
11/16/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here

This webinar will take attendees step-by-step through the Section 7003 formula payment calculation and show you how to find the data inputs on your payment voucher. The session is particularly useful for LEAs who need to estimate future Impact Aid payments as part of their budgeting process.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
11/3/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here

This webinar will provide a basic orientation to the Impact Aid Grant System, including account setup. We will address common questions such as how to find a payment voucher, see your application’s status, start and sign an application, and complete assigned tasks.

DateTime (Eastern)Time (Pacific)Registration Link
9/21/223:00pm12:00pmDirect Link Here (No Registration Required)
12/8/20222:00pm11:00amRegister Here
1/11/20233:00pm12:00pmRegister Here
These sessions are open “office hours” with no particular agenda. Impact Aid applications are due January 31. Bring your questions!
Date Time (Eastern) Time (Pacific) Registration Link
1/19/2023 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
1/24/2023 2:00pm 11:00am Register Here
1/25/2023 3:00pm 12:00pm Register Here

Upcoming Payment Schedule

Local educational agencies (LEAs) eligible for a formula construction payment because they have at least 50% of their membership either living on Indian lands or with a parent in the uniformed services will receive an initial fiscal year (FY) 2022 formula construction payment in August at the latest, per the usual summer schedule.

Because of the Flexibility and Coronavirus Relief Acts allowing LEAs to use data from one survey on the FYs 2021-2023 applications, we need to finish the monitoring process for FY 2023 before we can safely say what the correct data is for FYs 2021 and 2022 applications.  Thus, we need to calculate the final payments for those years later than usual, in Fall/Winter 2022.

Initial payments for FY 2023 will go out as usual after the Federal FY starts on October 1, contingent on the timing of appropriated funds.  LEAs who rely heavily on Impact Aid funds to meet current expenditures can request an early payment in IAGS in case there’s a continuing resolution that delays the final appropriation.

Update: The current continuing resolution for FY 2023 expires December 16, 2022.

New Log In Screen

Soon, the Impact Aid Grant System will prompt users to chose their user type when logging in.  Please choose the option for Local Educational Agency and State Users.  This will allow you to log in with your username and password as usual.  Once you make this selection, the system will remember your browser and device and you will not be prompted again.

Screenshot of Log In Selection screen with Local Educational Agency and State User Log In highlighted.

If you make the wrong selection, you will need to clear your browser history and cache in order to see the prompt again and make the correct selection.  In most browsers, holding down the CTRL + SHIFT + DEL keys at the same time will bring up the window that will allow you to clear your history and cache.  After clearing, refresh your browser window and navigate to the log in screen to see the prompt.

Amendments under the Flexibility Act for FY 2023

It is now possible to submit an amended application in the Impact Aid Grant System where your LEA can opt to apply under the Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act.  For information on how to do so, please review the following training pages:

  • How to Submit an Amendment
    • You must complete the signature task for the amendment to be finalized and submitted.
    • You will not see the changes reflected on your application record until your assigned analyst approves the change, so you may want to print a copy of your amendment before you submit it. You will receive an email when the analysts reviews your changes and accepts them.
  • Instructions for applying under the Supplemental Flexibility Act
    • Some sections and fields, such as the Expenditures for CWD and IPP uploads should not change under the Flexibility Act. Review the instructions if you are not sure which data should be copied from your LEA’s FY 2022 application.

The deadline to submit an amendment is June 30, 2022, however we encourage you to submit amendments under the Flexibility Act as soon as practicable.  Amendments that are submitted now are more likely to be ready for payment when FY 2023 starts on October 1, 2022.

Should my local educational agency (LEA) apply under the Flexibility Act?

On February 25, 2022, we emailed contact persons and core users directly if their LEA did not apply under the Flexibility Act and it looked advantageous for them to do so based on the survey data submitted on their FY 2023 application.

It will likely be advantageous for an LEA to apply under the Flexibility Act if the Weighted Student Units (WSUs) on the FY 2022 application are higher than the WSUs on the FY 2023 application.  WSUs are the weights applied to each category of Federally connected children in the payment formula.  For example, children living on Indian lands are paid at a rate of 1.25 while children living in Federal low rent housing are paid at a rate of 0.10.  Please see the Maximum Basic Support Payment calculation explainer for more information on the factors for each category.  The WSUs for categories F and G are not included if your LEA does not have at least 10% or 1,000 in Average Daily Attendance in those two categories combined.

 

Erroneous late messages

We are aware that the IAGS started to notify users that their application was late at 7 p.m. Eastern time this evening.  Applications submitted between 7 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on January 31, 2022 are not late.  We will address this system bug tomorrow and make sure all applications that were timely filed do not have the associated payment penalty.

INSTRUCTIONS: Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act

S.2959, the Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act became law on January 21, 2022. The Impact Aid Program is launching the ability for you to apply this flexibility to your fiscal year (FY) 2023 grant application in the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS) on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

Instructions are below for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) who have not yet submitted an application.  You do not need to delete or restart your unsubmitted application in order to see the Flexibility Act checkbox under the Membership and ADA section of the 7003 application or on the first page of the 7002 application.  In addition, the Section 7003 instructions document answers common questions about the survey documentation that your LEA will need to submit if you use the flexibility and your FY 2023 application is selected for a review.

The application deadline remains January 31, 2022 at 11:59 PM Eastern time.

LEAs that have already submitted the application will be able to submit an amendment if they wish to use student count data from their FY 2022 application when calculating their FY 2023 payment.

Webinars

The Impact Aid Program Office is offering three “Ask an Analyst” sessions before the application deadline of January 31, 2022. The sessions on January 25, 26, and 27 have no agenda and are open to all application-related questions, including those concerning the procedures above. Go to the webinar announcement page for the scheduled dates and times and the Microsoft Teams link.  Registration is not required to attend these sessions.

FY 2023 Impact Aid Applications Now Available

The Impact Aid section 7002 and section 7003 applications for Fiscal Year 2023 are now available online in the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS). The application submission deadline for the Section 7002 and Section 7003 applications is January 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. We urge you to begin working on your application well before the deadline. Do not wait until the last minute.

Section 7002 applicants receive grant funds based on the number of eligible Federal acres within their school district boundaries. Section 7003 applicants receive grant funds based on the number of Federally connected children they educate. If your local educational agency (LEA) receives Impact Aid funds under both sections of the law, you must complete and submit both applications.  Unlike last year, LEAs must apply using current school year data.  LEAs applying for Section 7003 must do a survey this year, and LEAs applying for Section 7002 must use their current year assessed value and tax rate information.

Log in to the Impact Aid Grant System to start your application. You will find the link to start your application on the Home page. Any user with application editor privileges can start and edit the application, and then submit it forward to those with signature privileges. Signatories will receive a task in the IAGS to review the application and assurances and submit. The application is not complete until the signature task is submitted.

We have a number of helpful tools available on our IAGS Training and Resources pages to help you submit your application. In particular, please review the Section 7002 Application Instructions and Section 7003 Application Instructions. If you need a refresher on IAGS account set up and how to complete an application, see our new slide deck, A Guide to Submitting a 7003 Application in the IAGS.

If you have not changed your IAGS password within the last 120 days, your system account is deactivated and you will not be able to reset your password. 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 use the “Forgot your password?” link to set up a new password and gain entry to the system. Each year, some applicants wait until the last minute to apply and find that they can’t log in due to a deactivated account. Applications submitted after the deadline, but before April 1, 2022 incur a 10 percent payment reduction penalty. Don’t let this happen to you!

Update on Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act (S. 2959)

Proposed legislation that would permit LEAs to use certain information from their FY 2022 application on the FY 2023 application has passed the Senate and the House has not yet acted. Should this legislation be signed into law, the timing of the enactment will determine the logistics of its implementation. The application deadline remains January 31, 2022, and if they have not already completed a survey for this school year, Section 7003 LEAs should plan to do so as soon as possible to ensure they do not miss that deadline. We will provide more detailed information related to the pending legislation when we know it. Currently we plan that if enactment occurs before the deadline, we are prepared to act within days to update the application and application instructions. Any LEA may amend their application after submitted until June 30, 2022. This includes an LEA that timely submits its application before enactment, and an LEA that timely submits its application but enactment occurs after the January 31, 2022 deadline.

Initial Payments and Continuing Resolution for FY 2022

Many LEAs are asking when they can expect to receive an initial FY 2022 Impact Aid payment.

The Department of Education is operating under a continuing resolution for FY 2022. The current continuing resolution expires February 18, 2022.

A continuing resolution is legislation enacted by Congress to allow government operations to continue until the regular appropriations are enacted.  The Department has received a small percentage of what it is likely to receive for FY 2022 in order to make initial payments.

Because the full appropriation is not available, we are currently making payments only to LEAs who need Impact Aid funds to meet operational expenses. If your LEA requires an initial payment before March 2022, please submit an Early Payment Request in the IAGS.

Discretionary Construction Grant Applications Now Available

Grant applications for FY 2021 Impact Aid Discretionary Construction awards are now published on Grants.gov.  The application deadline is September 13, 2021 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern time.  We have posted related forms and materials on our Resources page.

Discretionary Construction grant funding is available to LEAs who meet requirements related to bonding capacity and who have at least 50% of their membership either living on Indian lands or with a parent in the Uniformed Services.  Eligible applicants must also have an educational facility with an emergency health and safety condition.  Please review the Notice Inviting Applications for detailed eligibility information.

We encourage interested applicants to join us for a pre-application webinar on Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 1:00 Eastern time. Click here to join the meeting, or join by phone at 202-991-0393, conference code 968 040 340#.  We will post the slides on the Resources page after the presentation.

FY 2022 Applications Open and Coronavirus Relief Act

The Impact Aid Program is pleased to announce that the Section 7002 and Section 7003 applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 are now available in the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS). The deadline is Monday, February 1, 2021 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern time.  Late applications will receive a ten percent penalty on all payments arising from the application, so please file early.

On Friday, December 4, 2020 the President signed H.R. 8472, the Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act (the Act).  For FY 2022, the Act permits Section 7003 applicants the flexibility to use student count data from their reviewed prior year application, or apply as usual, using student count data from the 2020-2021 school year.  Section 7002 LEAs may submit the same reviewed application data used on the FY 2021 application, or apply as usual.

Instructions for taking advantage of this new option, including how to find a copy of your LEA’s FY 2021 application, are available below:

The Sec. 7003 User Guide explains which portions of the application are subject to the new flexibility.

Training Reminder

We will be hosting several trainings in the coming weeks. The upcoming “Ask An Analyst” sessions provide an open opportunity for LEAs to ask questions and receive assistance on completing the application.

Surveys for the 2020-2021 School Year

Many LEAs have expressed concerns about lower response rates on the required annual survey of Federally connected students for the FY 2022 Section 7003 grant application due to the COVID-19 pandemic. LEAs must conduct surveys after the fourth day of school and before January 31 (34 CFR 222.33).  In light of these concerns, the Impact Aid Program is providing a summary of available survey options, including electronic options, that are currently permissible under the statute and program regulations.

If you have any questions, please contact your State analyst or email Impact.Aid@ed.gov.

Early Payment Requests

If your LEA will require an FY 2021 initial Impact Aid payment before December 30, 2020 in order to meet operational expenses, you can now request an expedited payment through the Impact Aid Grant System.  Click this link for instructions.