Welcome to Title IV-A

1. Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities - Assurance A

Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Improving access to foreign language instruction, arts, and music education
• Supporting college and career counseling, including providing information on opportunities for financial aid through the early FAFSA
• Providing programming to improve instruction and student engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including computer science, and increasing access to these subjects for underrepresented groups
• Promoting access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools for identified low-income students
• Strengthening instruction in American history, civics, economics, geography, government education, and environmental education

(ESEA section 4107)

Key Questions for Activities to Support Well-Rounded Education

May an LEA use funds to pay for accelerated learning examinations taken by low-income students during the 2016-2017 school year? Yes. Under the special rule in section 4107(b) of the ESEA, an LEA may use FY 17 funds to cover part or all of the fees for AP, IB, or other accelerated learning examinations taken by low-income students in both the 2016-2017 school year and 2017-2018 school year.

 Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants

2. Safe and Healthy Students - Assurance B

Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Promoting community and parent involvement in schools
• Providing school-based mental health services and counseling
• Promoting supportive school climates to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and promoting supportive school climates
• Establishing or improving dropout prevention
• Supporting re-entry programs and transition services for justice- involved youth
• Implementing programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle (nutritional and physical education)
• Implementing systems and practices to prevent bullying and harassment
• Developing relationship building skills to help improve safety through the recognition and prevention of coercion, violence, or abuse
• Establishing community partnerships

 (ESEA section 4108)

Key Questions for Activities to Support Safe and Healthy Students

• Can the SSAE program funds be used to develop and implement emergency operations plans? Yes. Any activity that fosters safe, healthy, supportive, and drug-free environments that supports student academic achievement, including the development and implementation of an emergency operations plan, is allowable under section 4108.
• Pay for Success initiatives are an allowable activity under the SSAE program. What is a Pay for Success initiative? ESEA section 8101(40) defines "pay for success initiative" as a performance-based grant, contract, or cooperative agreement awarded by a public entity in which a commitment is made to pay for improved outcomes that result in social benefit and direct cost savings or cost avoidance to the public sector.57 Pay for Success initiatives may be particularly well- suited to interventions that improve the health and safety of students due to the cost savings often associated with improved outcomes. For additional information please see the Department’s web page on Pay for Success.

Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants

3. Effective Use of Technology - Assurance C

Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting high-quality professional development for educators, school leaders, and administrators to personalize learning and improve academic achievement
• Building technological capacity and infrastructure
• Carrying out innovative blended learning projects
• Providing students in rural, remote, and underserved areas with the resources to benefit from high-quality digital learning opportunities
• Delivering specialized or rigorous academic courses and curricula using technology, including digital learning technologies and assistive technology

(ESEA section 4109)

Key Questions for Activities to Support the Effective Use of Educational Technology

• What is the scope and applicability of the Special Rule in section 4109(b)? At least 85 percent of the educational technology funds must be used to support professional learning to enable the effective use of educational technology. LEAs or consortiums of LEAs may not spend more than 15 percent of funding in this section on devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases. Specifically, the statute states that LEAs may not use more than 15 percent for purchasing technology infrastructure as described in section 4109 (a)(2)(B) which states: "purchasing devices, equipment, and software applications to address readiness shortfalls" and in section 4109 (a)(4)(A) which states: "blended learning technology software and platforms, the purchase of digital instructional resources, initial professional development activities, and one-time information technology purchases."

Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants

Allocations

Title IV-A allocations for LEAs are calculated by formula, based on the proportion of those LEAs’ prior year’s Title I, Part A allocation. SEAs are further required to ensure no LEA receives an allocation less than $10,000 (minus any required Maintenance of Effort reductions), and must ratably reduce LEAs accordingly to ensure the minimum amount requirement is met.

• FY23 Title IV-A Allocations Final
• FY22 Title IV-A Allocations Final
• FY21 Title IV-A Allocations Final
• FY20  Title IV-A Allocations Final
• FY19 Title IV-A Allocations Final
• FY18 Title IV-A Allocations 01-05-2018

Reference: Subgranting FY2017 Title IV-A Funds to LEAs: Questions and Answers

Public View of Approved ESEA Applications

Eligibility 

To be eligible to receive an allocation under the Title IV-A Student Support & Academic Enrichment grant, a local educational agency (LEA) must have received Title I-A funding through an application approved in the prior school year.

Consortiums

LEAs may choose to submit an application as part of a consortium. LEAs seeking to use this option must contact [email protected] for next steps.

Reference: ESSA Sec. 4105 [20 U.S.C. 7115]

Transferability Options
 

Under the ESEA, LEAs may transfer funds they receive by formula under certain programs to other programs to better address State and local needs. The ESSA amended the transferability authority by changing the programs from and to which an LEA may transfer funds and removing limits on the amount of funds that may be transferred.

This guidance addresses those changes.Except as provided in this guidance, the Guidance on the Transferability Authority remains applicable.

CARES Act - Transfer Flexibility, April 29, 2020

Programs to which an LEA May Transfer Title IV-A Funds

• Title I, Part A     Improving basic programs operated by LEAs
• Title I, Part C     Education of migratory children
• Title I, Part D     Prevention and intervention programs for children and youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk
• Title II, Part A    Supporting effective instruction state grants
• Title III, Part A   State grants for English language acquisition and language enhancement
• Title IV, Part A   Student support and academic enrichment grants
• Title V, Part B    Rural education (ESEA section 5103(b).) LEAs seeking to use this option must contact Title IV-A staff  for next steps on how to leverage this flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there a limit on the amount of funds an LEA may transfer? No. An LEA may transfer all or a portion of funds it receives under each of the programs listed under T-1, p.39.

2. May an LEA transfer only those funds that are to be used for equitable services to private school students or teachers? No. An LEA may not transfer funds to a particular program solely to provide equitable services for private school students or teachers. Rather, an LEA, after consulting with appropriate private school officials, must provide equitable services to private school students and teachers based on the rules of each program and the total amount of funds available to each program after a transfer. (See ESEA section 5103(e).)

3. What are the responsibilities of an LEA for the provision of equitable services to private school children and teachers with respect to funds being transferred? Excluding Title I, Part D and Title V, Part B, each program covered by the transferability authority is subject to the equitable services requirements under Title I or VIII, which may not be waived. (ESEA section 8401(c)(5).) Before an LEA may transfer funds from a program subject to equitable services requirements, it must engage in timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials. (ESEA section 5103(e)(2).) With respect to the transferred funds, the LEA must provide private school students and teachers equitable services under the program(s) to which, and from which, the funds are transferred, based on the total amount of funds available to each program after the transfer.

Title IV-A funds are designed to provide “…programs and activities to support well-rounded educational experiences to all students.” (Section 4104 State Use of Funds – SSAEG – Title IV, Part A). The law stipulates that students well-rounded education is a civil right and that such activities must be made available to all students. It is best practice to analyze the needs of your LEA through the lens of Title IV-A prior to transferring funds.

How do I Transfer Funds?

1.    Open the ESEA Consolidated Application
2.    Click on Allocations
3.    Scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see all of your LEAs grants
4.    Determine the amount of Title IV money you wish to transfer and to which location(s) (e.g., Title I, Title II, etc.)
5.    On the “From STUDENTSAEG” line, enter the amount you wish to transfer under your intended grant. Once you save & continue, you’ll see that amount deducted from the STUDENTSAEG column and the same amount added to the other funding total.
6.    Save and continue
7.    Finally, amend in the transferred funds to the funding source you choose and update your IAPs to reflect budgeted expenditures for all funding sources.  Note: Approved funds transferred to Title I may not be transferred again later in the year.