The Department administers grant funding programs that fulfill its mission to promote student achievement and foster educational excellence.
Discretionary grant funds are awarded through a competitive process based on program eligibility and statutory requirements to:
For more detailed information please see the Department's Discretionary Grantmaking at ED: Answers to Your Questions About the Discretionary Grants Process where you can find a nontechnical summary of the Department's discretionary grants process and the statutes and regulations that govern it. The reader should not rely on it as the sole source of information about matters of discretionary grant application, review, award, administration, closeout, or audit at the Department. Specific rules that apply to the Department's programs are contained in the appropriate statutes, notices, application information, and guidance issued by the Department for each program, and in the regulations in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR 200) and Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (Education Department General Administrative Regulations — EDGAR). This document is intended for individuals and organizations that are interested in applying to the Department for discretionary grants and cooperative agreements, have received an award, or would like to know more about the Department's discretionary grants process.
Resources
Please visit the Department's Manage Your Grant website for additional information on how to manage grant funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. This page provides links to memoranda and guidance, regulations, financial requirements, and other policies that pertain to discretionary grants.
The Department has developed pre-award and post-award training to ensure all grant recipients have the information they need to successfully manage their awards. Both trainings below provide valuable information to grantees that can be utilized throughout the life of the grant.
Course Description: This 30-minute course provides an overview of the information you need to successfully implement and manage your grant, including different types of grants you may be awarded. The course identifies resources and processes that may be used throughout the grant management process. This course also provides information about how the Department will monitor your grant to help you ensure success!
Course Objectives:
Course Description: This 45-minute course provides an overview of discretionary grant recipients' responsibilities for grant administration and introduces references and additional resources that are available to support grantees. The course provides key information that can be found in the Grant Award Notification, addresses how to apply the cash management requirements when drawing down funds, addresses the Department's Monitoring Practices, explains when administrative changes require approval, explains when an independent audit is required, explains common audit findings, and explains the requirements for performance reporting and records retention.
Course Objectives:
