Federal Funding Snapshot
The federal government provides funding to schools through its primary agency, the U.S. Department of Education.
Sources of Funding
The main sources of federal education funding programs for states and school communities and the principal purpose of each program are:
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Supplements state and local resources and supports students from low-income families and low-achieving schools.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Supports students with disabilities, special education and related services.
- Emergency/Critical Needs: Relief stimulus packages and emergency funds when critical needs arise.
Federal Grants
Federal funding comes from two kinds of grants, and different rules govern how the funds may be spent:
- Formula grants: Determined by Congress, allocated to states, then funds are granted to school communities without an application process.
- Discretionary grants: Awarded using a competitive grant application process for states and school communities.
ESSER K-12 Emergency Relief Funds
The one-time ESSER funds are key to helping your K–12 school community with in-person, distance, or hybrid learning and building sustainable plans to accelerate learning. Over $190 billion in ESSER funds have been awarded to states and districts through the three relief packages.
ARP Act: ARP ESSER (ESSER III) Fund
$122.8B* awarded
Provides additional emergency relief funding to States and school districts to safely reopen schools, address learning loss through the implementations of evidence-based interventions and activities for students’ academic, social and emotional needs, purchase education technology and offer summer learning, extended day/year programs and afterschool programs.
CRRSA Act: ESSER II Fund
$54.3B* awarded
Provides additional emergency relief funding to states and school districts to address and measure learning loss, purchase education technology, offer summer and after-school programs, and safely re-open schools.
CARES Act: ESSER I Fund
$13.23B* awarded
Provides emergency relief funding opportunities for immediate needs, such as tools and resources for distance education that address low-income students’ unique needs, students with disabilities, ELs, and other high-need students.
*These numbers are approximate
There are various allowable uses for the ESSER funds: ESSER I, ESSER II, ESSER III. We are highlighting the most common uses by districts and schools.
Personnel
Safety
Supplies
Hunger
Distance Learning
Connectivity
Family Services
Mental Health
Professional Development
Summer School + After School
Software Purchases
Devices
School Facilities
Air Quality
Learning Loss
Non-Public Schools: Emergency Relief Funding
Each emergency relief package created a separate fund or program to meet the most critical needs of PreK-12 students and teachers in eligible non-public schools. Over $8 billion has been directed to the USED’s Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) for eligible non-public schools through equitable services and/or assistance from State Governors and/or the respective State Education Agency (SEA).
ARP Act: EANS II
$2.75B* awarded
The ARP EANS II grant program’s purpose is to extend the services and assistance provided to eligible non-public elementary and secondary schools to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on non-public school students and teachers. This is a highly competitive grant program.
CRRSA ACT: GEER II Fund | EANS I
$4.05B* total awarded
$1.3B (GEER II)
$2.75B (EANS I)
Under CRRSA, $4.05 billion was allocated GEER II. From those funds, $2.75 billion was allocated specifically for non-public schools through the EANS I grant program. The remaining $1.3 billion of funds are to be used to supplement the GEER II funds awarded to each State and at the governor’s discretion.
The EANS I grant program’s purpose is to provide services or assistance to eligible non-public schools to address the impact that the COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on eligible non-public school students and teachers in the State.
CARES Act: ESSER I Fund | GEER I Fund
$2.95B* awarded
Non-public schools are eligible to receive funds under both the ESSER I and GEER I as LEAs are required to provide equitable services to students and teachers in non-public schools. An LEA must determine the proportional share available to provide equitable services to non-public school students and teachers in accordance with Title I under ESEA. For more information on equitable services, click here.
Annual Federal Programs
Federal funding and its processes can be complex, as there are more than 30 federal grant programs for education. Primarily, the federal government provides funding to all states on an annual basis through formula grants. Here are some of the most common funds used to support Edgenuity core and supplemental solutions and professional development offerings.
For more information on annual federal formula grants, click here.
| Program | Program Snapshot | Annual Funds* |
|---|---|---|
| Title I: Part A | Economically Disadvantaged | $16B |
| Title II: Part A | Professional Development | $2B |
| Title III: Part A | English Language Learners | $737M |
| Title IV: Part A | Student Support and Academic Achievement | $1.1B |
| IDEA | Special Education and Students with Disabilities | $13.4B |
| Perkins/CTE | Career and Technical Education | $1.26B |
*Rounded. Source: Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 – click here.
Title I: Economically Disadvantaged
- $16B* per year
- Largest federal funding program
- Focused on improving the academic achievement of disadvantaged students
- Title I (Part A): Provides funding to schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families to ensure that all students meet challenging state academic standards.
- Title I (Part A, Section 1003g): Provides funding to the lowest-performing schools to raise students’ achievement.
- Find more information here.
Title II: Professional Development for Educators
- $2B* per year
- Provides funding to support effective instruction and improve the quality of educators and administrators
- Increases student achievement consistent with challenging state academic standards
- Find more information on Title II here.
Title III: English Language Learners
- $737M* per year
- Title III (Part A) provides funding to schools to advance the education of English Learners (ELs), ensuring these students can achieve English language proficiency while meeting academic standards
- Find more information here.
Title IV: Student Support and Academic Achievement
- Title IV (Part A) provides funding opportunities for students to have access to a well-rounded education, improve the use of technology for student achievement, and improve engagement in STEM activities.
- $1.17B* per year
- Title IV (Part B) provides funding opportunities for a wide array of activities to advance student achievement, such as after-school programs, summer school programs, digital learning, family involvement, and other forms of learning and remediation beyond the traditional school day.
- $1.2B* per year
- Find more information here.
IDEA: Special Education & Students with Disabilities
- $13.45B* per year
- Second largest federal funding program
- Provides funding opportunities for the education of students with special needs and disabilities, supports early intervention, and improves the use of technology in the classroom for special education.
- Find more information here.
Perkins V: Career and Technical Education
- $1.26B* per year
- Provides funding opportunities for career and technical education to prepare students for careers in current or emerging professions, industry sectors, or occupations, technical skill proficiency, prerequisite courses or postsecondary credentials, career exploration at high school or middle school levels, work-based or other applied learning opportunities, dual or concurrent enrollment program opportunities, and postsecondary credits.
- Find more information here.
*These numbers are approximate
Meet your school community’s needs with funding.
All Edgenuity solutions meet the ESSA evidence standards and can be used for your implementations of evidence-based interventions, activities, and programs.
