Applying for a Grant

TEA awards formula and discretionary grants, as authorized through federal and state legislation, to non-federal entities such as local educational agencies (LEAs), including school districts and charter schools; education service centers (ESCs); institutions of higher education (IHEs); and nonprofit organizations (NPOs).

Types of Grants Administered by TEA

Grant Basics

Grant Opportunities

TEA lists all active and recent educational grants on the TEA Grant Opportunities page. There, all grant-related documents and pertinent information are listed on the individual Request for Application (RFA) page for each grant.

Grants may be announced through email bulletins, Texas Register Notice, or through direct communication to eligible applicants, depending on the type of grant. Interested parties can subscribe for email bulletins by going to the Sign Up for Updates page on the TEA website and selecting Grants from the Finance and Grants category.

Request for Application (RFA)

The RFA describes a grant program and includes guidelines governing the program, eligibility criteria, applicable legal provisions and assurances, due dates, and the grant application with instructions for completing it. Errata notices may also be posted; therefore, applicants are encouraged to check the site periodically for updates. Changes affecting multiple grants may be provided as Universal Errata. Other useful links include:

• Entitlements: Entitlement amounts for TEA's largest active formula-grant programs
• Important Dates for Federal Grants: A quick look at current key application dates for ESSA, Special Education (Federal and State), and Perkins

Grantees must comply with all RFA requirements to ensure that grant funds are expended in accordance with the defined purpose and goals of the grant program. Applicants are responsible for meeting all listed deadlines.

The Application Process

eGrants Applications — Completion and Submission

An eGrants application is an online grant application that is published through TEA’s electronic grants system, eGrants. This system stores the application and related amendments, special collections, and reports. It also provides links to grant-related documents included on the grant’s TEA Grant Opportunities page. Within eGrants, there are many Help or Instruction buttons to guide applicants in completing specific sections or pages of the application.

Before an eligible applicant can complete an application in the eGrants system, grant staff responsible for completing, submitting, and certifying the application must have a TEA Login (TEAL) account. To request a new TEAL account, go to the TEA Login page and click “Request a New User Account.” From within TEAL, authorized grantee approvers can assign user roles for staff members.

To submit an eGrants Application: An authorized grantee official must Certify and Submit the application electronically within the eGrants system on the GS2000 application page.

PDF Applications — Completion and Submission

The PDF application process requires eligible applicants to download the two-part application from the TEA Grant Opportunities page and complete it electronically. Part 1 is an Adobe PDF template, and Part 2 is a Microsoft Excel budget template. Some formula grants and most discretionary grants (including most competitive) use PDF applications.

Competitive Grants: Refer to the RFA for specific instructions related to competitive grants. A complete description of general competitive-grant processes can be found in the General and Fiscal Guidelines.

To submit a PDF Application:

Application Review and Negotiation

Before TEA awards funding of any type, the grant application is reviewed for compliance with all grant requirements and to check that costs are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and necessary. The applicant may be asked to update elements of the application in order to meet requirements. In those cases, TEA grant negotiators will provide guidance directly to the applicant.

If TEA determines during the negotiation process that the application is not eligible to be funded, the agency will notify the applicant of its ineligibility for funding. TEA is not responsible for paying for any expenditure incurred by the applicant.

Notice of Grant Award

When TEA and the applicant have negotiated the grant application to approval, TEA awards grant funds by issuing the Notice of Grant Award (NOGA). The NOGA incorporates by reference all guidelines and instructions issued by TEA in the RFA as well as the negotiated application, and it constitutes the binding agreement between TEA and the applicant. The NOGA also identifies the start and end of dates of the grant program period. Along with the NOGA, the grantee receives a document called Supplement to the NOGA. This document provides more information about the grant being awarded.

Grants awarded by TEA are published on the Grants Awarded Data page.

Next Steps

Administering a Grant  Amending an Application

Need Assistance?

For assistance with an application, contact the grant negotiator for your region, or visit the following resources for additional guidance and information.

FAQs Grant Resources