Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 051326 001
OSERS-OSEP: Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships (ALN 84.325J) is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary grant competition run through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It sits under the broader Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program, which is aimed at helping states tackle persistent personnel shortages in special education and early intervention and strengthening the quality of preparation for those serving infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. The core idea is to increase the supply of well-prepared professionals while ensuring their training reflects scientifically based research and equips them to succeed in real-world service settings.
This specific competition focuses on expanding and improving career pathways by using Registered Apprenticeship approaches to recruit, prepare, and retain special education teachers and/or early intervention personnel. The Department is emphasizing apprenticeships because they are designed to tightly connect structured training with paid, work-based learning, making preparation more accessible and more immediately relevant to day-to-day practice. For special education and early intervention, where effectiveness depends heavily on supervised practice, coaching, and integration with local service delivery systems, a registered apprenticeship model is positioned as a way to build skills while participants are embedded in schools or early intervention programs. The opportunity also highlights alignment with local and state labor needs, treating workforce shortages as a systemic issue that requires preparation pathways closely linked to employer demand.
Awards are made as cooperative agreements, which generally means the Department expects substantial involvement in the project beyond typical grant monitoring, often including collaboration on implementation, learning, or technical expectations. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000 and anticipates making about 7 awards. The posted closing date is July 13, 2026. The funding opportunity number is ED GRANTS 051326 001, and the program is identified under Assistance Listing Number 84.325J.
Eligibility is intentionally narrow and state-centered. Eligible applicants are state educational agencies (SEAs) and other public state agencies, including IDEA Part C lead agencies and state apprenticeship agencies. To meet the absolute priority, the applicant must be a state agency; if the applicant is not the SEA or the IDEA Part C lead agency, it must partner with the SEA or the IDEA Part C lead agency to carry out the project. The notice also makes clear that, under 20 U.S.C. 1461(b)(2), local educational agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education (IHEs), and public charter schools are not eligible to apply on their own, even though they may often be critical partners in apprenticeship design and delivery.
Applicants are instructed to follow the Department’s 2025 Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (Federal Register, August 29, 2025, 90 FR 42234). The notice also encourages applicants to use the federal definitions and frameworks associated with Registered Apprenticeship Programs, referencing 5 CFR 362.102 and 29 CFR part 29 as key regulatory touchpoints. For organizations that do not regularly apply for federal education discretionary grants, the Department points applicants to its “Getting Started with Discretionary Grant Applications” resource to navigate expectations around formatting, required components, and submission processes.Apply for ED GRANTS 051326 001
- The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OSERS-OSEP: Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.325J" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.325.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-13.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this grant opportunity called?
The opportunity is titled: OSERS-OSEP: Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships (ALN 84.325J).
2) Which federal office is running this competition?
It is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary grant competition run through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), specifically the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
3) What larger program does this competition fall under?
This competition sits under the broader program: Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities.
4) What is the main purpose of the broader Personnel Development program?
The broader program is aimed at helping states address persistent personnel shortages in special education and early intervention, while strengthening the quality of preparation for those serving infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
5) What is the main focus of this specific competition?
This competition focuses on expanding and improving career pathways by using Registered Apprenticeship approaches to recruit, prepare, and retain special education teachers and/or early intervention personnel.
6) Why is the Department emphasizing Registered Apprenticeships for this work?
Registered Apprenticeships are emphasized because they are intended to tightly connect structured training with paid, work-based learning. The model is described as a way to make preparation more accessible and immediately relevant to real-world practice, particularly in roles where effectiveness depends heavily on supervised practice, coaching, and integration with local service delivery systems.
7) Which workforce groups are specifically targeted?
The opportunity targets special education teachers and early intervention personnel.
8) How does this grant connect to state and local workforce needs?
The opportunity highlights alignment with local and state labor needs and treats workforce shortages as a systemic issue that requires preparation pathways closely linked to employer demand.
9) What type of award is expected (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
Awards are made as cooperative agreements. This generally means the Department expects substantial involvement in the project beyond typical grant monitoring, often including collaboration on implementation, learning, or other technical expectations.
10) What is the maximum award amount?
The notice lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000.
11) About how many awards does the Department expect to make?
The Department anticipates making about 7 awards.
12) What is the application deadline?
The posted closing date is July 13, 2026.
13) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is ED GRANTS 051326 001.
14) What is the Assistance Listing Number (ALN) for this program?
The program is identified under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.325J.
15) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is state-centered. Eligible applicants are state educational agencies (SEAs) and other public state agencies, including IDEA Part C lead agencies and state apprenticeship agencies.
16) What does the absolute priority require regarding the applicant type?
To meet the absolute priority, the applicant must be a state agency.
17) If a state agency applies but is not the SEA or IDEA Part C lead agency, is a partnership required?
Yes. If the applicant is not the SEA or the IDEA Part C lead agency, it must partner with the SEA or the IDEA Part C lead agency to carry out the project.
18) Can a local educational agency (LEA) apply directly?
No. The notice states that, under 20 U.S.C. 1461(b)(2), local educational agencies (LEAs) are not eligible to apply on their own.
19) Can an institution of higher education (IHE) apply directly?
No. The notice states that, under 20 U.S.C. 1461(b)(2), institutions of higher education (IHEs) are not eligible to apply on their own.
20) Can a public charter school apply directly?
No. The notice states that, under 20 U.S.C. 1461(b)(2), public charter schools are not eligible to apply on their own.
21) If LEAs, IHEs, and charter schools cannot apply on their own, can they still be involved?
Yes. The notice indicates that while they are not eligible to apply independently, these entities may often be critical partners in apprenticeship design and delivery.
22) What application instructions are applicants told to follow?
Applicants are instructed to follow the Department’s 2025 Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (Federal Register, August 29, 2025, 90 FR 42234).
23) Which federal Registered Apprenticeship definitions or frameworks are referenced?
The notice encourages applicants to use federal definitions and frameworks associated with Registered Apprenticeship Programs, referencing 5 CFR 362.102 and 29 CFR part 29.
24) Is there a resource mentioned for organizations newer to federal discretionary grants?
Yes. The Department points applicants to its resource: "Getting Started with Discretionary Grant Applications", to help navigate expectations around formatting, required components, and submission processes.
25) What is the core theory of change implied by this competition?
Based on the description provided, the core idea is to increase the supply of well-prepared professionals by pairing structured training with paid, supervised work-based learning, so participants build skills while embedded in real service settings (schools or early intervention programs), with preparation aligned to scientifically based research and workforce demand.
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