Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Office of Indian Education (OIE): Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program: Professional Development Program (PD) Training Grants, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.299B | ED GRANTS 011725 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 011725 002

This funding opportunity is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), through the Office of Indian Education (OIE). It falls under the Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program: Professional Development (PD) Training Grants, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.299B (opportunity number ED GRANTS 011725 002). The overall aim is workforce development in education settings that serve Indian students, with an emphasis on growing the pipeline of qualified Indian professionals. In practical terms, the program is designed to increase the number of qualified Indian individuals working in professions that support Indian students and to provide training and support that helps qualified Indian individuals become teachers and administrators.

The competition is open to several types of applicants, but many applicants must apply as part of a consortium that includes an accredited institution of higher education. Eligible applicants include: institutions of higher education (IHEs), including Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); State educational agencies (SEAs) applying in a consortium with an IHE or TCU; local educational agencies (LEAs) applying in a consortium with an IHE or TCU; Indian Tribes or Indian organizations applying in a consortium with an IHE or TCU; and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools applying in a consortium with at least one TCU where feasible. For BIE-funded schools specifically, eligibility for a pre-service training program requires applying in consortium with an IHE that meets the notice requirements. A key eligibility condition is accreditation: when an IHE or TCU is the applicant (or is required as part of a consortium), that institution must be accredited to provide the coursework and the level of degree (or Native American language certificate) that the proposed project requires.

A central feature of this program is that it supports participants through training assistance, but it also includes structured service obligations often referred to as “payback” requirements. Before a grantee provides any funds or services to a participant, the grantee must hold a payback meeting with that participant. The point of this meeting is to clearly explain the costs of training and the participant’s responsibilities after training is completed. In addition, before any funds or services are provided, and again for each subsequent year when training funds are disbursed, the grantee must execute a written payback agreement with each participant. This agreement must align with the terms and conditions in 34 CFR 263.12 and must also explain the Department’s authority to grant deferrals or exceptions to the service obligation under 34 CFR 263.10.

The payback agreement has to be very specific and must include, at a minimum, multiple items of individualized information: the current Department address and OIE contact information for compliance and communication purposes; the estimated length of the participant’s training; total training costs; the amount of assistance accrued year-to-date; the number of months of service obligation accrued year-to-date; and a clear statement that the required work must be completed in an “LEA that serves a high proportion of Indian students,” including the regulatory definition of that phrase. It must also document that the required payback meeting took place. After the agreement is fully executed by both the grantee and the participant, the grantee must submit the signed payback agreement to the Department within 30 days, and the grantee must also provide a copy to the participant.

There are also required steps when a participant exits the program. At the time of exit, the grantee must provide the participant with an exit package of specific information, and the participant must then give written certification back to the grantee confirming that the information is correct. This exit information includes the name of the institution where the participant received pre-service training and the federal grant award number that supported the scholarship; the number of months the participant must work in an LEA serving a high proportion of Indian students to satisfy payback requirements referenced in 34 CFR 263.9; the total amount of financial assistance the participant received; and the participant’s field of study along with a statement of the service obligation requirements (including that employment must meet the conditions set out in 34 CFR 263.9(b)).

Beyond the formal payback structure, grantees must also provide practical career support during the grant period. The notice requires “career preparation” activities to help participants identify qualified employment opportunities after they complete the program, which aligns with the program’s larger goal of moving trained individuals into roles serving Indian students. In addition, grantees must report participant training and payback information to the Secretary in the manner the Department specifies, along with any other information needed to administer the program under section 6122 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and 34 CFR part 263. The opportunity description also indicates annual reporting obligations, emphasizing that participant tracking and compliance reporting are an ongoing part of managing an award.

From an administrative and planning standpoint, this opportunity is categorized as an education grant with an expected award ceiling of $500,000 and an estimated 29 awards. The posting lists an original closing date of April 28, 2025, and a creation date of January 17, 2025. Because the summary provided is explicitly a synopsis, applicants are directed to rely on the official Federal Register application notice for the full set of requirements, including priorities, performance measures, submission instructions, and any pre-application requirements. Applicants are also instructed to use the Department of Education’s Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 23, 2024) for the official addresses and procedures for obtaining and submitting an application.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Office of Indian Education (OIE): Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program: Professional Development Program (PD) Training Grants, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.299B" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.299.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-04-28. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 29 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Private institutions of higher education, Others.

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