Title IV-A FAQs

Are all students eligible for AP exam reimbursement?

Not with the Title IV-A grant. Schools may only request reimbursement for students who are identified as low income for any exam taken or registration fees. Advanced placement programs include the College Board Advanced Placement^® program, the University of Cambridge International Examinations^® program and the International Baccalaureate^® program. More information may be found on the Advanced Placement website. NOTE: LEAs may use funds from their Gifted Education grant to pay for exams for students not identified as low income.

Creating or Printing Resources

When developing or printing resources, the federal government requires that State and Local Education Agencies give credit to the Federal Government and funding source. A sample of the wording is below.

The contents of this (insert type of publication; e.g., book, report, film, resource) were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

What are the 20-20 Portion and 15% Special Rules for Title IV-A?

The 20-20 Portion Rule

LEAs that receive an allocation of $30,000.00 or MORE must:

1. Allocate and expend no less than 20% toward Well-Rounded Education activities
2. Allocate and expend no less than 20% toward Safe and Healthy Students
3. Allocate and expend a portion of funds to support Effective Use of Technology. The remaining amount, up to 60%, may be used toward any combination of:

• Well-Rounded Education
• Safe & Healthy Students
• Effective Use of Technology (please allocate and expend a portion of the allocation to the Effective Use of Technology category, focused on Professional Learning). Of the portion allocated toward the Effective Use of Technology, only 15% may fund technological infrastructure expenses. 

Key Questions for Activities to Support the Effective Use of Educational Technology

1. What is the scope and applicability of the 15% Special Rule in section 4109(b)?
   
   At least 85 percent of the educational technology funds must be used to support professional learning to enable the effective use of educational technology. LEAs or consortiums of LEAs may not spend more than 15 percent of funding in this section on devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases. Specifically, the statute states that LEAs may not use more than 15 percent for purchasing technology infrastructure as described in section 4109 (a)(2)(B) which states: "purchasing devices, equipment, and software applications to address readiness shortfalls" and in section 4109 (a)(4)(A) which states: "blended learning technology software and platforms, the purchase of digital instructional resources, initial professional development activities, and one-time information technology purchases."

Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants

The 15% Rule - Applies to ALL LEAs

LEAs that receive an allocation LESS than $30,000.00 may:

1. Place the entire allocation in any ONE of the content categories, OR
2. Activate any combination of the three categories (Well-Rounded, Safe and Healthy, Effective Use of Technology). Of the portion allocated toward the Effective Use of Technology, only 15% may fund technological infrastructure expenses.

Title IV-A 20-20 Portion Infographic_.jpg

Does the 20-20 Special Rule apply if our total allocation exceeds $30,000?

Yes. If the preliminary allocation plus the final allocation equals $30,000 or more, the LEA must review their plan and make adjustments, as needed. For allocations of $30,000 or more per year, at least 20% must be spent on the Well-Rounded Education category and 20% on the Safe and Healthy Students category. A portion must also be used for professional learning in the Effective Use of Technology. The remaining funds may be used in any of the three categories. The 15% Special Rule on technology infrastructure items, as defined by the USED Guidance as devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases, applies to all LEAs, regardless of the allocation amount. 

What LEA Fund Code Should Be Used?

This grant should fall under the 160-169 range, under Title IV.

How Do We Transfer Title IV-A Funds?

Title IV-A funds are designed to provide “…programs and activities to support well-rounded educational experiences to all students.” (Section 4104 State Use of Funds – SSAEG – Title IV, Part A). The law stipulates that students well-rounded education is a civil right and that such activities must be made available to all students. It is best practice to analyze the needs of your LEA through the lens of Title IV-A prior to transferring funds. For more information about transferring funds, see the Title IV-A website under the tab, "Transferability Options." Note: Funds transferred to Title I may not be transferred again later in the year.

May an LEA use a single activity to address more than one of the application assurances regarding use of funds in the three SSAE program content areas (i.e., well-rounded education, safe and healthy students, effective uses of technology)?

There may be certain activities an LEA wishes to fund that could fit into more than one of the SSAE program content areas and could be used to address the application assurances regarding use of funds in each area. For example, a student trauma recovery program that utilizes student performance art could be categorized in either the safe and healthy students content area (ESEA section 4108) or the well-rounded education content area (ESEA section 4107) and could be used to satisfy expenditures requirements in both areas. In such cases, the LEA should explain in its application to the SEA how the activity fits in more than one content area. The SEA will ultimately approve or disapprove the activity through its application approval process consistent with relevant statutory application requirements.

What other stakeholders should an LEA consider consulting with as it develops its application?

In addition to the list provided above in the “Local Application Requirements” section, an LEA should consider involving members from the business community, health providers, police, social workers, librarians, technology experts, service providers, faith-based community leaders, and other key stakeholders, as appropriate. Under ESEA sections 4107(a)(2) (well-rounded education) and 4108(4) (safe and healthy students), LEAs are explicitly authorized to use a portion of funds in these areas to develop and implement programs and activities that may be conducted in partnership with an IHE, business, nonprofit organization, community-based organization, or other public or private entity with a demonstrated record of success in implementing these activities. In addition, LEAs may find it particularly helpful to include such partners in the needs assessment process.

If LEAs apply for funds as a consortium, how is the consortium's funding determined?

There may be certain activities an LEA wishes to fund that could fit into more than one of the SSAE program content areas and could be used to address the application assurances regarding use of funds in each area. For example, a student trauma recovery program that utilizes student performance art could be categorized in either the safe and healthy students content area (ESEA section 4108) or the well-rounded education content area (ESEA section 4107) and could be used to satisfy expenditures requirements in both areas. In such cases, the LEA should explain in its application to the SEA how the activity fits in more than one content area. The SEA will ultimately approve or disapprove the activity through its application approval process consistent with relevant statutory application requirements.

Is an individual LEA that receives an allocation of less than $30,000 of SSAE program funds required to use a certain percentage of funds for each of the three content areas?

No. Section 4106(f) allows an individual LEA receiving an allocation of less than $30,000 to use funds for only one (or more) of the three content areas in the SSAE program. Such LEAs must provide an assurance that they will either use not less than 20 percent of SSAE funds for well-rounded education, use not less than 20 percent of SSAE funds for safe and healthy students, or use a portion of SSAE funds to support the effective use of technology consistent with 4106(f). However, there is a 15 percent cap on spending for devices, equipment, software and digital content.  

What does supplement not supplant mean in the context of the SSAE program?

Section 4110 requires that SSAE program funds be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under the SSAE program. This means that an SEA or LEA may not use SSAE program funds to carry out activities that would otherwise be paid for with State or local funds. In determining whether a particular use of funds would violate the non-supplanting requirement, SEAs and LEAs should consider matters such as whether the cost involved is currently paid for using State or local funds or whether the cost involved is for an activity that is required by State or local law. In no event may an SEA or LEA decrease the amount of State or local funds used to pay the cost of an activity simply because of the availability of the SSAE program funds. There is a presumption of supplanting if Federal funds are used for State-required costs or costs previously covered with non-Federal funds. The presumption may be overcome if the SEA or LEA is able to demonstrate through written documentation (e.g., State or local legislative action, budget information, or other materials) that it does not have the funds necessary to implement the activity and that the activity would not be carried out in the absence of the SSAE program funds.

Must an LEA distribute SSAE program funds to each of its schools?

No. An LEA is not required to distribute SSAE program funds to each of its schools. Consistent with ESEA section 4106(e)(2)(A), an LEA must prioritize the distribution of funds to schools as described in the LEA or Consortium Assurances section of this document and must implement the SSAE program consistent with all relevant statutory requirements. In prioritizing the distribution of funds, an LEA that provides district-wide services with the SSAE program funds must focus those services on schools with the greatest need identified in ESEA section 4106(e)(2)(A).

 Do the application assurances regarding use of funds in the three main content areas apply to the schools to which an LEA distributes funds?

No. The application assurances regarding use of funds in the three SSAE program content areas apply at the LEA level. These assurances serve to establish minimum expenditure requirements (i.e., not less than 20 percent of funds for activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities, not less than 20 percent for activities to support safe and healthy students, and a portion for activities to support the effective use of technology) that an LEA must meet with respect to its entire allocation. In meeting these requirements, an LEA has flexibility in determining the amount of funds to distribute to a school and for which activities, provided its determinations are consistent with its needs assessment and school prioritization. An LEA might, for example, use 20 percent of its funds for an arts program in only two of its elementary schools and use 40 percent of its funds for a district-wide school climate program, consistent with its assurance to prioritize schools most in need.

In the case of a consortium of LEAs, do the application assurances regarding use of funds in the three content areas apply to the consortium as a whole or to each member LEA?

The application assurances regarding use of funds apply to the consortium as a whole, i.e. each LEA in a consortium is not required to meet the expenditure requirements individually with respect to its allocation. Thus, a consortium may, for example, spend less than 20 percent of a single member LEA’s allocation of SSAE program funds for activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities in that LEA, provided the consortium spends at least 20 percent of its aggregate funds for those activities.

Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants