ESSA Grant Application 2025-26

ESSA Grant Application 2025-26

June 6, 2025 | Grants Management

Summer break isn’t much of a break in the world of federal grants. Applications must be submitted for the next round of funding to get ready for the next school year! The ESSA Consolidated Grant Application, that is the formula grant (non-competitive) for the major title funds (Title I, II, III, and IV), is a major grant to work on this time of year. Today’s article will contain the basic information for how to submit the ESSA application and where to obtain additional training if needed. The ESSA application is currently open for all charters in eGrants. The application will close September 3, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. 

CSS is not on vacation this summer! We are actively working with our charter school partners to prepare and submit the 2025-26 federal grants to gear up for the upcoming school year!

Preliminary Planning Steps (To Do Before Starting the Application):

Planning is required in collaboration with required committee members prior to applying for ESSA funds. CSS has published numerous articles this spring on the subject of planning for next year. Per federal regulations, the ESSA grant cannot be submitted without completing the following steps:

  1. Completed program evaluations (Title I, Title II, and Title III, Title IV, PFE, SCE) for 2024-25. See Program Evaluation Tip
  2. Comprehensive Needs Assessment based on 2024-25 data and a draft of the 2025-26 Campus Improvement Plan(s) should be complete.
  3. Complete a draft of the 2025-26 District (LEA) Improvement Plan per ESSA Title I requirements.
  4. Collect documentation from the preliminary planning meetings including sign-in sheets, agendas, minutes and working papers for 2025-26 ESSA application.

Steps to Complete the ESSA Grant application:

Step 1 – Complete the SC5003 – The SC5003 combines the ESSA, IDEA (SPED), and Carl Perkins program assurances, lobbying certification, and program barriers into one document. It must be completed before any of those grants will open.

  1. Only Chrome can be used with the ESSA Grant Application.
  2. Log into TEAL; select eGrants. On the landing page, locate the HOME icon and then look to the top for the “Special Collections” tab. Select the link for the 2025-26 SC5003 Consolidated Schedule.
  3. Complete the SC5003, and certify and submit it.

Step 2 – Complete the Application Designation and Certification Form (ADC) – The ADC for allows you to check which parts of the ESSA grants you are applying for, declining, or applying as part of a shared service arrangement (SSA).

The ADC form no longer includes the planning amounts for the eligible Title grants. Allocations can be found at ESSA Entitlements.  It is not necessary to apply for each grant just because you have an allocation.  Be thoughtful about the grants selected. Once the ADC form is submitted, TEA will not permit changes to the form.

  1. Log into TEAL; select eGrants. On the landing page, locate the HOME icon and then look to the top for the “Grants” tab. Select the link for the 2025-26 ESSA Application Designation and Certification Form.
  2. Complete the ADC form and certify and submit it.

Note:  If the Title III allocation is less than $10,000, the charter must join a Title III shared service arrangement (SSA) if wishing to utilize the funds. Most Region Service Centers serve as the fiscal agent for a Title III SSA. Be sure to notify the Fiscal Agent if you plan to participate in the SSA.

Step 3 – Complete the ESSA Grant Appliction

The full ESSA application will open up once the ADC form is submitted.

  1. Once the ESSA application opens, select the GS 2100, the General Information form. Complete the required information and save.
  2. Per TEA training, the following chart shows the recommended order of completion after the GS2100 is completed and saved.

Note: Charters do not complete PS3099 regarding private nonprofit schools. The ISD of the boundary of the private school is responsible for that. That schedule and others may be grayed out if they do not apply to your situation.

  1. Complete each of the schedules required for the grants selected by the charter. When you open each schedule, notice the buttons near the top of the page: TheBack button allows you to move from one schedule to another; Printable Version allows you to save or print pages in the application; and Save allows you to save your work. Instructions takes you to specific instructions for that portion of the application. You will be logged off if there is no activity for 20 minutes, so be sure to save often and before you step away.
  2. BEFORE submitting the grant application, you must hold a public meeting so that the community is afforded a reasonable opportunity for public comment on the application and the public input is considered before the grant is submitted. This is often done at a regularly scheduled Board meeting as a discussion or presentation item on the agenda.
  3. Certify and submit the grant.
  4. Note: If you have expended all of your 2024-25 funds and you plan to fund staff positions with federal funds, your 2025-26 ESSA grant application should be submitted before staff returns to work. The grant start date will be the stamp in date of when the grant is submitted; however, it will not start prior to July 1, 2025.

Where is more training available?

Detailed instructions for each of the schedules (forms) of the grant application has been provided in the ESSA Grant Application Webinar May 29, 2025. You can access the TEA slides and recording here.

Reminder: Application closes September 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM!

Need our help?