Federal grant programs / Department of Education

Indian Education Grants to Local Educational Agencies (84.060)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$517 million
• Grant awards6,043
• Typical award$40,636
• Awarded in FY 2025$105 million
• Size rank364 of 1824
• Type of assistanceFormula grants

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $100 million in fiscal 2021 to $105 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 364th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 19% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 39 states and territories.

What the program funds

To address (1) the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of Indian students, so that these students can meet the challenging state performance standards expected of all students, (2) to ensure that Indian students gain knowledge and understanding of Native communities, languages, Tribal histories, traditions, and cultures; and (3) to ensure that teachers, principals, other school leaders and other staff who serve Indian students have the ability to provide culturally appropriate and effective instruction. This program is the Department's principal vehicle for addressing the particular needs of Indian children.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Local educational agencies (LEAs) that enroll at least 10 Indian children or in which Indians constitute at least 25 percent of the total enrollment. These requirements do not apply to LEAs serving Indian children in Alaska, California, and Oklahoma or located on, or in proximity to, an Indian reservation. Schools that receive funding from the Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) under Section 1130 of the Education Amendments of 1978, 25 U.S.C. 2001, are eligible to participate in this program. If an eligible LEA does not apply, an Indian tribe or an Indian organization that makes up at least half of the LEAs' Indian students may apply in lieu of the LEA. If no eligible LEA or Indian tribe or Indian organization applies for a grant, an Indian community-based organization may apply.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Grants supplement the regular school program, helping Indian children sharpen their academic skills, assisting students in becoming proficient in the core content areas, and providing students an opportunity to participate in enrichment programs that would otherwise be unavailable. Funds support such activities as Native American language programs, after-school programs, tutoring, and dropout prevention. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements and must use a restricted indirect cost rate which is referenced under 34 CFR 76.564-76.569. For assistance call the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Indirect Cost Group on (202) 708-7770.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Oct 01, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range of New Awards: $4,000-$2,702,000; Average New Award: $87,000.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 93% of the money, tribes 5.7% and colleges and universities 0.1%.

By state

35 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.