Talent Search Program

ED-GRANT-26-022 FY 2026 Talent Search 84.044 Application Notice and Instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the
U.S. Department of Education
Talent Search Program
Fiscal Year 2026 Grant
Competition
Posted March 17, 2026
Contents
Program Information ...................................................................................................... 2
Eligibility ........................................................................................................................ 3
Eligible Applicants ...................................................................................................... 3
Costs ......................................................................................................................... 3
Submission Requirements and Deadlines ....................................................................... 4
Program Description ...................................................................................................... 5
Overview ..................................................................................................................... 5
Priorities ..................................................................................................................... 6
Selection Criteria ........................................................................................................ 8
Performance Measures ..............................................................................................11
Application Submission Information ..............................................................................11
Application Review Information .....................................................................................14
Definitions ....................................................................................................................16
Award Requirements .....................................................................................................17
Application Checklist ....................................................................................................19
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Program Information Maximum Annual Award:
• For an applicant that has not been
The Employment and Training designated by their Governor as the
Administration at the U.S. Department of state-level applicant, the
Labor (Labor), is soliciting applications in annual maximum award is $1,000,000.
support of the administration of the Talent • For one state-level applicant that has
Search Program (TS) on behalf of the U.S. been designated by their Governor as
Department of Education (ED). The the state-level applicant, or for any
purpose of the Talent Search Program is Indian tribe receiving points under the
to identify qualified individuals from competitive priority, the
disadvantaged backgrounds with maximum annual award amount is
potential for education at the $10,000,000.
postsecondary level and encourage them • All projects must serve a minimum of
to complete secondary school and 500 participants annually, and have an
undertake postsecondary education. annual per-participant cost of no
Talent Search projects publicize the more than $500.
availability of, and facilitate the
Note: ED is establishing an increased
application for, student financial
maximum award amount for a limited
assistance for persons who seek to
number of state- level applicants to take
pursue postsecondary education, and
advantage of how States are uniquely
encourage persons who have not
situated to serve more participants with
completed programs at the secondary or
fidelity and administer higher award
postsecondary level to enter or reenter
amounts with appropriate fiscal
and complete these programs.
oversight. Consistent with 34 CFR 75.232,
Assistance Listing Number: 84.044A. ED will conduct a cost analysis of
proposed projects prior to setting any
OMB Control Number: 1840-0818.
final award amout to ensure all costs are
Program authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11
necessary, reasonable, and allowable
and 1070a-12.
under applicable statutes and
For further information contact: Ben
regulations.
Witthoefft at Ben.Witthoefft@ed.gov or
202-453-7576 or you may contact
Estimated number of awards: 175
ReShone Moore, Ph.D., at
reshone.moore@ed.gov or 202-453-7624 Project Period: 60 months.
Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Application Deadline: May 1, 2026
Note: ED is not bound by any estimates in
Estimated Available Funds: $175,152,359
this notice.
Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-
$10,000,000 per year.
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Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
The following entities are eligible for a grant to carry out a Talent Search project:
(a)An institution of higher education.
(b)A public or private agency or organization, including a community-based
organization with experience in serving disadvantaged youth.
Note: State educational agencies may apply as a public organization.
(c)A secondary school (as defined in 34 CFR 643.7(b)).
Note: Charter Schools may apply as a secondary school.
(d)A combination of the types of institutions, agencies, and organizations described
in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section.
Costs
Cost Sharing
This program does not require cost sharing or matching.
Indirect Cost Rate Information
This program uses a training indirect cost rate. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to
an entity’s actual cost, as determined in its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or
eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more
information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see
U.S. Department of Education Indirect Cost Information.
Administrative Cost Limitation
This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses.
All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost
Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.
Subgrantees
Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under this competition may award subgrants
to directly carry out project activities described in its application to the following types of
entities: local educational agencies (LEAs), Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)s,
secondary schools and other public or private entities suitable to carry out the activities
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proposed in the application. The grantee may award subgrants to entities it
has identified in an approved application.
Other
An applicant may submit multiple applications if each separate application describes a
project that will serve a different target area or different target schools. The term “target
area” is defined as a geographic area served by a project, and the term “target school” is a
school designated by the applicant as a focus of project services (34 CFR 643.7).
Use of Funds
The Talent Search program authority specifies a list of required and permissible services.1
The program regulations (34 CFR 643.31) identify unallowable costs in the Talent Search
Program. Costs that are unallowable under the Talent Search program include, but are not
limited to, the following:
(a)Stipends and other forms of direct financial support for participants.
(b)Application fees for financial aid.
(c)Research not directly related to the evaluation or improvement of the project.
(d)Construction, renovation, and remodeling of any facilities.
Submission Requirements and Deadlines
Applications Available March 17, 2026
Application Deadline May 1, 2026
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review June 30, 2026
Applicants are required to follow the 2025 Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at ED 2025 Common Instructions.
1 See section 402B(b) of the HEA: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-
765/pdf/COMPS-765.pdf
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Program Description
Overview
In a rapidly evolving economy where opportunity belongs to those equipped with the right
knowledge and choices, the Talent Search program serves as an essential early-
intervention bridge for underserved learners nationwide. Talent Search aims to deliver
personalized academic, financial, and college and career guidance while dramatically
broadening awareness of a variety of accessible postsecondary pathways beyond high
school.
This grant opportunity is fully aligned with America’s Talent Strategy, encouraging grantees
to expand services to learners to explore a variety of postsecondary opportunities,
including Registered Apprenticeship.2 These options include enhanced programing
focused on pre-apprenticeships and other work-based learning experiences that combine
paid, on-the-job training with academic credit and industry recognized credentials in high
demand fields such as skilled trades, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology,
artificial intelligence (AI), and shipbuilding and other occupations critical for the defense
industrial base.
Grantees should explore talent marketplaces, learning and employment records, and other
mechanisms that present apprenticeships, career and technical education, and integration
with the workforce system as equally viable and often faster routes to economic mobility as
traditional college programs. Grantees are encouraged to develop applications that
demonstrate connections with the workforce system, dual enrollment options, and
resources dedicated to the data infrastructure necessary for Workforce Pell and other
pathways that can minimize debt while accelerating entry into rewarding careers.
Talent Search project proposals should seek to serve learners from socioeconomically
disadvantaged communities, including students with disabilities, foster care youth, or
otherwise disconnected youth. Grantees should, to the extent possible, develop
applications that demonstrate how participants gain the early awareness, skills,
confidence, and connections needed to either acquire a standard high school diploma or
its equivalent and enroll in an in-demand postsecondary program. This grant is more than
preparation; it is about empowerment. Through the Talent Search opportunity, we are
seeking to not only increase postsecondary enrollment but aim to cultivate a generation of
career-ready Americans.
2 America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age
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Priorities
This notice includes one absolute priority, one competitive preference priority, and one
invitational priority. The absolute and competitive preference priorities are from the
Secretary’s Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs
(Supplemental Priorities), published in the Federal Register on September 9, 2025 (34 CFR
Part 75).
All priorities that are being addressed must be identified in the abstract form and the
project narrative section of the application.
Absolute Priority: For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, the priority is an
absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet the
absolute priority. Each application must clearly identify the specific subset of the absolute
priority for which a grant is requested.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2026, and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. An application may receive a maximum of 5 additional
points under the competitive preference priority. ED will not review or award points where
an applicant fails to clearly identify the competitive preference priority that it wishes ED to
consider for purposes of awarding competitive preference priority points.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2026 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are invitational
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets these
invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
Priorities
Title Required Points Priority Language
Absolute Yes N/A Projects or proposals that will do one or more of
Priority— Expanding the following:
Education Choice
(a) expand access to education services that
accelerate learning such as high-impact tutoring,
(b) expand access to one or more of the following
at the high school or postsecondary level:
distance education, pre-apprenticeships, or
Registered Apprenticeships, including Registered
Apprenticeships for in-school or out-of-school
youth, or
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(c) expand access to programs or coursework
that lead to in-demand, industry-recognized
postsecondary credentials.
Competitive Preference No 0 or 5 Projects or proposals that will be carried out by
Priority— Returning points one or more of the following:
Education to the States
(a) State educational agencies (as defined in 20
U.S.C. 7801(49)),
(b) State workforce development agencies or
boards,
(c) State higher education agencies (as defined
in 20 U.S.C. 1003(22), or
(d) An Indian Tribe (as defined in 25 U.S.C.
5304(e)), Tribal organization (as defined in 25
U.S.C. 5304(l)), or Tribal educational agency (as
defined in 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(3))
Invitational Priority— No N/A Projects that are designed to strengthen their
Talent Marketplaces career and personal counseling activities (as
authorized in 402B(c)) to improve student
persistence, postsecondary access and
opportunity, and create a scalable data
infrastructure that connects education to
workforce outcomes by doing the following:
(a) integrating learning and employment records
(LER) with AI-enabled learner wallets to
transform student support services into
personalized, skills-based pathways to
postsecondary success and employment, and
(b) expanding access to talent marketplaces
composed of credential registries (e.g. publishing
education and training programs in structured,
open, linked, and interoperable data formats),
skills based job description generators, LERs that
connect Talent Search participants, employers,
and education providers through a common
currency of skills.
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Selection Criteria
Selection criteria outline how the application will be scored. The maximum possible total
score an application can receive for addressing the criteria is 100 points. The maximum
possible score for addressing each criterion is indicated in parentheses following the
criterion. The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 643.21.
(a) Need for the project (24 points). The Secretary evaluates the need for a Talent Search
project in the proposed target area on the basis of the extent to which the application
contains clear evidence of the following:
(1) A high number or high percentage of (i) low-income families residing in the
target area; or (ii) students attending the target schools who are eligible for free
or reduced priced lunch as described in sections 9(b)(1) and 17(c)(4) of the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (4 points).
(2) Low rates of high school persistence among individuals in the target schools
as evidenced by the annual student persistence rates in the proposed target
schools for the most recent year for which data are available (2 points).
(3) Low rates of students in the target school or schools who graduate high school
with a regular secondary school diploma in the standard number of years for
the most recent year for which data are available (4 points).
(4) Low postsecondary enrollment and completion rates among individuals in the
target area and schools as evidenced by (6 points)--
(i) Low rates of enrollment in programs of postsecondary education by
graduates of the target schools in the most recent year for which data
are available; and
(ii) A high number or high percentage of individuals residing in the target
area with education completion levels below the baccalaureate degree
level.
(5) The extent to which the target secondary schools do not offer their students
the courses or academic support to complete a rigorous secondary school
program of study or have low participation or low success by low-income or
first-generation students in such courses (2 points).
(6) Other indicators of need for a Talent Search project, including low academic
achievement and low standardized test scores of students enrolled in the
target schools, a high ratio of students to school counselors in the target
schools, and the presence of unaddressed academic or socio-economic
problems of eligible individuals, including foster care youth and homeless
children and youth in the target schools or the target area (6 points).
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(b) Objectives (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of the applicant’s
objectives and proposed targets (percentages) in the following areas on the basis of
the extent to which they are both ambitious, as related to the need data provided
under paragraph (a) of this section, and attainable given the project’s plan of
operation, budget, and other resources:
(1) Secondary school persistence (2 points).
(2) Secondary school graduation (regular secondary school diploma) (2 points).
(3) Secondary school graduation (rigorous secondary school program of study) (1
point).
(4) Postsecondary education enrollment (2 points).
(5) Postsecondary degree attainment (1 point).
Note: Applicants must use the standardized objectives listed on the Talent
Search Program Profile Form. These objectives cannot be changed or
modified. Any other objectives will not be accepted or assessed.
(c) Plan of operation (30 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of the applicant’s
plan of operation on the basis of the following:
(1) The plan to inform the residents, schools, and community organizations in the
target area of the purpose, objectives, and services of the project and the
eligibility requirements for participation in the project (3 points).
(2) The plan to identify and select eligible project participants (3 points).
(3) The plan for providing the services delineated in 34 CFR 643.4 as appropriate
based on the project’s assessment of each participant’s need for services (10
points).
(4) The plan to work in a coordinated, collaborative, and cost-effective manner as
part of an overarching college access strategy with the target schools or school
system and other programs for disadvantaged students to provide participants
with access to and assistance in completing a rigorous secondary school
program of study (6 points).
(5) The plan, including timelines, personnel, and other resources, to ensure the
proper and efficient administration of the project, including the project’s
organizational structure; the time commitment of key project staff; and
financial, personnel, and records management (6 points).
(6) The plan to follow former participants as they enter, continue in, and complete
postsecondary education (2 points).
(d) Applicant and community support (16 points). The Secretary evaluates the applicant
and community support for the proposed project on the basis of the extent to which
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the applicant has made provision for resources to supplement the grant and enhance
the project's services, including—
(1) Facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other resources committed by
the applicant (8 points); and
(2) Resources secured through written commitments from community partners (8
points).
(i) An applicant that is an institution of higher education must include in its
application commitments from the target schools and community
organizations;
(ii) An applicant that is a secondary school must include in its application
commitments from institutions of higher education, community
organizations, and, as appropriate, other secondary schools and the
school district; and
(iii) An applicant that is a community organization must include in its
application commitments from the target schools and institutions of
higher education.
(e) Quality of personnel (9 points).
(1) The Secretary evaluates the quality of the personnel the applicant plans to use
in the project on the basis of the following:
(i) The qualifications required of the project director (3 points).
(ii) The qualifications required of each of the other personnel to be used in
the project (3 points).
(iii) The plan to employ personnel who have succeeded in overcoming the
disadvantages of circumstances like those of the population of the
target area (3 points).
(2) In evaluating the qualifications of a person, the Secretary considers his or her
experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project.
(f) Budget (5 points). The Secretary evaluates the extent to which the project budget is
reasonable, cost-effective, and adequate to support the project.
(g) Evaluation plan (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of the evaluation plan
for the project on the basis of the extent to which the applicant’s methods of
evaluation—
(1) Are appropriate to the project’s objectives;
(2) Provide for the applicant to determine, using specific and quantifiable
measures, the success of the project in—
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(i) Making progress toward achieving its objectives (a formative
evaluation); and
(ii) Achieving its objectives at the end of the project period (a summative
evaluation); and
(iii) Provide for the disclosure of unanticipated project outcomes, using
quantifiable measures if appropriate.
Performance Measures
ED has developed the following performance measures for the purposes of the reporting to
ED under 34 CFR 75.110.
Program Performance Measures. The Department developed the following program
performance indicators to evaluate the overall effectiveness of this program:
Program Performance Measure 1 The secondary school persistence of Talent Search
participants
Program Performance Measure 2 The graduation rates of Talent Search participants
Program Performance Measure 3 The postsecondary enrollment rates, including
Participation in Registered Apprenticeships, of Talent
Search participants
Program Performance Measure 4 The postsecondary completion rates, including
completion of Registered Apprenticeships, of Talent
Search participants
Program Efficiency Measure The Federal cost per successful outcome
All Talent Search Program grantees will be required to submit an annual performance
report documenting secondary school persistence, secondary school graduation, and
postsecondary enrollment of their participants. Since students may take different amounts
of time to complete their postsecondary education, multiple years of performance report
data are needed to determine the postsecondary completion rates of Talent Search
Program participants. The Department will aggregate the data provided in the annual
performance reports from all grantees to determine the accomplishment level.
Application Submission Information
Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common
Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234), which contain
requirements and information on how to submit an application.
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Registration
To apply, you must first be registered in two systems: SAM.gov and Grants.gov. If you are
already registered, make sure your registration is active and up to date.
Grants.gov registration involves several steps including registration on SAM.gov. You may
begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you
cannot apply until all registration steps are complete. Once your SAM registration is active,
it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can
apply through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the registration steps, please go to:
Grants.gov Applicant Registration. Please note that your organization will need to update
its SAM registration annually.
SAM.gov
You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity
Identifier. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process early.
To register, go to SAM.gov and click on "Get Started."
Click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register in
SAM.gov.
If you need help, you can call 866-606-8220 or live chat with the Federal Service Desk.
Grants.gov
You must also have an active account with grants.gov.
To register, go to grants.gov and click “Register.” When ready click on “Get
Registered Now” and complete required fields.
For more information or assistance, click on “Applicant Registration Page.”
ED strongly recommends that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application.
Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully
uploaded. If Grants.gov rejects your application, you will need to resubmit successfully to
Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
You must provide the UEI on your application that was used when you registered as an
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your
organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the
UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.
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A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared environment in
Grants.gov where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different
web forms within an application. You begin by creating an individual Workspace for each
application and establish, for that application, a collaborative application package that
allows more than one person in your organization to work concurrently on an application.
You will then complete the application forms in Workspace and submit the application
when completed. For further instructions on how to apply using Grants.gov, refer to:
https://grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants.
Intergovernmental Review
This is subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs)
and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of Executive Order 12372 is to
strengthen federalism – or the distribution of responsibility between localities, states, and
the Federal government – by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes
supporting processes that state or local governments have developed to coordinate and
review proposed Federal financial grant applications. Grant applicants need to contact
State Single Points of Contact (SPOC) for information on their state’s procedures. Multi-
state applicants should follow procedures specific to each state. Further information about
the SPOC and the official list of entities can be found at:
https://www.ojp.gov/IntergovernmentalReviewSPOCList.pdf.
Verify Submission
Verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was
validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to
Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the
date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline
date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency
Tracking Number Assigned.
If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date,
your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting
validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to
“Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application
has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an
application can be found at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/encountering-error-
messages. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review
the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-
software-compatibility. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please
see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and
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via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to
confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.
Submission Problems – What should you do?
If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact
Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: support@grants.gov or
access the Grants.gov Self- Service Knowledge Base web portal.
Application Review Information
Review and Selection Process:
Before making awards, Department staff will screen applications submitted in accordance
with the requirements in this notice to determine whether applications have met eligibility
and other requirements, including whether an application may fail to meet the “General
Terms and Conditions” applicable to awarded funds referenced elsewhere within this
notice. This screening process may occur at various stages of the review and selection
process. Applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a grant, regardless
of whether the application was included in the peer review process. Applications not
selected for funding will be informed of the Secretary's decision in accordance with 34 CFR
643.24(c).
Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and score the assigned
applications, using the selection criteria provided in this notice.
For this competition, a panel of three non-Federal reviewers will review each application in
accordance with the selection criteria, pursuant to 34 CFR 643.21. The individual scores
assigned by the reviewers will be added and the sum divided by the number of reviewers to
determine the peer reviewer score received in the review process. Additionally, in
accordance with 34 CFR 643.22, the Secretary will award prior experience points to
applicants that have conducted a Talent Search project during budget periods 2022-23,
2023-24, and 2024- 25, based on their documented experience. Prior experience points, if
any, will be added to the application’s averaged reader score to determine the total score
for each application. More information is available on the Talent Search webpage.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary requires various
assurances, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from ED (34
CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
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Tiebreaker
If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the same total scores, the Secretary
will choose among the tied applications so as to serve geographic areas that would
otherwise be underserved following the 2026 grant competition. The following iterative
procedure will be applied to identify and recommend for award the applications from
among the tied applications.
The applications with tied scores will be sorted according to three criteria. The Secretary
will identify and recommend an award for—
First, the applications will be sorted, from low to high, according to the number of
applications from the 2026 TS grant competition that have competition scores above the
cutoff score that are within their Congressional District*. Applications may be in a
Congressional District from which zero, one, two, three, … through ‘n’ number of
applications received a score above the cutoff score. Applicants within Congressional
Districts that have zero 2026 applicants above the cutoff will be sorted to the top of the
Funding Band; the set of applicants within Congressional Districts that have one 2026
applicant with a score above the cutoff will be listed next; followed by the set of applicants
within Congressional Districts with two awards, and so on.
Second, within each of those sets, the applicants will be sorted, from low to high,
according to the educational attainment for 18-to-25-year-olds within the Congressional
District. Specifically, the Congressional Districts have a value that measures the
percentage of 18-to-25-year-olds who have, at some time, enrolled in postsecondary
education.
Third, if two tied applicants are located in the same Congressional District, the applicant
partnering with target schools with the largest aggregate number of students qualifying for
free or reduced price lunch will be sorted above applicants partnering with target schools
with fewer aggregate numbers of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Once sorted, the tied applications will be awarded in rank order “down the slate” until all
funds are exhausted.
Please note that Congressional Districts boundaries will be determined according to those
drawn for the 118th Congress since census data is not yet available for educational
attainment in Congressional Districts drawn for the 119th Congress.
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Definitions
The following definitions are 34 CFR 77.1, 20 U.S.C. 7801(49), (20 U.S.C. 1003(22),) and 20
U.S.C. 2302(55), and the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities published in the Federal
Register on September 9, 2025.
Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for program participants
or for other individuals or entities affected by the grant, or representing a significant
advancement in the field of education research, practices, or methodologies. When used
to describe a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends
upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline for that measure
(34 CFR 77.1).
Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, means that it is owned and
operated by one or more corporations or associations whose net earnings do not benefit,
and cannot lawfully benefit, any private shareholder or entity (34.CFR 77.1).
Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or metric used to gauge
program or project performance (34 CFR 77.1).
Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant would seek to meet
during the course of a project or as a result of a project (34 CFR 77.1).
Public, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, means that the agency,
organization, or institution is under the administrative supervision or control of a
government other than the Federal Government. (34 CFR 77.1).
Recognized postsecondary credential means a credential consisting of an industry-
recognized certificate or certification, a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship, a
license recognized by the State involved or Federal Government, or an associate or
baccalaureate degree, as defined in section 3(52) of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act.
State educational agency means the agency primarily responsible for the State supervision
of public elementary schools and secondary schools (20 U.S.C. 7801(49)).
State higher education agency means the officer or agency primarily responsible for the
State supervision of higher education (20 U.S.C. 1003(22)).
Work-based learning is used in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 2302(55), to mean sustained
interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the
extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-
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depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned
to curriculum and instruction.
Award Requirements
Terms and Conditions
If you are awarded a grant under this competition, you must ensure and may be required to
demonstrate that federal funds will not be used under this project in any manner that
violates the United States Constitution, Title VI or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42
U.S.C. 2000d et seq. or 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794), the Age
Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access
Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7905), section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
(20 U.S.C. 1011f), or other applicable federal law. To the extent that a grantee uses grant
funds for such unallowable activities, ED may pursue termination under 2 CFR 200.340.
The Grant Award Notification document accompanying your award may contain further
terms and conditions, as necessary to ensure grantee compliance with applicable laws,
regulations, and administrative priorities.
Please note the provisions of Executive Orders 14151, 14168, 14173, and 14190 as well as
the U.S. Department of Justice’s July 29, 2025, non-regulatory “Guidance for Recipients of
Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” which clarifies the application of
federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory
practices, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) programs.
Such activities may risk violating federal civil rights laws and may jeopardize federal
funding. This includes any discriminatory equity ideology in violation of a Federal anti-
discrimination law. A definition of “discriminatory equity ideology” is contained in Section
2(b) of Executive Order 14190. To the extent that an ED grantee uses grant funds for
unallowable activities, ED reserves the right to take appropriate enforcement action,
including recovery of grant funds.
Applicable Regulations
(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts
74, 75 (except for §§ 75.215 through 75.221), 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The
Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment
and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative
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Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in
34 CFR part 643. (e) The Supplemental Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized
Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.
Continuation Awards
In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among
other things: whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and
objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established
performance measurement requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial
progress in achieving the performance targets in the grantee's approved application, or
whether the continuation of the project is in the best interest of the Federal Government.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is
operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
108.8, and 110.23).
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Application Checklist
The application will require you to fill out several forms, which are listed and linked in
grants.gov. See below for a description of forms and sections:
1. Standard Documents
 Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)
 Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424
2. Budget Information
 Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A)
3. Abstract Form
 Abstract –– Attach this document to the Abstract Form in the Grants.gov
application.
4. Project Narrative
 Application Narrative (Project Narrative Attachment Form)
5. Budget Narrative
 Budget Narrative Attachment Form
6. Other Attachment Forms
 Talent Search Program Profile Form
 Talent Search Program Assurances
 Absolute Priority Narrative
 Competitive Preference Priority Narrative
 Invitational Priority Narrative
7. Assurances and Certifications
 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL)
 Grants.gov Lobbying Form
 Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)
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Part 1: Standard Documents
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)
ED Supplemental Information for SF 424 (Instructions)
This form requires basic identifying information about the applicant and the
application. Please provide all requested applicant information (including name,
address, e-mail address and UEI). When applying electronically via Grants.gov,
you will need to ensure that the UEI on your application is the same as the UEI
your organization used when it registered with the System for Award
Management.
Applicants are advised to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF
424) first. Grants.gov will automatically insert the correct Assistance Listing Number
and program name automatically wherever needed on other forms.
Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to
the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, ED will only
review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within
this application.
Part 2: Budget Information
Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424A)
The SF-424A Budget Information Form is required. This part of your application
contains information about the Federal funding you are requesting. The form
requires total funding requests for each year of the project, but only requires
detailed information for Year 1 of the project. You will provide information on all
years of the project, including an itemized budget breakdown for each year of the
proposed project, in your Budget Narrative. Specific instructions for completing the
Budget Narrative are provided within this application notice and instructions under
Budget Narrative. Budget Narrative attachments are not included in the page count.
Instructions for completing SF-424A:
The SF-424A has six sections (A-F). While the form includes several sections and boxes,
please use the information below to complete only the necessary sections.
Section A – Budget Summary
• Section A-Budget Summary: Enter the name of the grant program for which you
are requesting funds in 1(a).
• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(b): Enter the Assistance Listing Number (Example
84.044A).
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• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(e) “Federal”: Include the total amount requested
for the entire performance period. The amount you enter here will auto populate
in 5 (e).
• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(f) “Non-Federal”: Only include an amount in this
section if you propose to include non-Federal financial resources as part of this
project, including any non-Federal funds to meet any program cost sharing
requirements. If not including non-Federal financial resources, leave this blank
or include 0.
• Section A-Budget Summary: 1(g): If using Grants.gov form, the total amount
included here will be auto-calculated based on what is included in 1(e ) and 1(f).
Section B – Budget Categories
• Section B-Budget Categories:
Line 6. Object Class Categories: The categories listed here (a-k) are the
o
categories you will need to further describe in the Budget Narrative. For
this section, only include the total amount by category for Year 1 of the
project. You will provide a breakdown by category for each year of the
project in the Budget Narrative. If using Grants.gov, line 6 column (1) will
be auto-populated with the name of the program for which you are
requesting funding.
• Personnel (line 6a.): Enter project personnel salaries and wages only. Include
fees and expenses for consultants on line 6f or 6h.
• Fringe Benefits (line 6b): The organization’s normal fringe benefits contribution
may be charged to the program. Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable
to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.
• Travel (line 6c): Indicate the travel costs of employees and participants only.
Include travel of persons such as consultants on line 6f or 6h.
• Equipment (line 6d): Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal
property that has a usefulness greater than one year and acquisition costs that
are the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for
financial statement purposes or $10,000 per article. Lower limits may be
established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s policy.
• Supplies (line 6e): Show all tangible, expendable personal property. Direct
supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable,
expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost. Supplies purchased with grant
funds should directly benefit the grant project and be necessary for achieving
the goals of the project.
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• Contractual (line 6f): The contractual category should include all costs
specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an
established internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses,
and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through
a written binding agreement or contract.
• Construction (line 6g): Construction funds are not authorized, unless specified
by the program. If construction is allowable, include the amount request for
construction costs.
• Other (line 6h): Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. For example,
include costs such as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a
contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing
costs. If applicable, include stipends under other. If stipends are included under
other, do not include stipends when calculating the indirect cost. Do not include
costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.
• Total Direct Costs (line 6i): The sum of lines 6a-6h. If using Grants.gov, this
number is auto-calculated.
• Indirect Costs (line 6j): Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per
34 CFR 75.560 - 75.564. If an applicant does not have an approved indirect cost
rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency, the applicant must apply to ED
for a temporary indirect cost rate if it wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant.
For more information, go to ED's website. In addition, a grantee, if it is eligible,
may also use de minimis rate as provided for under 2 CFR 200.414(f).
• Total Cost (line 6i and 6j): This number should be equal to sum of lines 6i-6j (total
of direct costs + indirect costs). If using Grants.gov, this number is auto-
calculated. The sum for column one, labeled Project Year 6 (1), should also be
equal to item 15a on the application cover sheet (SF Form 424).
• Line 7. Program Income: You may leave this field blank.
Section C – Non-Federal Resources
This section should only be completed if you are proposing a cost share or if the program
for which you are applying requires a Non-Federal cost share. If you include a cost share,
provide a breakdown by including the dollars that will come from the applicant, State, and
other sources, as applicable.
Section D – Forecasted Cash Needs
• Line 13. Federal: The total for 1st Year column will automatically calculate based on
the funding amounts included in Quarters 1-4. These quarters apply to Year One
ONLY. Enter the forecasted cash needs from Federal sources for each quarter of the
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first program year. The amount entered for each quarter will be used to auto-
calculate the amount in line 15 and is your forecasted needs. You will have an
opportunity to provide updates to these quarterly amounts in post-award.
• Line 14. Non-Federal: The total for 1st year column will automatically calculate
based on the funding amounts included in Quarters 1-4. These quarters apply to
Year One ONLY. Leave this blank for each quarter if you are not including any
Non-Federal Funds. If including non-Federal funds, enter the forecasted cash
needs from non-Federal sources for the first quarter of the first program year. If not
applicable, leave blank.
• Line 15. (sum of lines 13 and 14): If using Grants,gov, the total is auto-calculated.
Section E – Budget Estimates of Federal Funds Needed for Balance of the Project
This section collects information for future funding periods. While the columns are
labeled First (b) through Fourth (e), this is the section where you will include the total
amount of Federal funds requested for Years 2-5, for five-year projects. You are only
including the total amount of Federal funds requested for the outyears beyond Year 1.
The total amount in Section D. line 13 plus the total amount in the outyears should
match the project total requested in Section A line 5 (e).
• Line 16 Column (a) Grant Program: If using Grants.gov, this box will be auto-
populated with the name of the program you included in Section A Line 1.
• Line 16 Column (b)First: Include the total amount requested for the first outyear.
Year 2 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your Budget
Narrative.
• Line 16 Column (c) Second: Include the total amount requested for the second
outyear. Year 3 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your
Budget Narrative.
• Line 16 Column (d) Third: Include the total amount requested for the third
outyear. Year 4 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your
Budget Narrative.
• Line 16 Column (e) Fourth: Include the total amount requested for the fourth
outyear. Year 5 of the project. Ensure this amount matches what is in your
Budget Narrative.
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Section F – Other Budget Information
• Line 21. Direct Charges: You may leave this field blank.
• Line 22. Indirect Charges: Enter the type of indirect rate (provisional,
predetermined, final or fixed) or 15% de minimis rate that will be in effect during
the funding period, the estimated amount of the base to which the rate is
applied, and the total indirect expense.
• Line 23. Remarks: You may leave this field blank.
Part 3: Abstract Form
The project abstract should not exceed one double spaced pages and should include a
concise description of the following information:
Project objectives and activities
Absolute Priority (either Absolute Priority 1, Absolute Priority 2, or both)
⦁
Applicable competitive preference priorities
⦁
Proposed project outcomes
⦁
Proposed project partners, if applicable
⦁
⦁
Part 4: Project Narrative
This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment
Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in
the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review
process.
Ensure that you only attach the ED approved file types detailed in the 2025 Common
Instructions. When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names.
Table of Contents
❑
The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your
proposal are organized and should not exceed one double-spaced page.
Application Narrative
❑
ED encourages applicants to limit this section of the application to the equivalent of
no more than 65 pages. The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover
sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; or the one- abstract, the resumes, the bibliography,
logic model, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does
apply to the Project Narrative.
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Part 5: Budget Narrative
This section should be attached as a single document to the Budget Narrative Attachment
Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. It should be organized in the
following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.
Ensure that you attach the ED approved file types detailed in the 2025 Common
Instructions.
Each application must also provide a Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds. The
Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds should provide a justification of how the
money requested for each budget item will be spent, and the total amounts for each
project year should match the total amounts in Section E – Budget Estimates of Federal
Funds Needed for Balance of the Project in SF-424A.
This section requires an itemized budget breakdown for each project year and the basis for
estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel, materials and
supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected
expenditures. Be sure to complete an itemized budget breakdown and narrative for each
year of the proposed project. Below is a breakdown of the categories to be included in the
Budget Narrative for each project year:
• Personnel: List all staff positions by title including roles and responsibilities. For
each position give the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the
project, and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant.
• Fringe Benefits: The institution’s normal fringe benefits contribution may be
charged to the program. Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to
direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.
• Travel: For grantee staff only, specify the purpose, number of staff traveling,
mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips, and
other estimated costs for each type of travel.
• Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an
estimated acquisition cost of $10,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization
level is less than $10,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of
more than one year (see 2 CFR Part 200.1 for the definition of Equipment). List
the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.
• Supplies: Identify the cost of supplies (e.g., general office supplies, desk/chairs,
laptops/printers, other specialty items) in the detailed budget per category.
Except for general office supplies, list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per
item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment”
(see 2 CFR Part 200.1 for the definition of Supplies). Items with a unit cost of less
than $10,000 are supplies, not “equipment.”
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• Contractual: The contractual category should include all costs specifically
incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established
internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel
costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written
binding agreement or contract.
• Construction: Construction funds are not authorized.
• Other: Indicate all direct costs not covered elsewhere. For example, include
such costs as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract
is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. List
items, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere. Do not include
costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.
• Indirect Costs: Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per sections
34 CFR 75.560 - 75.564. If an applicant does not have an approved indirect cost
rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency, the applicant must apply to ED
for a temporary indirect cost rate if it wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant.
For more information, go to ED’s website. In addition, a grantee, if it is eligible,
may also use de minimis rate as provided for under 2 CFR 200.414(f).
• Total Cost: This number should be total direct costs + indirect costs.
The Budget Narrative provides an opportunity for the applicant to identify the nature and
amount of the proposed expenditures. The applicant should provide sufficient detail to
enable reviewers and project staff to understand how requested funds will be used, how
much will be expended, and the relationship between the requested funds and project
activities and outcomes.
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.232, ED staff perform a cost analysis of each recommended
project to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project, are
reasonable, allowable and allocable. ED may delete or reduce costs from the budget
during this review.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to review the Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200
subpart E 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance.
6. Other Attachment Forms
 Talent Search Program Profile Form
 Talent Search Program Assurances (Applicants can find the low-income
levels for the current year in the Federal TRIO programs at
https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-higher-education/federal-
trio-programs/federal-trio-programs-current-year-low-income-levels
 Absolute Priority Narrative (no more than 3 pages)
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 Competitive Preference Priority Narrative (no more than 1 page)
 Invitational Priority Narrative (no more than 3 pages)
Part 7: Assurances and Certifications
Be certain to complete all required assurances and certifications and include all required
information in the appropriate place on each form. The assurances and certifications
required for this application are:
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
❑
Grants.Gov Lobbying Form – “Certification Regarding Lobbying”
❑
Note: While it is required to submit the lobbying form that best meets an applicants’
situation, the two forms are classified as “optional” in Grants.gov to avoid submission
errors when only one of the lobbying form is submitted.
Attaching Files – Additional Tips
Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:
• When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative
sections and all other attachments to your application as files Portable Document
Format (PDF). ED recommends applicants submit all documents as read-only
flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-
fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure
applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.
• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have
the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your
application package should have a unique file name.
• When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by
Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be
fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special
characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when
naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period,
parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point,
comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign,
plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the
Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded for review.
• Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that
contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file
attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the
average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5
MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before
submission.
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Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov
Please go to https://www.grants.gov/support for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips
related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs
found at this Grants.gov link: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs as well as
additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-
overview.
Slow Internet Connections
When using a slow internet connection, such as a dial-up connection, to upload and
submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the
Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g., cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary
depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to
complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. Failure to fully upload an
application by the deadline date and time will result in your application being marked late
in the G5 system. If you do not have access to a high-speed internet connection, you may
want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an
exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than 14 calendar days before
the application deadline date.
Attaching Files – Additional Tips
Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:
• When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative
sections and all other attachments to your application as files in Portable
Document Format (PDF). ED recommends applicants submit all documents as
read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and
submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to
better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient
manner.
• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have
the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your
application package should have a unique file name.
• When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by
Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be
fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special
characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when
naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9,c underscore, hyphen, space, period,
parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point,
comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign,
plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the
Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to ED.
• Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that
contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file
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attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the
average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than
5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before
submission.
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2026 Talent Search program assurances.pdf

TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM ASSURANCES
Attach this Assurance Form to the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov.
Applicants must copy and paste this page into a separate document or recreate the page
exactly as it appears.
Then complete the page, save it to your computer and attach it to the “Other Attachments
Form” as a .pdf document. Do not modify or amend the contents of the form in any
way.
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I certify that the applicant will
comply with the following statutory requirements:
1. The applicant assures that at least two-thirds (2/3) of the individuals it
serves under its proposed Talent Search Program project will be low-
income individuals who are potential first-generation college students;
2. The applicant assures that it will collaborate with other Federal TRIO
projects, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs (GEAR UP) projects, or programs serving similar populations
that are serving the same target schools or target area in order to
minimize the duplication of services and promote collaboration so that
more students can be served.
3. The applicant assures that the project will be located in a setting or
settings accessible to the individuals proposed to be served by the
project; and
4. The applicant assures that if the applicant is an institution of higher
education, it will not use the project as a part of its recruitment program.
Authorized Certifying Official’s Signature Printed Name of Authorized Certifying Official
Title of Authorized Certifying Official Name of Applicant Institution/Organization
Date Signed
Attach this Assurance Form to the “Other Attachments Form” in the Grants.gov application
package.
Attention Applicants: Applicants must copy and paste this page into a separate document, or recreate
the page exactly as it appears. Then, complete the page, save it to your computer and attach it to the
“Other Attachments Form” as a .pdf document. Do not modify or amend the contents of the form in any
way.

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TS 2026 New Program Profile Sheet 3-12-26.pdf

2026 TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM PROFILE FORM
Instructions: All applicants must complete this page. The completed page must be attached to the Other
Attachments Form in the application package in Grants.gov (as a .pdf document) in the application. DO
NOT MODIFY OR AMEND THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE.
1. Applicants currently funded under the Talent Search Program (FY 2021-2026) must provide
their current grant award number. This can be found in Block 5 of the Grant Award
Notification. New applicants should leave this item blank.
PR/Award Number (Current Grantees Only please provide the last six digits of your current
PR#): P044A
Is this application that’s being submitted designated to receive prior experience: Yes_ No__
2. State/Institution/Agency/Organization/School (Legal Name):
3. All applicants must indicate the address where this project will be physically located.
Project Address:
City, State, Zip Code
4. Multiple applications submitted: No: Yes: How many?
5. Application addresses Priorities (check all that apply):
Note: See pages 6 and 7 of the Application Notice and Instructions to review the full language of each
priority. Narratives for the Absolute and Invitational Priorities, and a letter from the State’s governor
stating that the application is designated for the CPP, should be included under Other Attachments.
I. Absolute Priority- Expanding Education Choice ___
Projects or proposals that will do one or more of the following:
a. Expand access to education services that accelerate learning such as high-impact tutoring ___
b. Expand access to one or more of the following at the high school or postsecondary level:
distance education, pre-apprenticeships, or Registered Apprenticeships, including
apprenticeships for in-school or out-of-school youth ___
c. Expand access to programs or coursework that lead to in-demand, industry-recognized
postsecondary credentials ___
II. Competitive Preference Priority- Returning Education to the States ___
Projects or proposals that will be carried out by one or more of the following:
a. State educational agencies ___
b. State workforce development agencies or boards ___
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c. State higher education agencies ___
d. An Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or Tribal educational agency ___
III. Invitational Priority- Talent Marketplaces ___
6. List the target schools and estimated number of participants to be served at each school:
(1) (8)
(2) (9)
(3) (10)
(4) (11)
(5) (12)
(6) (13)
(7) (14)
Note: The project must be located in a setting accessible to the individuals the project proposes to serve. Add an
additional page to list target schools, if needed.
7. Provide the total number of proposed participants to be served each year:
(Note: Projects are expected to serve a minimum of no less than 500 participants annually and the
same number of participants, each year. Two-thirds of the participants served must be low-income,
first-generation college students).
8. Program Objectives:
Please fill in the proposed percent for each objective.
Note: These are the same objectives that MUST be stated in Part III -- Project Narrative section
of your application when addressing the Objectives and the Evaluation criteria.
A. Secondary School Persistence: % of non-senior participants served each project year will
complete the current academic year and continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade
level.
B. Secondary School Graduation (regular secondary school diploma): __________% of seniors served
during the project year will graduate during the project year with a regular secondary school diploma
within the standard number of years.
C. Secondary School Graduation (rigorous secondary school program of study): % of seniors
served during the project year will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and will
graduate during the project year with a regular secondary school diploma within the standard number of
years.
D. Postsecondary Education Enrollment: % of participants, who have graduated with a regular
secondary school diploma, during the project year, will enroll in an institution of higher education by the
fall semester immediately following high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall
semester immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but
deferred enrollment until the next academic semester (e.g. spring semester).
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E. Postsecondary Attainment: % of participants served during the project year, who enrolled in an
institution of higher education, by the fall semester immediately following high school graduation or by
the next academic semester (e.g. spring semester) as a result of acceptance but deferred enrollment will
complete a program of postsecondary education within six years.
Please note the following definitions:
Graduation in a standard number of years: means the attainment of a regular secondary
school diploma at the conclusion of, before the conclusion of, or during the summer immediately
following a participant’s fourth year of high school, unless a high school begins after ninth
grade, in which case the standard number of years is the number of grades in the school.
Enrolled: a participant who has completed the registration requirements (except for the payment
of tuition and fees) at the institution that he or she is attending.
Acceptance but Deferred Enrollment: a participant has received an acceptance letter from the
institution that he or she will attend, but cannot enroll in the fall semester immediately following
high school graduation for reasons determined by the institution. The institution defers
enrollment until the next semester.
Regular Secondary School Diploma: means a level attained by individuals who meet or exceed
the coursework and performance standards for high school completion established by the
individual’s state.
Rigorous Secondary School Program of Study: means a program of study that is--
(1) Established by a state educational agency (SEA) or local educational agency (LEA) and recognized
as a rigorous secondary school program of study by the Secretary through the process described in 34
CFR 691.16(a) through 691.16(c) for the ACG Program; or
(2) An advanced or honors secondary school program established by States and in existence for the
2004-2005 school year or later school years; or
(3) Any secondary school program in which a student successfully completes at a minimum the
following courses:
(i) Four years of English.
(ii) Three years of mathematics, including algebra I and a higher-level class such as
algebra II, geometry, or data analysis and statistics.
(iii) Three years of science, including one year each of at least two of the following
courses: biology, chemistry, and physics.
(iv) Three years of social studies.
(v) One year of a language other than English; or
(4) A secondary school program identified by a State-level partnership that is recognized by the State
Scholars Initiative of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE),
Boulder, Colorado; or
(5) Any secondary school program for a student who completes at least two courses from an
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program sponsored by the International Baccalaureate
Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, and receives a score of a “4” or higher on the examinations for at
least two of those courses; or
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TS Program Profile continued
(6) Any secondary school program for a student who completes at least two Advanced Placement
courses and receives a score of “3” or higher on the College Board’s Advanced Placement
Program Exams for at least two of those courses.
Postsecondary Attainment: completion of a program of postsecondary education that has led to
a certificate, associate or baccalaureate degree.
Institution of Higher Education: means an educational institution as defined in sections 101
and 102 of the HEA.
Program of Postsecondary Education: a formal instructional program whose curriculum is
designed primarily for students who are beyond the compulsory age for high school. This
includes programs whose purpose is academic or vocational, and excludes avocational and adult
basic education.
A note concerning the Postsecondary Attainment Objective:
Section 402A(f)(3)(A)(vi) of the Higher Education Act, as amended in 2008 by section 403(a)(5)
of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, requires the Department to use postsecondary
education completion, if practicable, to assess the success of a TS project. To implement this
statutory requirement, §643.22(d)(6) of the TS program regulations states that an “applicant may
determine success in meeting the objective by using a randomly selected sample of participants
in accordance with the parameters established by the Secretary in the Federal Register notice
inviting applications or other published application materials for the competition.”
The following guidelines provide the required parameters for establishing a random sample of
participants. Applicants should consider these parameters as they establish performance targets
for the postsecondary completion standardized objective and as they develop participant tracking
systems for that objective. Note that the purpose of §643.22(d)(6) is to reduce, not increase, the
burden on grantees. A grantee must follow the sampling guidelines discussed below or a
grantee may choose to track all participants that complete secondary schools and enroll in
postsecondary education.
Determining Sample Size
Currently, TS grantees are serving between 500 and 2,000 students. For the FY 2026
competition, the minimum number of participants to be served annually will be 500. To help
determine the sample size needed to provide reliable data on the postsecondary attainment of
project participants, we have used performance report data from existing TS projects. The data
has shown us that, typically, 20 percent of Talent Search Participants are considered “college
ready,” and out of those 78 percent enroll in postsecondary education. To that end, we are using
those statistics to determine the sample size that each TS project should use, based on number of
participants served.
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The table below breaks down how we are determining the proper sample size for each project.
For example, if your project is serving 1400 students, we can assume that 280 of those students
are considered “college ready” and out those, 218 will enroll in postsecondary education. So, we
determine that our sample size should be 140 students.
78% Enrolling in
Total Participants Sample Size (95%
20% College Ready Postsecondary
Served Confidence Level)1
Education
500 100 78 65
550 110 86 71
600 120 94 76
650 130 101 81
700 140 109 86
750 150 117 90
800 160 125 95
1 In the National Center for Education Statistics – Statistical Standard 5-1-3 – states that the criterion for judging
statistical significance will be 0.95 for confidence intervals.
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78% Enrolling in
Total Participants Sample Size (95%
20% College Ready Postsecondary
Served Confidence Level)1
Education
850 170 133 99
900 180 140 103
950 190 148 108
1000 200 156 112
1050 210 164 116
1100 220 172 120
1150 230 179 123
1200 240 187 126
1250 250 195 130
1300 260 203 134
1350 270 211 137
1400 280 218 140
1450 290 226 143
1500 300 234 146
1550 310 242 149
1600 320 250 152
1650 330 257 155
1700 340 265 158
1750 350 273 160
1800 360 281 163
1850 370 289 166
1900 380 296 168
1950 390 304 170
2000 400 312 173
Determining a Random Sample
Once a project has properly determined the sample size, the project needs to establish a process
for randomly choosing the participants that make up the sample. As a reminder, we know that if
we have a TS project of 1400 students, 218 will enroll in postsecondary education, which will
give us a sample size of 140 students. So, we will in turn use the 218 students as the “pool” in
which to choose the sample.
When establishing a random sample, each of the 218 students (in this case) has an equal chance
of being chosen. We believe the best way to get a proper random sample is described below.
• The list you use to determine your sample size should be in random order. Your list should not be
in alphabetical order, in order by sex, race or age.
• Once you have your list of students, you should assign each of them a random number. Please
see example below.
ID Number Last Name First Name Race Sex
001 Jones Mary W F
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002 Frederick Jonas H M
D Number Last Name First Name Race Sex
003 Henderson Jacob AA M
• Once your list has been established and you have randomly assigned students ID numbers, use a
random number generator – for example http://www.randomizer.org/form.htm
As you can see from the screenshot below, the first screenshot shows how the numbers
are entered into the form to determine your sample. The most important numbers entered
were the numbers per set – which is the number of our sample size, and the number range
–which is the total number of students that are enrolled in college.
The second screenshot shows the results (example) of the numbers that were generated.
• These numbers generated determine the students that you will track from your Talent Search project.
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Attach this Profile sheet to the “Other Attachments Form” in the Grants.gov application package.
Attention Applicants: Applicants must copy and paste this page into a separate
document, or recreate the page exactly as it appears. Then, complete the page, save it
to your computer and attach it to the “Other Attachments Form” as a .pdf document.
Do not modify or amend the contents of the form in any way.
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