FY2026: Transition to College

Fund Code: 0668

Purpose:

The purpose of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Transition to College grant program (Transition Program) is to provide a foundation of services, free of charge, within Massachusetts colleges that enable adult learners to enroll, persist, and complete postsecondary education.

Self-sufficiency is the ultimate goal of Transition Program services. To that end, applicants may propose Transition to College services and College Support Services as described below. Grants must be developed consistent with Public Law 113-128, Sections 201 through 243 .

Priorities:

Transition to College Services (required)

The following priorities have been established for Transition to College Services:

• establish two or more Memoranda of Agreement with DESE-funded Community Adult Learning Centers (CALCs) or Correctional Institutions (see Appendix A in FY 2024-FY 2026 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Transition to College Programs );
• enroll and retain at least one cohort of 15 adults, 12 of whom were previously enrolled in DESE-funded CALCs or Correctional Institutions for a program design lasting one academic year;
• incorporate at least one cohort strategy (e.g., students' enrollment in a common course, ongoing group advising);
• fully integrate students into the college;
• provide academic instruction, including a College for Success course, and intrusive advising;
• offer a program design that focuses on providing students in-person or hybrid classes and on-campus experiences;
• offer at least two credit-bearing courses (3 credits per course);
• provide access to additional credit-bearing courses (priority funding will be given to proposals that propose high numbers of credit-bearing courses above the required minimum).

College Support Services

The College Support Services program is an optional service offering intended for colleges interested in providing services to Transition students after one academic year. It is DESE's expectation that these students have achieved some level of self-sufficiency and would not need the same level of intrusive advising they had in their first academic year. Applicants will need to describe the need for continued services and how they will provide a gradual release of responsibility in order for students to achieve full self-sufficiency.

The following priorities have been established for College Support Services:

• propose a number of Transition students to serve and retain;
• propose a period of time to serve these students (maximum of two semesters or one academic year);
• propose advising and other services to build on the self-management competencies students acquired in the first academic year such as ongoing advising that will move students to self-sufficiency.
• provide additional services such as access to credit-bearing courses and facilitating students' transition to four-year colleges.

Eligibility:

This is a continuation grant. All recipients awarded in the FY2024 Open and Competitive process are eligible to apply.

Funding Type:

State Line Item 7035-0002

The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Funding:

Transition to College funding requirement for FY26:

All DESE funded Transition to College programs are required to use Mass Reconnect or MassEducate funds for eligible students for tuition, fees, and other approved expenses prior to using ACLS grant funds. ACLS will cover expenses for students not eligible for MassReconnect or MassEducate funds as long as they meet the eligibility requirements for the Transition to College grant program. FY 2026 funding for each program was adjusted accordingly.

Approximately up to $1,654,042 is available for this grant funded program.

College	Transition to College Services	College Support Services	Total
Bristol Community College	$140,000	$33,705	$173,705
Bunker Hill Community College	$140,000	N/A	$140,000
Cape Cod Community College	$107,748	N/A	$107,748
Greenfield Community College	$80,589	N/A	$80,589
Holyoke Community College	$140,000	$40,000	$180,000
Massasoit Community College	$140,000	N/A	$140,000
Middlesex Community College	$140,000	$40,000	$180,000
Mount Wachusett Community College	$140,000	$40,000	$180,000
Northern Essex Community College	$140,000	N/A	$140,000
Quinsigamond Community College	$140,000	$40,000	$180,000
Springfield Technical Community College	$112,000	$40,000	$152,000
Totals	$1,420,337	$233,705	$1,654,042

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Funds must be used in accordance with the FY 2024-2026 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Transition to College Programs . Programs should adhere to the community college's policies around student eligibility when determining the eligibility of prospective students.

Administrative costs may not exceed 15% of the total grant award.

Adult Education and Family Literacy Services is a restricted rate program that is subject to a statutory "supplement not supplant" restriction. For this competition, applicants may include indirect cost rates to recover certain business-related expenses necessary to support the proposed services.

• A non-LEA that has a current federally approved restricted indirect cost rate may use that rate.
• A non-LEA that has an FY25 approved indirect cost rate may use that rate. However, if awarded a grant, the agency must reapply to DESE for FY26 and annually through the grant cycle (2 CFR 200.332 ).
• A non-LEA that does not have either a Federal or DESE approved indirect cost rate may budget up to 8% percent of the agency's proposed budget to recover certain business-related expenses. However, if awarded a grant, the agency must apply to DESE for FY25 and that there is no guarantee that the rate will be approved (2 CFR 200.332 ).

Project Duration:

Upon Approval (No Earlier than 7/1/2025)* – 6/30/2026

* Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Adult and Community Learning Services

Contact:

Derek Kalchbrenner

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3812

Date Due:

Friday, June 13, 2025 by 5:00 PM

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

Additional Information:

• FY24-FY26 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Transition to College Programs

• Indicators of Program Quality

• Grants Essential Information

• ISA Revisions

State and community colleges are required to have ISA paperwork attached to the grant. These applicants will receive an ISA to sign once the budget has been reviewed and approved by the program unit.

• Based on the ISA budget tags in GEM$, Grants Management will develop an ISA and attach it back to the grant, in Sections, for applicant review, completion, and signature. A note via GEM$ will be sent upon its availability.
• Please be sure to complete any required language on pages 2 and 3 of the ISA, as relevant.
• Once reviewed and signed, attach it back to the grant by creating a comment (create comment) in Sections in GEM$. Please click the "Send email" box within the comment section so that Grants Management is alerted to the ISA being signed.
• DESE will counter sign the ISA and a final executed copy will be attached to the grant, in Sections.

If changes/revisions to the budget result in ISA budget tag changes, a revision to the ISA will also be required under the same process outlined above.

The grant will then be moved through DESE fiscal budget approved. The grant cannot be DESE fiscal approved without a signed ISA. While all applicants will need to utilize the budget tags, the ISA process applies to Community Colleges only.

Submission Instructions:

The FY26 0668 Transition to College will be submitted in GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: June 5, 2025