Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2027: Adult Education and Family Literacy Services

Fund Codes: 0340 / 0345 / 359a

Purpose:

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will administer the Adult Education and Family Literacy Services continuation grants to Community Adult Learning Centers (fund code 0340/0345) including Outstationing, consistent with Public Law 113-128, Sections 201 through 243, across 16 local workforce development areas for CALCs, as follows:

  1. To create a partnership among the Federal Government, States, and localities to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education (AE) services (ESOL, ABE, pre-ASE, ASE, ADP, family literacy) to:
    1. assist eligible individuals to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;
    2. assist eligible individuals who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that—
      1. are necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children, and
      2. result in sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;
    3. assist eligible individuals in attaining a secondary school credential and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; and
    4. assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners to—
      1. improve their—
        1. (1) reading, writing, speaking and comprehension skills in English; and
        2. (2) mathematical skills;
      2. acquire an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and responsible citizenship.
  2. To reduce disparity in education by providing, in collaboration with WIOA partners and others, high quality AE programming that provides an inclusive and welcoming environment, rigorous curriculum and instruction, and related services responsive to and supportive of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
  3. To support innovation in the development of AE services to effectively serve eligible individuals most in need of education services in the 16 local workforce development areas through in-person and remote instruction and in coordination and collaboration with WIOA partner services.
  4. To improve and accelerate participant outcomes, especially educational functioning level completion, high school equivalency (HSE) credential or high school diploma (ADP) attainment, and enrollment in post-secondary education or training.

The purpose of outstationing is to help eligible individuals access adult education services by assisting MassHire Career Center staff with intake, assessments, and referrals to adult education programs in the local area and educate current students about career center services.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to CALC programs funded in FY26 that successfully met their performance measures.

Eligibility:

FY2027 is a continuation year grant. All recipients awarded through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Services Open and Competitive FY2024-2028 grant funding cycle who received grants in FY2026 are eligible to apply.

Funding Type:

Fund Code 0345 and 359a: State Line Item 7035-0002
Fund Codes 0340: Federal CFDA 84.002

Federal grant funds must adhere to:

  • UGG (2 CFR 200)
  • EDGAR As Applicable
  • EDGAR General Fiscal Administration 34 CFR Part 76

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:

Approximately $55,000,000 is available.

Outstationing funding in the amount $18,000 is available to agencies in the Bristol Workforce region that would like to provide outstationing services in that area. Interested (and eligible agencies) can apply in GEM$ application to provide these services.

See GEM$ for fund codes 0345/0340/359a. Grant amounts were determined through a proposal review during the O&C process based on regional allocations, Massachusetts considered the regional educational need, the demand for services, and historical funding and score of the proposal. In addition, funding was adjusted based on increases/decreases applied in FY24–FY26.

FY27 is the fourth year of funding for the 5-year funding cycle FY24–28.

Funding is subject to state and federal appropriation.

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 FY24-FY28 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Adult Education in Community Adult Learning Centers and Correctional Institutions to provide adult education to eligible students; eligible students are:

  • are at least 16 years of age;
  • are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under state law; and
  • do not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent and have not achieved an equivalent level of education; or are basic skills deficient; or are English language learners.

Students under 18 must provide a letter of withdrawal from the local school district in order to enroll in the program. Students who are home schooled must provide a letter from the local school district stating that they are not enrolled.

As defined by the Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR §463.25 and §463.26 , not less than 95 percent of funds must be spent on adult education direct services and literacy activities. If awarded, programs may negotiate on an individual basis with DESE to determine an adequate level of funds for non-instructional purposes by submitting a written request and rationale annually with their continuation applications. Administrative costs must be reasonable, necessary, and allocable.

Not less than 95 percent of funds must be spent on adult education direct services and literacy activities; not more than 5 percent may be spent on administrative costs (related to planning, administration, (including carrying out performance accountability requirements), professional development, providing adult education and literacy services in alignment with local workforce plans, carrying out one-stop partner responsibilities, and state approved indirect costs charged to the grant.

Programs may negotiate a higher administrative cost percentage by submitting a written request and rationale with application.

Applicants may include indirect cost rates to recover certain business-related expenses necessary to support the proposed services. Please note that indirect costs count as administrative costs.

Adult Education Services is a restricted rate program that is subject to a statutory "supplement not supplant" restriction. Grantees are required to use a restricted indirect cost rate of 8%, unless your calculated indirect cost rate is less than 8%, than you must use the lower rate for your budget. If you have an approved negotiated federal indirect cost rate, it must be submitted to DESE. If you do not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement, you must apply annually to DESE for an approved indirect cost rate. The indirect cost rate is calculated using costs specified in the grantee's indirect cost plan. Those specified costs may not be charged as direct costs to the grant or to any other grant under any circumstances.

Applicants are required to provide an auditable matching share of 20% of the total amount of the requested grant award.

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.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* (no Earlier than 7/1/2026) – 6/30/2027

* 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 (ACLS)

Contact:

Jolanta Conway

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3853

Date Due:

Thursday, May 28th, 2026

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

GEM$ submission at the LEA Fiscal Representative Approved level step must be submitted by the due date.

Additional Information:

See GEM$ Funding Application for ISA Guidance Documents

GEM$ Submission Instructions:

The FY27 FC 0340 / 0345 / 359a Adult Education and Family Literacy Services must be submitted in GEM$. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system.

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 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: May 5, 2026

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