• What happens to my application after the application review process?
• How does the Department decide which applicants get funded?
• How do I learn that my application has been funded?
• Is an application always funded for the entire amount requested?
• What does it mean if my project has cost sharing or matching requirements?
• What information does my Grant Award Notification contain?
• What happens after I get the grant award?
• How do I get my grant funds?
• How long does it take to get my grant funds?
• How do I get funds after the first year if my organization receives a multi-year award?

The big day has finally arrived. The Department notifies you that your application has been funded. You breathe a sigh of relief and then the question "What next?" undoubtedly crosses your mind. One could say that the real work begins at this point. There will be post-award communications and discussions with Department officials. And then, of course, you will start the substantive activities of your project. This section looks at the way a funding recommendation turns into a grant award, what takes place during the funding process, and how to draw down the funds that are essential for you to carry out your project successfully.

What happens to my application after the application review process?

After the application review process is completed, all applications, supporting materials, and the reviewer rating forms are returned to the program office. Program staff create a grant file for each application and carefully review the materials to ensure that all required forms (including certifications and assurances) are included and filled out correctly.

How does the Department decide which applicants get funded?

After the applications and other paperwork are collected and the grant files are created and reviewed for completeness, program staff carryout a series of steps to determine which applicants will be funded. Program staff:

• develop a rank order list from the panel scores of each application. (The panel score is derived from averaging or standardizing the scores from each reviewer on the panel that reviewed a particular application);
• determine how many applications can be funded with the available appropriations;
• perform a cost analysis on those applications that can be considered for funding. The cost analysis is done to determine whether the proposed costs of an applicant’s budget are allowable. In addition, program staff review the narratives and budgets to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project. All unallowable costs are deleted from the budget. Also during this stage, program staff may contact applicants to get more detailed information if there are any questions that need to be answered before the application can be funded. A clarification contact generally takes the form of a phone call. If the program staff requires a written response from an applicant, the response should only address the specific item(s) needing clarification;
• create a formal list or slate of the applicants that are recommended for funding and specify the recommended funding levels;
• forward the list of applicants and funding amounts to the principal officer of the program office or his or her designee for approval. With the list, program staff note any questions about specific cost items the application does not address, including those related to insufficient justifications for claimed indirect costs. The principal officer may consider information outside the application (i.e., past performance on an ED grant) in deciding what order to fund the applications;
• make awards, once the list is approved.

How do I learn that my application has been funded?

You may receive funding notification in several ways. The Department sends notification letters to members of Congress from the districts where new grantees are located. As a result, applicants sometimes receive news of the status of their applications from their congressional delegations. For some competitions, program staff might simply send the GAN to a grantee without any prior contact. For other competitions, a program staff person may contact the prospective grantee to inform the individual or organization of the grant award. Program staff might also contact some applicants, advising them that they are in a "hold" funding status. While this group might not get funded, having ranked slightly lower than the funded group, it still has a chance of being funded if additional funds become available or if one or more of the recommended applications is not funded.

The Department also informs applicants when an application is not evaluated or selected for funding. Applicants can request a written explanation of the Department’s decision. An application is not considered funded until ED sends an applicant a signed GAN. Drawing down funds under a grant obligates the applicant and the Department to the requirements that apply to the grant.

Is an application always funded for the entire amount requested?

No. In some cases the application reviewers or program staff determine that certain proposed activities in the application are unnecessary and delete them and their associated costs from the award. In others, the program staff that perform the cost analysis might determine that the amounts requested for particular items are excessive and will reduce them. Funding levels might also be restricted based on the amount of funds appropriated for a particular fiscal year for a program and the number of applications to be funded.

What does it mean if my project has cost sharing or matching requirements?

Some program legislation or regulations require that the grantee contribute some percentage of the total project costs during the budget period being funded. Be sure to read application materials carefully to learn if you are required to include cost sharing contributions in your application budget. Generally, a grantee is required to contribute a certain percentage of the total cost of the project or provide a certain percentage of the federal funds awarded. If there are any issues or discrepancies in an application regarding cost-sharing, the program staff reviewing your application will contact you to work them out, usually after an application has been selected for funding.

What information does my Grant Award Notification contain?

The GAN is the official document that states the terms, conditions, and amount of an award and is signed by the official who is authorized to obligate funds on behalf of the Department. The document is formatted into numbered blocks that provide specific information about the award, including administrative information, legislative and fiscal data, and names and phone numbers of project and program office staff. For multi-year awards, the GAN also includes information on anticipated subsequent funding periods and their tentative levels of funding. The GAN will also contain attachments, which spell out additional terms and conditions of the award and enclosures that give further guidance on administrative procedures (e.g., how to draw down funds and where to mail required reports). The attachments and enclosures contain important information about awards. Grantees are urged to pay particular attention to them.

Two copies of the GAN are mailed to each successful applicant. One copy is sent to the certifying official, the authorized representative who signed the Application for Federal Education Assistance Form (ED 424) and other required forms. The second copy is sent to the project director.

What happens after I get the grant award?

Receiving your GAN symbolizes the beginning of a partnership between your organization and the Department of Education. The partnership process focuses on establishing and cultivating relationships with all grantees to promote and ensure successful project outcomes. This partnership is characterized by frequent and ongoing communication between a grantee and program staff throughout the life of the project. Grantees are encouraged to use their program offices for technical assistance and as resources in attaining their projects’ goals, and to obtain and use the e-mail addresses of program staff to maximize communication.

The Post-Award Performance Conference is generally the first step in developing this relationship. This initial discussion takes place shortly after a new grant is awarded. The main focus of the conference is to establish a mutual understanding of the specific outcomes that are expected and to clarify measures and targets for assessing the project’s progress and results. Information on project outcomes is needed to ensure that the project achieves the objectives stated in the application. The post-award performance conference generally clarifies and lays the groundwork for monitoring practices and ongoing communication between a grantee and the Department to ensure that a project’s desired goals are achieved.

A conference can take many forms. It can be a face-to-face meeting, telephone discussion, workshop, electronic mail exchange, or notes sent via fax or mail. Furthermore, for some programs, the performance conference might involve entering into a performance agreement that is signed by both parties and specifies activities and milestones expected for the grant.

How do I get my grant funds?

Grantees get their grant funds by setting up accounts and making payment requests through e-Payments, which is accessed via the Internet on the Department’s e-Grants home page. The payment information is then forwarded through the Department’s Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS) for processing. Organizations that do not have Internet access can request funds by telephone to the Department’s GAPS Payee Hotline at 1-888-336-8930. Requests for payments are entered into e-Payments for grantees. Grantees withdraw funds for each separate grant award by PR/Award number. Once a request for payment has been made and is validated, funds are deposited into the grantee’s designated bank account. The frequency of payment requests and the amount of withdrawals must be limited to the amounts actually needed to meet the obligations made under the grant and be timed in accordance with the project’s immediate cash needs to carry out the activities of the grant.

Attachment A of the GAN explains ED’s payment system. There is also an External Access Security Form that is sent along with the GAN that must be completed and returned to the Department before an organization can request funds through e-Payments. For security purposes, user IDs and passwords for e-Payments are sent via regular mail to the persons identified on the ID request form. To further assist new users of e-Payments, the Financial Payments Group published the Payee’s Guide that provides additional information and instructions on processing payments with e-Payments. The Payee’s Guide is accessible only to registered e-Payments users with valid IDs and passwords.

If you have received a grant from the Department and your organization has already established the necessary grant accounts, you will not need to complete and send the ID form to the Department. Instead, you will receive the latest payment request information along with the GAN. In making requests for funds, please remember that a grantee may draw funds only to meet the immediate cash needs of the project for obligations made under the grant.

How long does it take to get my grant funds?

Funds are deposited in a grantee’s bank account within two business days after a payment request is made.

How do I get funds after the first year if my organization receives a multi-year award?

To receive funds after the initial year of a multi-year award, grantees must submit an interim performance report, which describes the progress the grant has made toward meeting the predefined benchmarks and milestones established at the beginning of the project. The performance report provides program staff with up-to-date information on the project’s progress (a special performance report form is provided by program staff). Some grantees will have the opportunity to submit their annual performance reports electronically using e-Reports. E-Reports automates, and operates in conjunction with, the current paper-based grant performance reporting process. E-Reports requests the same information from grantees as paper reports, but in electronic format on the Web. Your program office will notify you if you have the option to use e-Reports.

Program staff use the information in the performance report in combination with the project’s fiscal and management performance data to determine subsequent funding decisions. The annual performance report should also specify any changes that need to be made to the project for the upcoming funding period. A grantee cannot get a continuation award if it hasn’t filed all the reports required for the grant. Before a continuation award can be issued, program staff review the information in the performance report and the grant’s financial and project management activities to determine if a grantee has made substantial progress in reaching the project’s objectives and that expenditures correspond to the project’s plans and timelines. If these requirements are met, program staff issue a continuation award. Grantees generally receive their GANS within four to six weeks after submitting their performance reports to the Department.

Grantees are urged to contact their program staff as often as necessary to ensure that substantial progress is made during the funding period. Program staff are available to answer questions, provide technical assistance, and help grantees better understand federal requirements and procedures to ensure that the goals of their projects are achieved.

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