Special LAW Alert: More Grants! - Apply by June 23. ACCT Webinar May 29

May 22, 2026

LAW ALERT (Grant Edition)

Yesterday, the Department of Education (ED) released a batch of grant competitions, all with a deadline of June 23, 11:59 PM ET, a short window of a month. The following are grants that could be of interest to community colleges.

Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) ($366 million)
Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program ($45 million)
Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program ($10 million)
Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program ($9 million)
Open Textbook Pilot Program ($7 million)
Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program ($5 million)

For a breakdown on these grants and strategies for community colleges, tune into an off-the-record grants webinar with Amanda Fuchs Miller, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs at the Department of Education and President of Seventh Street Strategies, on May 29, 2026, 02:00 PM ET. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Meanwhile, these are the other grant competitions that are currently active:

Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) ($ 73,537,309) Due May 29, 2026,
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) ($11,550,000) Due June 12, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) ($13,014,675) Due June 12, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot grant opportunity ($25 million) Due July 10, 2026, 4:59 PM ET

Read on to the next section for additional information.

Grant Opportunities

Please review the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education's Community College webpage for other grants community colleges are eligible for. These below are the top highlights:

Strengthening Institutions Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education opened the FY 2026 Strengthening Institutions Program competition to help eligible institutions improve academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability for institutions with a large share of low-income students and low expenditures per student. To be eligible, institutions must have completed the eligibility application by April 23. The final eligibility list will be released in "late May." The SIP competition itself will provide nearly $366 million, providing an estimated 600 grants of $3-$5 million for five years each. Congress enacted $102,070,000 for SIP in FY26.

The Department of Education (ED) deems that Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) programs are unconstitutional. ED appears to be using a one-time congressional flexibility to move funds from MSI programs to SIP, although it is currently unclear how much funding will be drawn from each MSI program.

ACCT strongly encourages all eligible community colleges -- including MSIs-- to apply for SIP

This year, applicants may earn up to five points from one of these competitive preference priorities:

Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness,
Developing high-quality short-term programs that meet Workforce Pell Grant requirements, or
Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education.

Applicants may also earn 0 or 10 points for serving a rural population.

The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Postsecondary Education released released $10 million for the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program competition. ED expects to make 10 awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million to support programs that address students’ basic needs and improve postsecondary success outcomes. This year's competitive preference provides 0 or 10 points to state agencies or Native American tribes. Thus, community colleges may wish to partner with these entities to increase their chances of winning funds. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $45 million is available for the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program. The purpose of this grant is to "improve rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among rural students through development of career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region." The Department of Education expects to make 300 awards through this initiative. Entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official to implement the project can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $9 million is available for the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program. The aim of this grant is to encourage institutions of higher education to develop model programs to support veteran student success. The Department of Education expects to make 4 awards through this initiative. Projects that promote workforce development programs, offer career and college advising, and/or provide opportunities for students to use financial tools to compare the costs and benefits of career opportunities can earn up to 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $5 million are available for the FY 2026 Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program competition. The Department of Education expects to make four awards through this initiative, which supports programs helping gang-involved youth transition into higher education opportunities. Applicants can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority: "Projects or proposals that will be carried out by entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official for purposes of implementing the project or proposal." The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Open Textbook Pilot Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $7 million is available for the Open Textbook Pilot Program. The goal of this program is to support recipients with projects that "create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks and course materials in courses that are part of a degree-granting program, particularly those with high enrollments. This pilot program emphasizes the development of projects that demonstrate the greatest potential to achieve the highest level of savings for students through sustainable, expanded use of open textbooks in high-enrollment courses or in programs that prepare individuals for in-demand fields." The Department of Education expects to make four awards through this initiative. Projects carried out by state higher education agencies can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority, and proposals that advance artificial intelligence can earn up to 10 points. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released this year’s competition for Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS). This year, ED expects to make 148 awards between $150,000 to $1,000,000 for four-year grants to colleges with at least $250,000 in Pell Grant funding to support child care for parenting low-income students. Here is an FAQ from ED. The deadline to apply is May 29, 2026.

High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

New federal grant opportunities have opened for institutions serving migrant and underserved student populations. The Department of Education has opened competitions for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), both of which provide academic and support services to migrant and seasonal farmworker students pursuing postsecondary education. The deadline to submit an application for HEP and CAMP is June 12, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot grant opportunity

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced a grant aimed at strengthening workforce development and artificial intelligence training initiatives. Higher education advocates note these programs could provide important funding opportunities for community colleges seeking to expand student support services and workforce training programs. The deadline to submit an application is July 10, 2026, 4:59 PM ET via the EDGE submission portal.

May 29, 2 PM ET Grants Webinar with Amanda Fuchs Miller
May 29, 11:59 PM ET. Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Grant Closes
June 5, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
June 12, 11:59 PM ET HEP Grant Application Closes
June 12 ,11:59 PM ET CAMP Grant Application Closes
June 23, 11:59 PM ET
July 10, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
July 10, 4:59 PM ET AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program Application Closes
August 7, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
September 4, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
October 2, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
October 21-24 ACCT Leadership Congress
November 6, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
December 4, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live

Outreach Efforts

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ACCT NOW is the go-to resource for issues affecting community colleges. Our new website features original reporting and research, as well as of-the-moment legislative updates. ACCT NOW also includes articles, reports, and research from outside sources that benefit the ACCT community. Read the Latest Articles on ACCT NOW:

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