Please Note
Applications are due by 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017.
The application deadline will be strictly enforced. Applications submitted after 3 p.m. EST on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017 will not be reviewed.
All applications must be submitted through the Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). For more information about EGMS, please visit OSSE's website.
This application will be open for 30 business days. Please avoid last minute technical submission issues by submitting early. OSSE strongly recommends submitting your application at least one day early to ensure that avoidable technical issues do not cause you to miss the submission deadline.
Overview of the SOAR Act
As a part of a three-sector federal funding approach, the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act, Pub. L. 112-10, 125 Stat. 199, authorizes funding “to improve and expand quality public charter schools in the District of Columbia.” § 3004(b)(2). SOAR Act funds for District of Columbia (DC) charter schools are provided to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) through the US Department of Education (USED) as a grant. The SOAR Act also provides funding for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) for DC students to attend private schools.
In April 2012, DC and USED signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the administration of the SOAR Act funds. The MOU requires OSSE to submit to USED an annual proposal for the use of funds, including funding priorities. Each year, OSSE’s Office of Public Charter School Financing and Support (OPCSFS) conducts stakeholder engagement prior to submitting the application. OPCFS sought stakeholder feedback during the fall of 2016 prior to submitting the FFY 2016 application. USED approved the application and issued a Grant Award Notice (GAN) to OSSE on May 25, 2017.
