FY27 Direct Investment in Students Grant - Request for Application (RFA)
Overview:
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the fiscal year 2027 (FY27) Direct Investment in Students (DIS) grant on Aug. 14, 2026. OSSE will fund local education agencies (LEAs) to provide direct services to eligible students at the District's highest-need schools. The DIS grant program supports the following five categories of direct student services authorized under federal law:
- Additional Coursework: enrollment in academic courses not otherwise offered at a student’s school;
- High School Credits: credit recovery and academic acceleration that lead to a high school diploma;
- Higher Education Coursework: costs for exams, dual enrollment, or other postsecondary course work that are accepted for credit at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs);
- High-Impact Tutoring: math and/or English language arts (ELA) high-impact tutoring (HIT); and
- Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) School Transportation: transportation to allow a student at a CSI school to transfer to another public or public charter school.
DIS Grant Application Documents
- FY27 Direct Investment in Students grant - Request for Application (RFA)
- Program Model and Budget Template: Applicants must complete the program model and budget template for each program type they apply for and upload them into EGMS as part of the application:
- Notice of Intent to Apply Form: All eligible entities seeking to receive funding under this RFA should submit a Notice of Intent to Apply, signed by an authorized official of the organization, via email to [email protected] on or before Sept. 14, 2026.
How to Apply:
LEAs interested in applying for the Direct Investment in Students grant must apply through OSSE’s online Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) that is accessible at the following link: grants.osse.dc.gov.
DIS Grant Application Resources:
- Direct Investment in Students Eligible Schools: Eligible schools for this grant opportunity can be found here:
- OSSE HIT Vetted Program List: Applicants proposing HIT programs must partner with an approved program on OSSE’s HIT Vetted Program List.
- Pre-application webinar 1: Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET (Register here)
- Pre-application webinar 2: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET (Register here)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Documents and Process:
All questions must be submitted via email to [email protected] and [email protected]. Questions about the DIS grant will be answered via public FAQ documents at the following timeline:
- FAQ Document (Posted here on timeline described below)
- Questions about the DIS grant received by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 will be published with answers by Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.
- Questions received by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 will be published with answers by Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
To promote fairness and ensure all applicants have access to the same information about the grant application process, any questions received after 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 will not be answered.
Key Dates:
- Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET (Register here): Pre-application webinar 1 (interested applicants are encouraged to attend one of the two webinar options)
- Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET (Register here): Pre-application webinar 2 (interested applicants are encouraged to attend one of the two webinar options)
- Friday, Aug. 21, 2026: Deadline for submitting questions to be answered in first round of FAQs
- Friday, Sept. 11, 2026: Deadline for submitting questions to be answered in second round of FAQs:
- Monday, Sept. 14, 2026: Notice of Intent to Apply deadline:
- Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026 by 12 p.m.: DIS grant application deadline
Professional Learning Opportunity – Developing an Evidence-Based High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Plan
*Recommended for all LEAs submitting a DIS grant application for HIT services*
OSSE invites all LEA and school leaders to an in-person workshop, led by Johns Hopkins University Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE), that is focused on developing an actionable school HIT plan built around an evidence-based program for the 2026-27 school year and beyond. The workshop will help LEAs select programs from the new HIT Vetted Program List that features programs with evidence of effectiveness. Participants will accomplish the following:
- Identify clear goals for tutoring: What do you want tutoring to help your school achieve? Which students do you want to serve?;
- Learn to distinguish programs by strength of evidence and deepen understanding of how research evidence can support program selection;
- Examine other program factors that are useful to consider when selecting a program;
- Work through the vetted program list in a collaborative setting to identify best-fit programs; and
- Make a plan for implementation that is realistic, addresses a school’s previous HIT challenges (e.g., scheduling conflicts that were difficult to resolve!), and is aligned to how the program was implemented in the research.
Target Audience
The target audience for this workshop is LEA and/or schools leaders interested in:
- Strengthening impact and sustainability of their school’s HIT programming
- Partnering with third-party providers to implement HIT programs on the HIT Vetted Program List; and/or
- Applying for the Direct Investment in Students grant opportunity.
Time and Location
For schools serving grades K-5 students:
- Thursday, Sept. 3, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- OSSE Building, First Floor, 1050 First St. NE 20002
For schools serving grades 6-12 students:
- Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- OSSE Building, First Floor, 1050 First St. NE 20002
Email any questions to [email protected] and [email protected].