Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA: American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS), Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84.250R | ED GRANTS 110624 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 110624 001

The American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) grant is a discretionary funding opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Listed under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.250R (Funding Opportunity Number: ED GRANTS 110624 001), the program is designed to help Indian Tribes build or strengthen vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for eligible American Indians with disabilities who live on or near Federal or State reservations. The core aim is employment: supporting people in preparing for, securing, and keeping high-quality jobs that improve long-term economic self-sufficiency, with services shaped around each individual’s strengths, needs, priorities, interests, abilities, and informed choice. A key emphasis is that services should be culturally appropriate, reflecting the community context and the lived realities of tribal members.

Eligibility is limited and very specific. Applications may be submitted only by Indian Tribes, including consortia of Indian Tribes, located on Federal or State reservations. For purposes of this program, the term "Indian Tribe" follows the Rehabilitation Act definition and includes federally or state recognized tribes, bands, rancherias, pueblos, colonies, or communities, as well as Alaska Native villages and regional village corporations formed under or recognized through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The program also recognizes Tribal organizations as potential applicants, using the definition from the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The notice also clarifies what counts as a "reservation" under 34 CFR 371.6, covering not only traditional reservations, but also public domain Indian allotments, former reservations in Oklahoma, certain Alaska Native corporation lands, and other defined land areas recognized by a state or the federal government where tribal members are concentrated and where the tribal government provides structured services and activities.

The applicant must meet the requirements in 34 CFR 371.2. In practice, that means the application must come from either the governing body of an Indian Tribe (applying for itself or leading a consortium) or from a Tribal organization that is legally separate from the Tribe. If the applicant is a Tribal organization rather than the tribal governing body, it must (1) have vocational rehabilitation of American Indians with disabilities as one of its functions and (2) have approval from the Tribe it intends to serve. If the proposed project will benefit more than one Tribe, each Tribe’s approval is required before an award can be made, whether the applicant is a consortium lead, a single tribal government serving multiple Tribes, or a Tribal organization providing services across communities.

The funding details presented in the opportunity summary indicate an expected eight awards, with an award ceiling of $750,000. The closing date listed for applications is March 6, 2025. The opportunity is categorized as a grant, and the activity area is identified broadly as education, though the program itself is vocational rehabilitation-focused and intended to move participants toward competitive, high-quality employment outcomes.

The public synopsis repeatedly points applicants back to the official Federal Register notice as the controlling document. That official notice is where applicants will find the complete requirements, including any priorities, required performance measures, pre-application or application components, and the exact submission process. The synopsis also points to the Department of Education’s Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022) for the standard federal submission and formatting rules, as well as the official addresses and procedures for obtaining and submitting an application. In other words, this summary tells you what the program is for and who can apply, but the Federal Register notice is the place to confirm compliance details before investing time in a full application.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA: American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS), Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84.250R" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.250.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 110624 001

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