Texas Military-Connected Student Support and Capacity Grant

The Texas Military-Connected Student Support and Capacity Grant for 2026–2028 is a state-funded initiative administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) with the purpose of bolstering infrastructure, resources, and coordinated support systems for military-connected students and their families across Texas. Designed to address the academic, social-emotional, and transitional needs of nearly 230,000 military-connected students in public schools statewide, the grant aims to strengthen educational equity and access through sustained support, regional alignment, and innovative programming. The grant is authorized under the General Appropriations Act, Article III, Rider 19, from the 89th Texas Legislature and is funded entirely through nonfederal state funds totaling $500,000. The program is exclusively open to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), which will serve as the sole grantee responsible for executing the program’s vision. MCEC is tasked with advancing four strategic priorities: creating high-quality course content and training modules for educators; enhancing the Purple Star Campus Designation (PSCD) program to expand recognition of exemplary military-connected campuses; building Education Service Center (ESC) capacity to serve as regional hubs of military support expertise; and developing accessible resources, toolkits, and digital content tailored to the challenges faced by military-connected families. These efforts will be carried out through collaboration with TEA and local school systems to ensure impact, consistency, and alignment with statewide goals. Allowable uses of grant funds include payroll, contracted services, travel (in-state and out-of-state with justification), consumables, and student participation in approved conferences. Notably, the grant prohibits activities such as field trips, stipends for non-employees, executive travel, and other expenditures that do not directly align with the grant’s intended purpose. Shared services arrangements are not permitted under this grant, and pre-award costs are disallowed. The grant is administered through reimbursement after award notification, and indirect administrative costs are limited to an 8% ceiling for eligible nonprofit organizations. The project’s implementation timeline spans from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028. The application window opens on February 27, 2026, and closes on March 30, 2026. Performance milestones and reporting are governed by a Required Activities Document (RAD), which will be co-developed by TEA and the grantee within 60 days of submission. Reporting expectations include monthly milestone updates, weekly communication with TEA staff, and a final fiscal and programmatic report detailing the impact and outcomes of all funded activities. Evaluative components will focus on capacity building, training impact, implementation fidelity, and measurable improvements in student support practices. The grant also includes robust oversight and quality assurance mechanisms. These include deliverables such as PSCD scoring reports, ESC engagement documentation, summit evaluations, and continuous feedback loops with TEA. All resources produced through the grant must adhere to ADA accessibility standards, be provided in both English and Spanish, and comply with TEA branding and publication standards. The materials remain the intellectual property of TEA and are subject to final review and approval prior to distribution. The grant application must be submitted through TEA’s Standard Application System (SAS), consisting of both a narrative PDF and a budget spreadsheet. No additional program-related attachments are required. Questions regarding the grant may be directed to Dr. Ann H. Lê at [email protected] or (512) 463-9670, with funding inquiries directed to Angelica Soriano at [email protected].