Identify trends in your state’s IDEA fiscal data with this online resource. Part C and Part B state staff can use these data questions to better understand their state systems, refine policies and practices, and initiate conversations about how to support programs for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
State Set-Aside
Quick Reference Guide on IDEA Part B State Set-Aside Funds
Understand the basic requirements of IDEA Part B state set-aside funds with this guide for SEA staff. Learn how minimum and maximum amounts are calculated, how to report on anticipated uses of the funds, and the required and permissive uses. Includes questions and answers for states to consider and sets the stage for budget discussions with your SEA partners.
OSEP Memo: Review of Obligation and Liquidation Timelines and Authority, and Process for Requesting Late Liquidations
This OSEP memo clarifies obligation and liquidation timelines for IDEA Part B and Part C grants, including the timelines and process for requesting late liquidations.
Guidance for Common Prior Approval Requests Under IDEA Parts B and C
This OSEP guidance summarizes the approval process and requirements for three common categories of direct costs for which states must obtain prior approval before using IDEA funds: equipment expenditures, participant support costs, and revision of cost items within budget and program plans. Please also consult the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) Frequently Asked Questions on Prior Approval from October 2019.
Fiscal Management for State Agencies with Primary Fiscal Responsibility
OSEP uses this protocol to provide differentiated monitoring and support to states with unitary systems, or which utilize internal controls and systems centralized within a state educational agency or state lead agency to ensure compliance with federal fiscal requirements. The protocol has an overarching question for each of the following fiscal topics: fiscal management, fiscal support and guidance, procurement, personnel, budgeting and activities, records and information management, period of performance and carryover, equipment and supplies management, and Part B parentally-placed private school children with disabilities. Each overarching question includes general information, possible follow-up questions, and areas (or issues) for follow-up.
Resources for Grantees Website – Grants
This U.S. Department of Education web page contains resources pertaining to the three OSEP-administered IDEA formula grants that are awarded annually to provide services to 1) infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, 2) preschool children ages 3-5, and 3) special education for children and youth with disabilities.
The site includes Part B and Part C grant award letters, annual grant application templates, application instructions and procedures, public participation topic briefs, and checklists.
Letter to Batson
This OSEP letter addresses the use of state set-aside funds under Part B of the IDEA for professional development related to Louisiana’s Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) Initiative. OSEP explains that under 34 CFR §300.704(b)(4)(i), (iii) and (viii), state set-aside funds can be used for support and direct services, which may include assisting LEAs in providing positive behavioral interventions.
Letter to DeTemple
This OSEP letter addresses whether state set-aside funds under 34 CFR §300.704 can be used, in conjunction with other state and federal funds, to provide technical assistance to schools and LEAs identified for corrective action or improvement under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), due to their failure to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP). OSEP notes that the authority under 34 CFR §300.704(b)(4)(xi) is limited to schools and LEAs identified for improvement on the sole basis of the assessment results for the disaggregated subgroup of children with disabilities. The letter discusses other relevant provisions and confirms that funds reserved by a state under 34 CFR §300.704(b)(1) can be used without regard to the prohibitions on commingling or state-level supplanting, as described in 34 CFR §300.704(d).
Letter to Flinter
This OSEP letter responds to a question about the use of state set-aside funds under Section 619 of the IDEA for a statewide training system for early childhood teachers and care givers. OSEP concludes that funding the project with state set-aside funds would not be inconsistent under Section 619(f)(5) because the project would be supplemented with other funds and is a part of a statewide, coordinated services system designed to improve results for children and families. It notes that the total amount used under Section 619(f)(5) may not exceed one percent of the amount received under Section 619 for the fiscal year.
[Note: Since this letter’s publication in 2001, the regulations have changed. Section 619(f)(5) is now Section 619(f)(4).]
At A Glance: IDEA Part B Grants to States and Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies
This one-page graphic provides a high-level overview of how states reserve IDEA Part B funds for state activities and allocate subgrants to LEAs, including key components like state set-aside funds, base payments, and population and poverty calculations. Ideal for communicating with education partners and policymakers as well as orienting new state fiscal staff.
