Project Title: Support for Career and Technical Student Organizations
CFDA Code: 84.048
Funding Period: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
General Information: Federal
The purpose of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act is to improve the academic and career, and technical skills of secondary (5-12) and post-secondary students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs. Funds made available under this Act are to supplement, but not supplant, non-federal funds expended to carry out career and technical education activities.
Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) provide students the opportunity to learn more about and develop skills in their respective career areas as an integral part of the career and technical education program of instruction.
(1) The support of career and technical student organizations that are an integral part of the career and technical education instructional program, especially with respect to efforts to increase minority participation in those organizations.
(2) The support of career and technical student organizations may include but is not limited to, expenditures for:
(i) The positions of State executive secretaries and State advisors for career and technical student organizations;
(ii) Leadership development workshops;
(iii) The development of curriculum for career and technical student organizations; and
(iv) Field or laboratory work incidental to vocational (career and technical) training so long as the activity is supervised by vocational (career and technical) education personnel who are qualified in the occupational area and is available to all students in the instructional program without regard to membership in any student organizations.
(3) The support of vocational (career and technical) student organizations may not include:
(i) Lodging, feeding, conveying, or furnishing transportation to conventions or other forms of social assemblage;
(ii) Purchase of supplies, jackets, and other effects for students’ personal ownership;
(iii) Cost of non-instructional activities such as athletic, social, or recreational events;
(iv) Printing and disseminating non-instructional newsletters;
(v) Purchase of awards for recognition of students, advisors, and other individuals; or
(vi) Payment of membership dues
General Information: State
As outlined in Iowa's transition plan for the administration of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, a portion of the funds received by the state through this Act is reserved for career and technical education program students who are members of career and technical student organizations. The funds are to be used to provide supplementary support services for individuals participating in career and technical education programs. The services are to assist these individuals in their successful completion of career and technical education programs.
Permissive Uses of Grant Funds (examples)
(1) Coordinate state’s delegation at national meetings
(2) Conference planning service
Regional processing Lodging for advisor or director Meal planning Agenda planning Related travel for coordinator (include as part of contract) Collect/assemble state applications
(3) Officer oversight
Agenda Arrangement Officer training Officer travel, other than conference/convention-related (see item 1 in non-permissive uses)
(4) Communication with local advisor
Preparation of materials Mailings Communication with local advisors
(5) Membership Processing
Accept/process membership applications Send membership information to the National Office Fiscal responsibilities Collect/deposit receipts from membership and conference fees Prepare financial reports
(6) Development of curriculum for career and technical student organizations
Non-Permissive Uses of Grant Funds
Consistent with federal guidelines (Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 34, Chapter IV, Part 400, Section 403.71 ), CTSO grant funds may not be used for the following:
(1) Lodging, feeding, conveying, or furnishing transportation to conventions or other forms of social assemblage for students;
(2) Purchase of supplies, jackets, and other effects for students’ personal ownership;
(3) Cost of non-instructional activities such as athletic, social, or recreational events;
(4) Printing and disseminating non-instructional newsletters;
(5) Purchase of awards for recognition of students, advisors, and other individuals; or
(6) Payment of membership dues
Targeted Population/Eligible Recipients
The Perkins Act specifically includes Career and Technical Student Organization activities as allowable uses of funds at the state and local level. “Career and Technical Education Student Organization” means an organization for individuals enrolled in career and technical programs that engage in career and technical education activities as an integral part of the instructional program. The eligible recipients of this grant application are limited to the CTSO state organizations recognized by the State of Iowa, which include the following:
FFA FCCLA DECA Business Professionals of America Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda Technology Student Association SkillsUSA HOSA - Future Health Professionals
Many student organizations are not CTSOs; to be a CTSO, the student organization:
Must have a constitution/bylaws, Must be a student-led organization, Must have a Board of Directors, Must have board meetings at least quarterly to approve the financial reports, Must maintain records of minutes, and finances, Must provide career and leadership development opportunities for students enrolled in secondary and/or postsecondary career and technical education programs, especially with respect to efforts to increase the participation of students in nontraditional fields and students who are members of special populations, and Must follow the Iowa Department of Education Career and Technical Student Organizations Financial Guidelines. (Click here for more information)
Funding Provisions
The method used to calculate the respective CTSO allocations is based on four parts.
Part 1 - 50% of the total leadership dollars available divided by the number of grants.
Part 2 - 10% of the total leadership dollars available divided by the number of students in the CTSO to the total state CTSO membership
Part 3 - 30% of the total leadership dollars available divided by the number of chapters in the CTSO to the total state CTSO chapters
Part 4 - 10% of the total leadership dollars available divided by the number of CTSOs that have membership growth
Requirements for Reporting and Requesting Reimbursement
The approval and the reimbursement of expenditures are contingent upon: 1) the activities being operated in accordance with the action plans; 2) the assurances provided via the application; 3) the rules and regulations per the U.S. Department of Education General Administrative Rules, EDGAR, and PL 109-270, Title I (Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act); 4) the submittal of a final report; and 5) the availability of federal funds.
The Department’s guidelines for reimbursement of expenditures incurred by the fiscal agent of this grant allow the issuance of three quarterly partial payments in addition to a final payment at the conclusion of the grant period. All expenditures paid for with grant funds must be incurred during the grant’s funding period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. During the fiscal year, the grantee may request reimbursement of up to 80 percent of its available funds, based on actual expenditures, through the IowaGrants claims submission process. These requests are to include a brief description of, and documentation for, the expenditures incurred.
The balance of funds expended will be reimbursed upon receipt of the final claim submission and the fiscal year final report, which are due by July 15, 2025. The final report, which will be submitted to the DE assigned state contact via iowagrants.gov, must include a description of how the goals and objectives were attained, a description of activities conducted, and a summary of the number of individuals served through those activities. It should also include a description of the strengths and weaknesses of the grant-supported projects and how this information will be utilized in an ongoing program improvement process.
Final Report Outline:
1) Summary of activities conducted and the impact on student achievement.
Assistance
Questions concerning the guidelines should be directed to the Bureau of Community Colleges & Postsecondary Readiness: Dr. Dennis Harden, dennis.harden@iowa.gov
Nondiscrimination Statement
It is the policy of the Iowa Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, political party affiliation, or actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 256.10(2), Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy by the Iowa Department of Education, contact the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, Telephone: 515-281-5295, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S Dearborn St, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, Telephone: 312-730-1560, FAX: 312-730-1576, TDD: 800-877-8339, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov .
