The Office of Special Education Programs Awards More Than $17 Million for 78 Personnel Preparation and Professional Development-Related Grants
By the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Special Education Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 29, 2024) – The U.S. Department of Education (Department), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) awarded more than $17 million in funding for 78 new awards in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 that support personnel preparation, ongoing professional learning, and leadership development to increase the number of well-prepared, diverse, and effective personnel serving children with disabilities and their families.
OSEP’s Personnel Development Program, authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part D, funds activities that recruit, prepare, and retain personnel who serve and support infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. Personnel include early intervention providers; teachers; related services providers; administrators leading early intervention programs, schools, or local and state agencies; and university faculty who are preparing future generations of personnel to serve children with disabilities and their families.
Data released in 2023 from the National Center for Education Statistics revealed 86% of U.S. public schools reported trouble hiring teachers for the 2023-24 school year, with 83% reporting trouble hiring for non-teacher positions, such as classroom aides, transportation staff, and mental health professionals.
OSEP’s Personnel Development Program grants will help eliminate the teacher shortage – one of the goals of ED’s Raise the Bar initiative.
The 55 personnel preparation grants awarded by OSEP require universities to use at least 65% of the federal funds for “scholar support,” which includes scholarships, tuition and fees, or other support to cover the costs required to complete the preparation program.
Additionally, 22 awards support personnel development through preservice program improvement grants, and one award funds a new national center to diversify the workforce serving children with disabilities by supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that offer high-quality degree or certification programs in early intervention, early childhood special education, special education, or related services.
Award recipients will receive one year of funding from federal fiscal year 2024 (FFY 2024) appropriations. The federal funds, authorized under Part D IDEA, are awarded annually and have the potential to be funded to support five-year grant projects.
The following table identifies this year’s grants, grant title, number of new awards made for federal fiscal year 2024 (FFY 24), the funding level for FFY 24 and the five-year total funding.
Summary of OSEP Personnel Development Training Grants for FFY 2024
| 84.325 Grant Programs | Title | Number of New awards for 2024 | Funding from FFY24 Funds | 5-Year Total Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 325B | National Center on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions to Diversify the Workforce Serving Children with Disabilities | 1 | $1,500,000 | $7,500,000 |
| 325D | Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel (Doctoral Preparation) | 4 | $1,963,289 | $9,650,654 |
| 325H | Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities–Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs | 2 | $1,480,444 | $12,990,953 |
| 325M | Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions | 29 | $5,717,465 | $35,837,402 |
| 325R | Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities Who Have High-Intensity Needs | 20 | $3,975,487 | $24,717,559 |
| 325S | Preservice Improvement Enhancement Grants to Support Related Service Providers to Effectively Serve Children with Disabilities and Their Families | 9 | $1,462,206 | $3,866,162 |
| 325X | Preservice Program Development Grants at HBCUs, TCCUs, and Other MSIs to Diversify Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities | 13 | $1,827,488 | $9,580,531 |
| Total 84.325 Awards and Funding | 78 | $17,926,379 | $104,143,261 |
OSEP Personnel Development Training Grants for FFY 2024
The following describes the grant programs, the number of new awards provided under each grant program, and the appropriations used to fund the grants.
OSEP Personnel Development Program Development Grants for FFY 2024
OSEP Personnel Development Center Grant for FFY 2024
OSEP Scholars
Scholars who receive funding through an OSEP Personnel Development Program training grant are known as OSEP Scholars. In Federal Fiscal Year 2022, there were 4,866 OSEP Scholars trained at 144 IHEs.
OSEP 2024 Discretionary Grant Awards
In fiscal year 2024, OSEP provided $80,810,917 under the IDEA to fund new programs that help educate children and youth with disabilities to assist states and local districts to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21. View OSEP’s FY24 Discretionary Grant Awards.
Last modified on October 29, 2024