Tennessee opens McKinney‑Vento subgrant competition; applications due May 21

A Tennessee Department of Education McKinney‑Vento program staff member said the Title IX McKinney‑Vento subgrant application “opens today” and reminded applicants that an LEA authorized representative form must be submitted by May 21 at 5 p.m. Central (6 p.m. Eastern) or ePlan will not accept the application.

The webinar presenter said the competition covers a three‑year grant cycle — fiscal years 2026, 2027 and 2028 — and that each LEA’s application must include a plan for all three years even though the budget entry in ePlan should show only the FY2026 request. "Each year of the grant cycle, the LEA will be awarded funding and will complete a budget on the approved FY26 grant application," the presenter said.

The subgrant provides federal McKinney‑Vento funds intended to ensure students experiencing homelessness have equal access to a free public education. The presenter said all Tennessee LEAs are eligible to apply regardless of the number of homeless students they serve. Awards are calculated on a per‑pupil basis and, by state rule, no single LEA may receive more than 20% of the state’s award.

Why it matters: McKinney‑Vento subgrant funding can pay for services and activities that directly support the educational stability and success of students experiencing homelessness, including transportation excess costs, tutoring tied to academic standards, professional development for staff, referral services, early childhood programs not otherwise funded, before‑ and after‑school care, mentoring, and fees or supplies needed to enroll and keep students in school.

Key deadlines and process

- Applicant action required: submit the LEA authorized representative form in ePlan by May 21 at 5 p.m. Central / 6 p.m. Eastern or the application cannot be submitted. The presenter warned applicants that ePlan will block late submissions.

- State review: the department will check submitted applications for allowability beginning May 30; grant reviewers (state Department of Education staff organized in reviewer teams) will score applications in June. Applicants will be notified of final status on or before July 3, and awarded funds will be loaded into grant accounts on July 7 for budgeting and reimbursement.

- Scoring minimum: the presenter said each LEA must score at least 70 points on the rubric developed by the Federal Programs and Oversight team to be eligible for funding; reviewers will apply that rubric when scoring quality and alignment.

Application requirements and documentation

- Three‑year plan and FY2026 budget: applications must include a program plan covering FY2026–FY2028; however, the budget entry in ePlan should display the requested amount for FY2026 only.

- Required uploads: applicants must attach the LEA’s McKinney‑Vento dispute resolution process, the homeless policy and procedure, and the transportation policy and procedure. Optional supporting materials (for example, family-facing information, MOUs, or program documents) may also be uploaded.

- ePlan access: users must have the Title IX McKinney‑Vento director role in ePlan to start and submit an application. The presenter advised applicants to select “draft started” before proceeding in the application; failing to click that button will gray out fields and block work in the application.

Allowable and restricted uses of funds

The presenter reviewed examples of allowable uses and limitations emphasized by federal McKinney‑Vento guidance:

- Allowable when tied to academic aims: tutoring, supplemental instruction and enrichment that are explicitly linked to academic standards and measurable outcomes; credit recovery; dual enrollment fees; CTE course costs and necessary supplies; testing fees and record transfer costs required for enrollment.

- Transportation: McKinney‑Vento may cover excess transportation costs required to maintain school stability for a homeless student (for example, an extended bus route or additional mileage).

- Professional development and community coordination: staff training on McKinney‑Vento identification and referral practices; training for community partners and MOUs to clarify roles in identifying and serving homeless students.

- Referral services, not direct medical costs: funds can pay for referrals to medical or dental care but not for medications, co‑pays, or direct medical treatment.

- Early childhood and out‑of‑school supports: developmentally appropriate early childhood programs (if not otherwise funded), before‑ and after‑school care, summer programming, mentoring and supervised homework assistance when those services directly support educational outcomes.

- Student‑specific only: funds must benefit the homeless student; incidental family benefit is not an allowable substitute for family‑level support (for example, funds cannot be used to pay a parent’s background check or fees unless those fees are specifically required for the student’s educational participation and the payment is documented as student‑specific).

The presenter cautioned that certain social or extracurricular expenses such as prom tickets are not considered academically related and therefore are not allowable under McKinney‑Vento.

Budget, Title I coordination and requests for additional funds

- Supplanting rule and braiding: McKinney‑Vento funds must supplement, not supplant, state, local or other federal funds. The presenter noted that LEAs may braid McKinney‑Vento funds with other streams (for example, ARP funds) if the combined use meets allowability and supplementarity requirements.

- Title I, Part A homeless set‑aside: LEAs seeking additional subgrant funds must show coordination with their Title I, Part A homeless set‑aside. To request additional funds, the presenter said the Title I homeless set‑aside amount identified must equal at least 10% of the total subgrant request, and applicants must explain the process used to determine that Title I set‑aside amount and provide a narrative justifying the additional request.

Monitoring and reporting

- Mid‑year performance review: subgrantees must complete a mid‑year performance review (typically due in January) that reflects on program implementation relative to the goals and activities in the FY2026 application; the department will schedule a required mid‑year check‑in call to review data and implementation.

- Annual closeout report: subgrantees must complete an annual closeout report to provide program data and request the next year’s funding; the annual reporting period runs July 1 through June 1 and the closeout is typically due in June.

Headcount, data and need justification

- Headcount and preloaded data: the presenter said the application will display a preloaded headcount taken from the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) February 2025 count; applicants should enter their 2024–2025 headcount and indicate numbers by living situation (shelter, doubled up, unsheltered, hotel/motel). If counts differ from the preloaded CFA number, applicants must explain discrepancies (for example, post‑February natural disasters that increased homelessness).

- Inclusion rules: the presenter confirmed that students served during the 2024–2025 school year should be included in the headcount even if they later moved away.

Personnel and FTE guidance

- Headcounts and FTEs: staff headcounts entered in the application must be whole numbers. The application must also include full position titles and FTE allocations (the presenter said to round FTEs to the nearest hundredth where applicable) and the budget narrative should show the FTE details for any positions funded by the grant.

Other program details and requirements

- Program goals and outcomes: each applicant must identify at least one goal and activity in each of three focus areas: regular school attendance for students experiencing homelessness; identification of homeless children and youth; and reducing academic achievement gaps. Reviewers will look for measurable outcomes, data sources, responsible agencies and timeframes.

- Collaboration: federal McKinney‑Vento law requires LEAs to coordinate with community‑based organizations and other partners; applicants should document local partnerships, MOUs and evidence of coordination.

- Conference attendance: the presenter said subgrantees will be required to send at least one program staff member to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) annual conference, in person or virtually, as part of the subgrant requirements.

Support and next steps

The presenter encouraged LEAs to consult the rubric and technical guide in ePlan, use the posted slide deck and resources (including the National Center for Homeless Education guidance), and join department office hours scheduled in April and May for application help. The presenter said reviewers will check submitted applications for allowability and return items marked “attention needed” in the ePlan subgrant checklist; applicants must resolve those items promptly to ensure review by grant reviewers.

The presenter closed by offering email and office‑hour support and by urging applicants to involve Title I staff and community partners while drafting the application.