ISBE is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2027 After School Programs -- Non-School Districts grant. In accordance with
23 Ill. Admin. Code 268, the program enables eligible entities to establish after-school programs that provide opportunities to support and improve academic achievement and promote positive behaviors. Providing enrichment activities in a safe and healthy environment can strengthen public, private, and philanthropic partnerships so that quality support services are more durable for students facing the greatest challenges. Such grants support working families and favorably impact the quality of communities.
Entities that are not school districts or Local Education Agencies (LEAs). These entities include, but are not limited to, Regional Offices of Education (ROEs); Intermediate Service Centers (ISCs); community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations; or Indian tribes or tribal organizations (as defined in the federal Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act).
Proposals are due to ISBE no later than
4:00 p.m. on Thursday August 6, 2026. Proposals must be submitted through ISBE's
IWAS System. Proposals submitted after this date and time will not be accepted.
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Eligible applicants must have submitted an Intent to Apply, in order to access the IWAS system.
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ISBE is no longer accepting responses to the Intent to Apply.
- The ITA form must have been completed before a proposal can be submitted in response to the NOFO.
- Submission of the ITA does not obligate an entity to apply for the grant through the NOFO.
- Similarly, submission of the ITA does not guarantee eligibility for or award of the grant.
- All applicants, including entities that have previously been awarded an ASP - Non-LEA Grant, must have completed an ITA.
- Applicant entities must also meet all eligibility requirements and submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements outlined in the NOFO, once available.
Each applicant must propose to serve a population of students that is at least 90% low-income. This requirement will be satisfied by meeting at least one of the following criteria:
- The applicant proposes to serve only schools with a population of students that is at least 90% low-income. All schools to be served must meet this minimum threshold. A population of low-income students is determined by a school’s FY 2026 Free and Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Data. Please review the FY 2026 school-level data on the
ISBE Child Nutrition Data Analytics and Mapping Tools webpage.
- The applicant may propose to serve one or more schools with a population of low-income students that is less than 90% low-income, but in this case must provide an assurance that the population of students it will serve from the school (or schools) will be at least 90% low-income and must explain how student eligibility will be determined without violating state or federal student privacy laws. Students who meet the income requirements of the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act [105 ILCS 125] or any other public benefit program based on income and homeless children and youth as defined in Section 11434a of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. 11434a] shall be classified as low-income for the purpose of determining program eligibility. At no time shall a school or district disclose names of students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals.
