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Pending Board approval, the fiscal year 2026 After School Programs – Non-School Districts (FY 26 ASP - Non-LEA) Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) is expected to be released electronically in the ISBE IWAS system soon.

• Eligible applicants must submit an Intent to Apply (ITA) to access the IWAS system.
• The ITA must be completed by June 6, 2025. ISBE cannot guarantee that entities who submit the ITA after this date will be able to complete the preparations needed to access the RFP in IWAS.
• Entities must complete an ITA form before they may submit a proposal in response to the RFP.
• All interested entities, including entities that have previously been awarded an ASP – Non-LEA Grant, must complete an ITA.
• Submission of the ITA does not obligate an entity to apply for the grant through the RFP. Similarly, submission of the ITA does not guarantee eligibility for or award of the grant.
• In addition to the ITA, entities also must meet all eligibility requirements and submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements outlined in the RFP, once available.

Pending Board approval, eligible applicants will be: 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).

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:

1. The applicant proposes to serve only schools with a population of students that is at least 90% low-income. All school sites the applicant proposes to serve must meet this minimum threshold. A population of low-income students is determined by a school’s FY 2025 Free and Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Data. Please review the FY 2025 school-level data on the ISBE Child Nutrition Data Analytics and Mapping Tools webpage.
2. 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.

Questions may be directed to After School Programs staff in ISBE’s Wellness and Student Care Department at 217-782-5270 or afterschool@isbe.net​.