[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 186 (Monday, September 29, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46584-46587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18894]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Mental Health Service Professional
Demonstration Grant Program
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 funds
for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant program
(MHSP).
DATES:
Applications Available: September 29, 2025.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 29, 2025.
The Department will post a preapplication presentation for
prospective applicants. To access the preapplication presentation,
visit the MHSP web page at https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-birth-grade-12/safe-and-supportive-schools/mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16571/common-instructions-and-information-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole White, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-6450.
Telephone: (202) 987-1594. Email: [email protected].
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The MHSP program provides competitive grants to
State educational agencies (SEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49)) and
local educational agencies (LEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(30)) to
address the shortage of credentialed (as defined in the Notice of Final
Priorities) school-based mental health services providers, specifically
school psychologists, in high-need LEAs.
Assistance Listing Number: 84.184X.
OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.
Eligible Applicants: SEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49), or
LEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(30), including consortia of LEAs.
Application Requirements: These requirements are from the Notice of
Final Priorities, Requirements, and Definitions (NFP) published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
(a) SEA applicants must identify in their applications the specific
high-need LEAs that will benefit from the grant or describe how they
will identify and select the high-need LEAs that will benefit from the
grant.
(b) Applicants must describe in their applications a school-based
mental health partnership designed to train school psychology graduate
candidates and place them into participating high-need LEAs.
(c) Applicants must include in their applications the most recently
available data on the number of school psychologists in the high-need
LEA(s) and the projected number of school psychology graduate
candidates that will be trained and placed into employment in the
identified LEA(s) for each year of the plan using funds from this
grant.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $90,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $750,000-$1,250,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 18-24.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, the Department anticipates making awards for the full 48-
months using available appropriations.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
Background: Our Nation's schools should be safe and secure settings
where children can learn and grow to their full potential. However,
over the last several years the decline of children and youth mental
health has become a serious concern for our Nation. Given the
importance of improving child and youth mental health, this notice
includes three priorities aimed at increasing State and local capacity
to improve students' mental health. These priorities will provide
funding to SEAs and LEAs to develop tailored strategies that enhance
their school psychologist workforce pipeline.
Priorities:
This competition has three absolute priorities and one competitive
preference priority. Absolute priorities 1, 2, and 3 are from the NFP
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The
Competitive preference priority is from 34 CFR 75.227.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2025 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet Absolute
Priorities 1 and 3, or applications that meet Absolute Priorities 2 and
3.
The Secretary intends to create two funding slates for MHSP
applications,
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one slate for applications that meet Absolute Priorities 1 and 3 and a
second slate for applications that meet Absolute Priorities 2 and 3. As
a result, the Secretary may fund applications out of the overall rank
order.
These priorities are:
Priority 1--Enhance SEA efforts to address shortages of school
psychologists in high-need LEAs.
To meet this priority, an SEA applicant must propose a project
designed to train and place school psychology graduate candidates into
high-need LEAs for the purpose of fulfilling requirements necessary to
complete a degree and obtain a license or certification as a
credentialed school psychologist.
Priority 2--Expand the capacity of high-need LEAs to address
shortages of school psychologists.
To meet this priority, the applicant must propose a project
designed to train and place school psychology graduate candidates into
high-need LEAs for the purpose of fulfilling requirements necessary to
complete a degree and obtain a license or certification as a
credentialed school psychologist.
Priority 3--Increase the number of credentialed school
psychologists available to deliver early intervention mental health
services and intensive mental health services in high-need LEAs.
To meet this priority, applicants must propose to increase the
number of credentialed school psychologists available to engage in:
(a) Providing intensive mental health services and supports to
individual students most in need of those services,
(b) Providing early intervention mental health services to address
acute concerns and determine if intensive mental health services are
needed.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2025 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 3 points
to an application that meets the priority.
An applicant must clearly identify in the project abstract and the
project narrative section of its application if it wishes the
Department to consider it for purposes of earning competitive
preference priority points.
This priority is:
Rural Applicants (0 or 3 points).
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate the following:
(a) The applicant proposes to serve a community that is served by
one or more LEAs--
(i) With a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) locale
code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43; or
(ii) With a NCES locale code of 41, 42, or 43.
Program Requirements:
These program requirements are from the NFP published elsewhere in
this issue of the Federal Register.
(a) Eligible applicants for this program are one or both of SEAs,
as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49), or LEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C.
7801(30), including consortia of LEAs.
(b) Applicants that receive an award under this program must use
grant funds to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that
would otherwise be available for activities funded under this program.
(c) Administrative costs for SEA applicants that receive an award
under this program may not exceed 10 percent of the annual grant award.
Administrative costs for applicants that are LEAs and consortia of LEAs
may not exceed five percent of the annual grant award.
(d) Applicants that receive an award under this program are
prohibited from using program funds for: (1) gender ideology, (2)
political activism, (3) racial stereotyping, or (4) hostile
environments for students of particular races.
(e) Applicants that receive an award under this program must
provide within six months of award a memorandum of understanding (MOU),
a memorandum of agreement (MOA), or letter of agreement documenting the
applicant's school-based mental health partnership, as defined in this
notice to the Department. The agreement must be signed by each entity's
authorized representative. The agreement must detail each entity's
roles and responsibilities in training and placing school psychology
graduate candidates into high-need LEAs to achieve the goals and
objectives of the project.
(f) Applicants that receive an award under the program must comply
with section 4001(a) of Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). In carrying out the Informed
Written Consent requirements described in paragraph (a)(1), the
exception in (a)(2)(B)(i) only applies after the applicant has
documented that it has made multiple repeated attempts through various
communication methods to obtain parent consent. Subsequently, where
parent consent is not obtained under (a)(2), not including the
provisions in (a)(2)(B)(ii), the parent of a child participating in
such services will be provided notice of initial and subsequent service
delivery.
(g) Applicants that receive an award under this program must ensure
that any school psychologist or any school psychology graduate
candidate offering services does so in a manner consistent with the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Protection of
Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the
Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as all other applicable
Federal, State, and local laws.
Selection Criteria:
The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210.
The points assigned to each criterion are indicated in the parentheses
next to the criterion. An applicant may earn up to a total of 100
points based on the selection criteria. Non-Federal peer reviewers will
evaluate and score each application program narrative against the
following selection criteria:
(a) Need for the project. (Up to 20 points)
The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
(1) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the specific nature and magnitude of gaps
or challenges are identified and the extent to which these gaps or
challenges will be addressed by the services, supports, infrastructure,
or opportunities described in the proposed project.
(b) Quality of the project design. (Up to 30 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and
ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with
the purposes of the grant program. (Up to 20 points)
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates that it
is designed to build capacity and yield sustainable results that will
extend beyond the project period. (Up to 10 points)
(c) Adequacy of resources. (Up to 30 points)
The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project and the costs are reasonable in
[[Page 46586]]
relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the
proposed project. (Up to 20 points)
(ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the number of persons to be served, the depth and intensity of
services, and the anticipated results and benefits. (Up to 10 points)
(d) Quality of the management plan. (Up to 20 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the
following factors:
(i) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks. (Up to 10 points)
(ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project. (Up to 10 points)
Performance Measures: The Department has established the following
performance measures for Department reporting under 34 CFR 75.110 for
the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program:
(a) The unduplicated, cumulative number of school psychologists
trained by the grantee under the project to provide school-based mental
health services in high-need LEAs.
(b) The unduplicated, cumulative number of school psychologists
placed in a practicum or internship by the grantee in high-need LEAs to
provide school-based mental health services.
(c) The unduplicated, cumulative number of school psychologists
hired by high-need LEAs to provide school-based mental health services.
These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant
under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in
conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project.
Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance
report, data about its progress in meeting these measures.
Performance measure targets: The applicant must propose annual
targets for the measures listed above in their application.
Applications must also provide the following information as directed
under 34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
(1) An explanation of how each proposed performance target is
ambitious (as defined in this notice) yet achievable compared to the
baseline (as defined in this notice) for the performance measure.
(2) An explanation of the data collection and reporting methods the
applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable,
valid, and meaningful performance data; and
(3) An explanation of the applicant's capacity to collect and
report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced
by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in other
projects or research.
Note: If the applicant does not have experience with the collection
and reporting of performance data through other projects or research,
the applicant should provide other evidence of capacity to successfully
carry out data collection and reporting for its proposed project.
The reviewers of each application will score related selection
criteria on the basis of how well an applicant has considered these
measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of the project.
All grantees must submit an annual performance report and final
performance report with information that is responsive to these
performance measures.
Definitions:
The definitions of ``credentialed,'' ``early intervention mental
health services,'' ``eligible institution of higher education
partner,'' ``high-need LEA,'' ``intensive mental health services,
``school psychology graduate candidate,'' and ``school-based mental
health partnership'' are from the NFP published elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register. The definitions of ``local educational
agency'' and State educational agency are from 20 U.S.C. 7801.
Credentialed means an individual who possesses a valid license or
certificate from the SEA or relevant regulatory body as a school
psychologist approved by the State to provide services aligned with the
practice of school psychology.
Early intervention mental health services mean services for
students who are exhibiting signs of distress or impairment or are at
heightened risk of needing mental health services. Based on current
best practices in school psychology for serving an individual student,
early intervention mental health services may include, for example,
screening and referrals, small group services, and brief individualized
interventions.
Eligible institution of higher education partner means an
institution of higher education as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1002 that
offers a program of study that leads to a master's degree or other
graduate degree in school psychology that prepares graduate candidates
for a State credential as a school psychologist.
High-need LEA means an LEA that has a significant need for
additional school psychologists based on:
(a)(1) a ratio of students to school psychologists that exceeds a
ratio of 500 students to 1 school psychologist and (2) high rates of
school violence, poverty, substance use, suicide, trafficking, or other
adverse childhood experiences;
(b) having received a Project School Emergency Response to Violence
(SERV) grant from the U.S. Department of Education since October 1,
2020; or
(c) having experienced a traumatic event since January 1, 2025, and
did not receive a Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV)
grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Intensive mental health services mean services for students with
identified mental health needs that limit engagement throughout the
school day. Based on the best clinical approach to serving an
individual student, intensive mental health services may include, for
example, individual, group, or family therapy services, or coordination
of services with providers serving the student in a non-school setting.
Local educational agency means a public board of education or other
public authority legally constituted within a State for either
administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service
function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city,
county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a
State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that
is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public
elementary schools or secondary schools.
(1) The term includes any other public institution or agency having
administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or
secondary school.
(2) The term includes an elementary or secondary school funded by
the Bureau of Indian Education but only to the extent that including
the school makes the school eligible for programs for which specific
eligibility is not provided to the school in another provision of law
and the school does not have a student population that is smaller than
the student population of the LEA receiving assistance under the
[[Page 46587]]
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) with
the smallest student population, except that the school shall not be
subject to the jurisdiction of any SEA other than the Bureau of Indian
Education.
(3) The term includes educational service agencies and consortia of
those agencies.
(4) The term includes the SEA in a State in which the SEA is the
sole educational agency for all public schools.
School psychology graduate candidate means an individual who is (a)
pursuing a Master's degree, or State-recognized equivalent, in school
psychology and (b) will be eligible upon completion of the program for
a license or certification from a State or national credentialing
authority as a school psychologist approved by the State to deliver
school-based mental health services.
School-based mental health partnership is the formal relationship,
established for the purpose of training and placing school psychology
graduate candidates into high-need LEAs, between the eligible applicant
(one or more high-need LEAs or an SEA) and its partners, who must
include:
(a) One or more eligible institutions of higher education partners,
as defined in this notice, or
(b) One or more entities, recognized by the State, to train and
prepare school psychology graduate candidates for a school psychology
credential; or
(c) State entities such as Governors, State workforce development
agencies or boards, State vocational rehabilitation agencies, or State
higher education agencies.
State educational agency means the agency primarily responsible for
the State supervision of public elementary schools and secondary
schools.
Program Authority: Section 4631(a)(1)(B) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C.
7281(a)(1)(B)).
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97,
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The NFP.
1. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition's supplement, supplant
requirement is described in the Program Requirements section of this
notice.
c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please
see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program's Administrative
Cost Limitation is described above in the Program Requirements section
of this notice.
2. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities
described in its application.
III. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16571/common-instructions-and-information-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant, which contain requirements and information on how
to submit an application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition. However, under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental
review in order to make an award by the end of FY 2025.
3. Funding Restrictions: Section 4001(b) prohibits the use of funds
for medical services or drug treatment or rehabilitation, except for
integrated student supports, specialized instructional support
services, or referral to treatment for impacted students, which may
include students who are victims of, or witnesses to, crime or who
illegally use drugs. This prohibition does not preclude the use of
funds to support mental health counseling and support services,
including those provided by a mental health services provider outside
of school, so long as such services are not medical.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you,
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the
application narrative to no more than 15 pages and (2) follow the
formatting standards described in the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; the one-page abstract, resumes,
bibliography, charts with timelines and milestones, or letters of
support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the
application narrative.
IV. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, Braille, large print,
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access Department documents published in the Federal
Register by using the article search feature at
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Hayley B. Sanon,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary,
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2025-18894 Filed 9-26-25; 8:45 am]
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