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Religious and Independent School Support

Religious and Independent School Support

Federal and State Funded Programs and Grants

 

Federal Funded Programs and Grants

Emergency Assistance for Nonpublic Schools (EANS) – The federal Emergency Assistance for Nonpublic Schools (EANS) program is part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA Act), the second federal economic stimulus package, passed in late 2020.  

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Programs - Provides an overview of the different types of federal education funding schools can obtain through their local educational agencies (LEA). LEAs are typically public school districts or charter schools. 

  • Equitable Services for Religious and Independent Schools - NYSED's guidance on equitable services for religious and independent schools is intended to assist LEAs and other entities receiving federal financial assistance to fulfill their consultation obligations under ESSA to provide equitable services to eligible private school students, teachers, and other educational personnel, and, under some programs, to parents. 
  • Webinars and videos covering a range of ESSA topics including the Consolidated Application, consultation, and the Title Talk series. 

Ombudsman - The ombudsman helps to ensure equitable services and other benefits for eligible religious and independent school children, teachers and other educational personnel, and families.  

 

State Funded Programs and Grants

Loan Programs – Information regarding textbook, software, and school library material loans. 

Grant Opportunities – Provides information for grants opportunities religious and independent schools may be eligible for, including the Nonpublic School Safety Equipment Grant (NPSE), Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Grant (MST) and Academic Intervention Services Grant (AIS), and Learning Technology Grants. 

Mandated Services Aid (MSA)M is a state reimbursement program which began in 1974 for religious and independent schools that participate in certain mandates of the Commissioner regarding data reporting, pupil testing and pupil evaluation.   The religious or independent school must be recognized as a school by the filing of a BEDS report and have met the other requirements of the mandate(s) in a timely fashion; and be able to produce documentation (if necessary) to satisfy the requirements of the mandate. Currently, there are a total of 16 mandates for which schools may be eligible for reimbursement. Questions about filing for Mandated Services are handled by the Office of Religious and Independent School Support MSA-CAP office. 

Reimbursement of mandated services to religious and independent schools may be made for the actual costs related to complying with certain State mandates, if eligibility requirements are met. To be eligible for reimbursement, the school must: 

  • Provide instruction in all required subjects according to §3204 of the Education Law. 
  • Require pupils to attend full-time instruction according to §3205 of the Education Law. 
  • Not be the recipients of other State or local aid, directly or indirectly (e.g., tuition payments for the disabled). 
  • Be a not-for-profit institution. 

Comprehensive Attendance Policy 

CAP was promulgated by the Board of Regents for all schools in June 2002.  The attendance policy must encompass the nine points outlined in Commissioner’s Regulations 104.(i). All religious and independent schools must have such a policy on file and may be asked to produce the policy during a site visit or claim review.   

CAP claims are made at the same time as the MSA claim for a specific year. A school is not eligible for CAP in a particular school year if it has not filed the MSA claim for that year. 

MSA/CAP Help 

Please review the Guidelines, MSA-1 Form, Schedule A/Worksheet on the Department’s MSA websites for additional information on this program: 

MSA/CAP External User Access