Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA: American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS)
This grant provides funding to Indian Tribes to deliver vocational rehabilitation services to American Indians with disabilities living on or near reservations, helping them achieve meaningful employment and economic self-sufficiency.
The Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is accepting applications for the fiscal year 2025 under the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) program. This program provides grants to Indian Tribes to offer vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to eligible American Indians with disabilities residing on or near federal or state reservations. The objective is to assist these individuals in preparing for and engaging in high-quality employment that enhances economic self-sufficiency while ensuring services are consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, and interests. The AIVRS grant program supports a wide range of VR services, including culturally appropriate services, individualized employment plans, and cooperative agreements with designated state units (DSUs) for service implementation. Priority is given to serving American Indians with disabilities who are most significantly affected, and an order of selection is established if resources are insufficient to serve all eligible applicants. Funded projects must align with federal non-discrimination policies and adhere to accessibility regulations, ensuring equitable services for all eligible individuals. For the 2025 funding cycle, an estimated $4,000,000 in funding is available, with grants ranging from $300,000 to $750,000 per year for a project period of up to 60 months. The Department anticipates awarding approximately eight grants. A cost-sharing requirement of 10% of the total project cost applies, although applicants may request a waiver if they demonstrate insufficient resources. Projects must also comply with indirect cost rate agreements and other federal financial assistance regulations. Applications are available starting November 6, 2024, with a submission deadline of March 6, 2025. Pre-recorded technical assistance webinars will be posted online by December 12, 2024, to guide applicants through the process. Applications must include evidence of meeting the program’s special application requirements, including cooperative working arrangements, accessibility compliance, and the ability to communicate in the native language of applicants. Proposals will be evaluated based on need, project design, service quality, personnel qualifications, resource adequacy, and management plan feasibility. Eligible applicants include Indian Tribes and consortia of Tribes located on federal or state reservations. If a tribal organization, rather than a tribal governing body, applies, it must have a primary function of VR service delivery and demonstrate approval from the relevant Tribe(s). Grants awarded under this competition cannot be used for subgrants but may involve contracts with DSUs or other agencies to implement the VR program. Compliance with all reporting, evaluation, and performance measure requirements is mandatory, with annual data submission on employment outcomes and cost-effectiveness. For more information, applicants can contact Adrienne Rodriguez at the U.S. Department of Education via email at Adrienne.Rodriguez@ed.gov or by phone at (202) 987-0049. Additional guidance, including application instructions, is available on the Department’s website.
Award Range
$300,000 - $750,000
Total Program Funding
$4,000,000
Number of Awards
8
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
1. Eligible Applicants: Applications may be made only by Indian Tribes (and consortia of those Indian Tribes) located on Federal and State reservations. The definition of ``Indian Tribe'' in section 7(19)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act is ``any Federal or State Indian tribe, band, rancheria, pueblo, colony, or community, including any Alaskan native village or regional village corporation (as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) and a Tribal organization (as defined in section 4(l) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(l)).'' ``Reservation'' is defined in 34 CFR 371.6 as ``a Federal or State Indian reservation, public domain Indian allotment, former Indian reservation in Oklahoma, land held by incorporated Native groups, regional corporations and village corporations under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; or a defined area of land recognized by a State or the Federal Government where there is a concentration of tribal members and on which the tribal government is providing structured activities and services.'' Under 34 CFR 371.2, the applicant for an AIVRS grant must be-- (1) The governing body of an Indian Tribe, either on behalf of the Indian Tribe or on behalf of a consortium of Indian Tribes; or (2) A Tribal organization that is a separate legal organization from an Indian Tribe. To receive an AIVRS grant, a Tribal organization that is not a governing body of an Indian Tribe must-- (1) Have as one of its functions the vocational rehabilitation of American Indians with disabilities; and (2) Have the approval of the Tribe to be served by such organization. If a grant is made to the governing body of an Indian Tribe, either on its own behalf or on behalf of a consortium, or to a Tribal organization to perform services benefiting more than one Indian Tribe, the approval of each such Indian Tribe is a prerequisite to the making of such a grant.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
November 6, 2024
Application Closes
April 7, 2025
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