Educational Opportunity Centers Program (EOC)

The Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and is now accepting applications for its FY 2026 grant competition. The EOC initiative aims to provide counseling and assistance to low-income, first-generation adults aged 19 and older who wish to enter or return to postsecondary education. The program also serves other adult priority groups such as veterans, foster youth, and individuals with disabilities. This grant competition places a strong emphasis on expanding access to postsecondary options beyond traditional college pathways, including Registered Apprenticeships and high-quality short-term programs aligned with the Workforce Pell Grant Program. The EOC Program supports efforts to increase educational attainment and economic mobility by connecting underserved adult populations with services that promote career readiness and financial literacy. Program goals include informing participants of available financial and academic support, assisting with postsecondary admissions processes, improving participants' financial decision-making abilities, and guiding them through available pathways such as apprenticeships and workforce-aligned education tracks. The current funding opportunity specifically calls for individualized career exploration and advising, workshops that compare the long-term costs and benefits of various pathways, tutoring, and coordinated efforts with state workforce agencies and credential registries. The FY 2026 competition includes one absolute priority—Expanding Education Choice, which applicants must meet. Additionally, applicants may be awarded extra points if they meet a competitive preference priority focused on Returning Education to the States. Projects aligned with this priority may be led by state educational agencies, state workforce boards, or tribal education agencies. An invitational priority encourages integration of learning and employment records with AI-enabled learner wallets and talent marketplaces to enhance personalized career pathways and scalability. The estimated total funding available is $52,611,659, with awards ranging from $238,000 to $3,000,000 annually. Projects must serve at least 850 participants per year and maintain a per-participant cost of no more than $280 annually. Applicants not designated as a state-level entity by their governor are capped at $1.3 million per year, whereas a limited number of state-designated applicants or tribal organizations may receive up to $3 million annually. The program allows subawards to LEAs, secondary schools, IHEs, and other public or private entities, provided these entities are named in the approved application. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, public or private agencies (including community-based organizations), secondary schools (including charter schools), or combinations of these. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, and applicants may submit multiple proposals provided each serves a distinct target area. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using Workspace, and applicants must be registered in both SAM.gov and Grants.gov. The application deadline is May 14, 2026, and the deadline for Intergovernmental Review is July 13, 2026. Submitted applications must follow the 2025 Common Instructions for ED discretionary grant programs and include key components such as the SF-424 form, budget and project narratives, abstract, and various program-specific assurances. The review process includes scoring by peer reviewers on criteria such as need, objectives, plan of operation, applicant/community support, personnel quality, budget, and evaluation plan. Applications not selected for funding will receive official notification. Projects are expected to last five years, and successful grantees will be required to submit annual performance reports that track outcomes like postsecondary enrollment, FAFSA completion, and cost per successful outcome.

Ensure file names are unique and under 50 characters; submit as flattened PDFs; register early in SAM.gov and Grants.gov; confirm Grants.gov validation to avoid rejection.