The State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant (SFIG) Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education through its Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. This discretionary grant program is intended to assist states in creating, enhancing, or administering per-pupil facilities aid programs specifically for charter schools. It is designed to address the persistent challenges faced by charter schools in securing adequate and affordable facilities, such as limited access to state and local funding, rising real estate costs, and insufficient infrastructure support.
The main goal of the SFIG program is to provide states with financial support to establish or improve legally mandated per-pupil facilities funding programs for charter schools. Eligible applicants are state governments that either already operate such programs under state law or commit to establishing them with the help of this federal funding. Grants are awarded competitively and can range from $1 million to $10 million annually, with a project period of up to 60 months. The total estimated funding available for the 2025 fiscal year is $10 million, and the Department expects to award between one and two grants.
Applicants must provide a state match for the grant, beginning at 10 percent in year one and increasing to 80 percent by year five. The program includes strict supplement-not-supplant requirements to ensure that federal funds enhance rather than replace existing state and local investments. Eligible charter schools must be nonsectarian, tuition-free, and comply with all relevant federal civil rights laws. The Department also applies the Build America, Buy America Act requirements to all funded infrastructure projects under this program.
The application process includes submission through Grants.gov by July 8, 2025, with an encouraged (but not required) notice of intent to apply by June 9, 2025. Applications will be evaluated on five core criteria: need for facility funding, quality of the proposed plan, qualifications of the project team, budget justification, and the applicant state's past experience supporting charter school facilities. Competitive preference points are awarded to applicants that demonstrate a strong need for public school choice and have not previously received a SFIG grant.
To apply, applicants must complete program-specific forms and provide detailed information on state charter aid, budget use, assurance statements, and how the funds will be used to meet the defined needs. Technical assistance and a pre-application webinar will be available to support applicants, with full details posted on the SFIG program website. Clifton Jones is the designated program contact for further information or accessibility requests. Email: charter.facilities@ed.gov; Phone: (202) 205-2204.
