PCSGP Subgrant Payments FAQs

Subgrant payments are reimbursement-only and are based on approved, reported, and allowable expenditures. Expenditures must be reported on either a monthly or quarterly basis by completing and submitting expenditure reports, which include a general ledger, and supporting documentation, to PCSGP@cde.ca.gov. The Subgrant Monitor (e.g., charter school site administrator or project manager) must sign each expense report prior to submission. Once the expenditure report is reviewed and approved by the California Department of Education (CDE) staff, a reimbursement payment will be scheduled.

Start-Up Subgrant payment routing depends on whether the charter school is open or still in its planning phase. For charter schools that are open, payments are routed through the county office of the treasurer. For charter schools in the planning phase, payments are mailed to the address on file with the CDE, based on the completed Payee Data Record (STD. 204) submitted at the time of application.

Statewide Technical Assistance for Charter Schools (STACS) payments are mailed to the address on file with the CDE, based on the completed STD. 204 submitted at the time of application.

Reimbursement payments are first routed within the CDE for approval and then forwarded to the State Controller's Office for processing. The full payment process takes approximately six to eight weeks. It is important that subgrantees meet all expenditure reporting deadlines to avoid delays in payment.

Yes. Subgrantees do not need to wait until the due date to submit expenditure reports, as long as the reporting period has ended. Early submission does not guarantee earlier reimbursement. However, the CDE will make every effort to process payments as soon as possible.

Approved requests for reimbursement are paid in full up to the annual allocation limit and may not exceed 90 percent of the total subgrant award. The final 10 percent is withheld and paid at closeout only after all subgrant requirements are met. Please refer to the Request for Applications under which you applied to familiarize yourself with subgrant deliverables.

Subgrant funds remaining at the end of each project year (State Fiscal Year) will automatically roll over into the subsequent project year in the same object code in which they were originally budgeted. However, any subgrant funds remaining at the end of the subgrant end date will be liquidated. The subgrant end date is the last date to obligate and expend subgrant funds. Standard accounting practices allow the subgrant funds to be legally encumbered via purchase orders or service contracts prior to the end of the subgrant. These items must be expensed or paid within 90 days of the close of the subgrant.

Please note that planning phase funds remaining once the charter school open require special attention, as some costs allowable during the planning phase may no longer be allowable once the charter school opens.

If rolled-over funds need to be reallocated to different object codes, a Budget Revision Request must be submitted to the CDE for review and approval. For more information, please visit PCSGP Subgrant Use of Funds, and contact the Grant Program Office by email at PCSGP@cde.ca.gov.

Subgrantees must adhere to the CDE-approved budget established at the start of the subgrant term. If changes to the approved budget are needed, a Budget Revision Request must be submitted to and approved by the CDE before any expenditures associated with the proposed changes are reported. Please work with the CDE staff to receive guidance throughout the budget revision request process.

The SAM is the official federal registration system used by organizations to do business with the federal government. Any entity that wishes to apply for, bid on, or receive federal funds must maintain an active SAM registration. Active SAM registration is required to ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability in the administration of federal funds and to support accurate tracking, verification, and auditing of awards across federal agencies. As part of the SAM registration process, each entity is assigned a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric code that serves as the official federal identifier for tracking grants, contracts, and other federal funding.

SAM registration must be renewed annually and kept active to remain eligible for federal reimbursement under the subgrant.

For questions regarding SAM or UEI, please visit SAM.gov or contact the Federal Service Desk at 1-866-606-8220.