Consolidated Application

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Program Profiles | CARS Support Desk

The Consolidated Application (ConApp) is used by the California Department of Education (CDE) to distribute categorical funds from various federal programs to county offices, school districts, and direct-funded charter schools throughout California.

Annually, typically from mid-May to the end of June, each local educational agency (LEA), using the Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS), submits the spring release of the ConApp. The spring release documents participation in these programs and provides assurances that the LEA will comply with the legal requirements of each program. Program entitlements are determined by formulas contained in the laws that created the programs.

The winter release of the ConApp is typically submitted via CARS from December to January each year and contains the LEA entitlements for each funded program. For each federal program entitlement, LEAs allocate funds for the program as indicated by the program requirements.

What's New

• 2025–26 Consolidated Application and Reporting System Data Entry Instructions (Posted 01-Dec-2025)
  2025–26 Consolidated Application and Reporting System Data Entry Instructions (DOCX; Posted 01-Dec-2025)
  Data entry instructions for CARS, which includes the steps for each data collection in order to assist LEAs in completing the 2025–26 ConApp Winter and Spring Release data collection forms.
• 2025–26 Consolidated Application Legal Assurances (Posted 01-May-2025)
  2025–26 Consolidated Application Legal Assurances (DOCX; Posted 01-May-2025)
  LEAs must certify that they will comply with these Legal Assurances prior to submitting data collections that are part of the 2025–26 ConApp data collections.
• 2025–26 Consolidated Application Guidance (Posted 01-Dec-2025)
  2025–26 Consolidated Application Guidance (DOCX; Posted 01-Dec-2025)
  Data collection guidance from the program offices, which includes information about the requirements for the various programs in order to assist in completing the 2025–26 Winter and Spring Release data collection forms.
• 2025–26 ConApp Cover Letter (Posted 01-May-2025)
  Provides general information related to the 2025–26 ConApp, such as records retention, legal assurances, funding opportunities and more.
• CARS News Flash Updates (Updated 12-May-2025)
  The CARS News Flash Updates are bulletins that are sent out to CARS users with the roles of Authorized Representative and/or User Administrator and also sent out through the ConApp listserv when there is new ConApp or CARS related information.
• CARS Data Collection Release Schedule (Updated 01-Dec-2025)
  List of current release dates and deadlines, along with the applicable data collections for the current release period.

Request for Applications

2025–26 Consolidated Application Spring Release

2024–25 Consolidated Application Spring Release

2023–24 Consolidated Application Spring Release

Additional ConApp Information

• School Grade Span Group Assignment Guidance
  Guidance information regarding the grade span codes used in the ConApp Winter Release for the School Student Counts data collection.
• ConApp Email Listserv
  Send a blank message to join-consolidated-application@mlist.cde.ca.gov to be added to the ConApp email listserv.
• 2024–25 Consolidated Application Guidance (Posted 01-Dec-2024)
  2024–25 Consolidated Application Guidance (DOCX; Posted 01-Dec-2024)
  Data collection guidance from the program offices which includes information about the requirements for the various programs in order to assist in completing the 2024–25 ConApp Spring and Winter Releases.
• 2023–24 Consolidated Application Guidance (Posted 29-Nov-2023)
  2023–24 Consolidated Application Guidance (DOCX; Posted 29-Nov-2023)
  Data collection guidance from the program offices which includes information about the requirements for the various programs in order to assist in completing the 2023–24 ConApp Spring and Winter Releases.

Related Links

• Categorical Programs
  Program descriptions, letters/notices, entitlements, and apportionment schedules.
• Funding for Title I, Parts A & D
  Current and previous fiscal year lists of the Title I, Parts A and D funding.
• California School Directory
  Search for private nonprofit schools that are eligible for services under the federal programs.
• Title I: Improving Academic Achievement
  Helps disadvantaged students meet state academic content and performance standards.