Request for Applications

Middle College and Early College Grant

Due: Friday, October 30, 2026

Supports the costs to plan for, and start up, a middle college or early college high school that is located on the campus of a local educational agency (LEA), a partnering community college, or other location determined by the local partnership, and that is consistent with the specifications of Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 11300) of Part 7 of Division 1 of Title 1.

Program Questions: Kyle Castleman, email: MCECgrant@cde.ca.gov, phone: 916-323-5146

Downloading Questions: Kyle Castleman, High School Innovations and Initiatives Office, email: MCECgrant@cde.ca.gov

Document	Description
Request for Applications (DOCX)	Announcement of the availability of funds for the Middle College and Early College (MCEC) Grant. This is a competitive application process. Note: Application deadline is October 30, 2026 by 4:00 pm
2026-27 MCEC Grant Online Application	Round 4 of the MCEC grant will be in the online platform called Program Grant Management System Next Generation (PGMS NextGen). PGMS NextGen is a new website, separate from the PGMS legacy platform many Grantees may use for other grant programs such as Perkins, CTEIG, and CPAs. For security purposes, PGMS NextGen requires a Centralized Authentication System (CAS) account. To apply for the MCEC grant, please complete the following steps: 1. If you do not already have a CAS account, create one on the CAS Registration Page 2. Complete the CAS Username and Grantee Information Survey Once you have provided the CDE with your primary contact’s CAS username, LEA name, school names, and CDS codes, we will add the primary contact to PGMS NextGen and send follow-up instructions on how to complete the grant application.
Webinar Registration	Register in advance for the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Round 4 RFA information ZOOM webinar scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
Office Hours Registration	Register in advance for the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Technical Assistance for RFA Applicants ZOOM Office Hours, scheduled every Tuesday from October 13, 2026 through October 27, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for application questions. (Add Registration Link)

Certifications and Assurances

Document	Description
General Assurances & Certifications (Posted Apr-2026)	Required as a condition of receiving funds. Applicants do not need to sign and return them with the application; they must be downloaded and kept on file for compliance reviews, complaint investigations, or audits. Applicants that participate in the Consolidated Application - ConApp - should have a copy on file and do not need another copy. Program-specific assurances are not included here and should be listed separately on the Request for Application (RFA).

Document

Description

General Assurances & Certifications (Posted Apr-2026)

Required as a condition of receiving funds. Applicants do not need to sign and return them with the application; they must be downloaded and kept on file for compliance reviews, complaint investigations, or audits. Applicants that participate in the Consolidated Application - ConApp - should have a copy on file and do not need another copy. Program-specific assurances are not included here and should be listed separately on the Request for Application (RFA).

More about Middle College and Early College Grant

Last Reviewed: Thursday, September 24, 2026