General Guidelines and Timeline 2026–27

The California Department of Education (CDE), Migrant Education Office, is pleased to announce the Migrant Education Program (MEP) grant application for fiscal year 2026–27.

The purpose of the application is to obtain a comprehensive description of proposed supplementary MEP services. The following general guidelines are provided to inform and guide the development and completion of the migrant grant application for 2026–27.

General Guidelines

1. For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the funding period will be from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Summer Services for July and August 2026 will be budgeted in the 2026–27 application.

2. Grant funds will not be awarded until an application is substantially approvable (Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Section 76.708 ).

3. The MEP administrative expenditures for 2026–27 may not exceed the approved administrative expenditure limit.

4. The MEP grant application must include at least one Summer Leadership Institute program that takes place on the campus of an institution of higher education.

5. Every other year, the MEP grant application should include a Regional Parent Advisory Conference. In years when the CDE will host the State Migrant Parent Conference, a Regional Parent Advisory Conference is not required.
6. The MEP grant application must include a Speech and Debate program and regional tournament. Each region should host their own tournament.
   
   
7. Subgrantees are required to meet the program requirements of the Service Delivery Plan (SDP) in accordance with 20 United States Code (USC) section 6396 and 34 CFR Section 200.83[c] .
   
   
8. Each subgrantee must have a summer program that meets the requirements established by California Education Code 54444.3. If you cannot meet this requirement, you must request an exemption by completing the summer waiver form for each operating agency with a district service agreement that does not meet the requirement. This form can be found on the Los Angeles County Office of Education Resource website .
   
   
9. The MEP is primarily governed by fiscal policies in Title 2, CFR Section 200 , the Fiscal Handbook and the SDP. All applicants must abide by the policies, laws and guidance. Regions are responsible for ensuring participating districts comply with the law, policies, and guidance.
   
   
10. All MEP staff providing direct instruction to prekindergarten migratory students must be certified according to local certification requirements for prekindergarten teachers.
    
    
11. To receive additional funds for the Family Biliteracy program for preschool age children, the application must include a description of that program in the School Readiness section.
12. For program planning involving Transitional Kindergarten (TK) students, TK is considered early education and for the purposes of instruction, is guided by the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF).
    
    
13. Program planning should provide the most inclusive instructional environment possible for migratory students with disabilities and provide support per local educational agency policies. MEP should check with their Special Education Local Plan Area for further guidance.

Timeline of the 2026–27 Migrant Education Program Request for Applications

Below, please find important dates for the MEP grant application for fiscal year 2026–27.

The following applications are available:

• Region Application
• Direct Funded District (DFD) Application
• District Service Agreement (DSA) - required for districts with more than 200 migratory students
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - districts with less than 200 migratory students

If you are a district and are unclear about which application to utilize, please contact your region.