Local school districts (LEAs) are eligible to apply and may choose to work in partnership with one or more of the following:

• state or local nonprofit or governmental arts organization;
• state educational agencies (SEAs) or regional educational service agency;
• institution of higher education;
• and a public or private agency, institution, or organization, such as a community or faith-based organization.

State or local nonprofit or governmental arts organizations working in partnership with one or more LEAs are also eligible to apply. They may also partner with one or more of the following:

• state educational agency or regional educational service agency; institution of higher education; and a public or private agency, institution, or organization, such as a community or faith-based organization.

Additionally, more than one LEA and/or arts organization are eligible to form a consortia and jointly submit a single application. To do so, they must follow the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127-129 of EDGAR.

State or local non-profit or governmental arts organizations MUST partner with one or more LEAs to be eligible to apply. LEAs are not required to partner with these entities. However, experience with successful Arts in Education models indicates that collaborative projects appear to have the most impact (see Champions of Change at http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions and Third Space at http://www.aep-arts.org/resources/toolkits/thirdspace/.

Yes, BIA-funded schools are eligible to apply for program funds.

A public charter school may apply for funding if it is recognized by its state as an LEA. If a public charter school is not recognized as an LEA it cannot apply directly for funds, but may be included in an application that its LEA submits for funding.

Private schools are not eligible to apply for or to receive grant funds under this program. LEAs are encouraged to share their knowledge of effective arts integration with private school officials.

Yes, an Intermediate Education Unit may apply for funding if it is an LEA and is also considered to be an eligible partner for this grant.

To be eligible for Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination funds, applicants must propose to address the needs of low-income children by carrying out projects that serve at least one elementary or middle school in which 35 percent or more of the children enrolled are from low-income families (based on data used in meeting the poverty criteria in Title I, Section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA)).

Yes, the nonprofit may be the fiscal agent.