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Looking for answers to your questions? Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page provides answers to common questions about the Department, grants, student loans, and more. Explore questions below or select a topic from the menu at right.

You can search and view a list of grant programs by title and office online.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a publication and database produced by the General Services Administration that lists the domestic assistance programs of all federal agencies. All grant programs have a CFDA number, which indicates the sponsoring agency. All U.S. Department of Education grants begin with 84 followed by a period and three digits and, in some cases a letter (i.e. 84.XXX and/or 84.XXXA). You can search for ED grants by CFDA number in ED Programs.

The grants that are inviting applications for new awards are listed in our Forecast of Funding Opportunities. This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the Department has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts — organized according to the Department's principal program offices — and include programs and competitions we have previously announced, as well as those we plan to announce at a later date. Please note the list is currently updated every two weeks.

You can find programs by eligibility and select one of the eligibility types (Individuals, Institutions of Higher Education, Local Education Agencies, Nonprofit Organizations, Other Organizations and/or Agencies and State Education Agencies) for a list of all ED programs for which that type of organization or individual is eligible to apply. Not all programs listed are available immediately. Please read the individual application deadlines for each program.

ED sponsors over 100 grant competitions each year, which are administered by program offices throughout the Department. Program offices recruit individuals from outside the federal government to serve as "field readers" or "peer reviewers." These individuals have expertise in the subject area(s) of the applications being considered. If you are interested in being a peer reviewer for a particular office, please contact the principal office directly to inquire about upcoming opportunities. Keep an eye out for requests posted in the federal register or sign-up for email updates when we are seeking peer reviewers.

To report fraud, waste, abuse, misuse or mismanagement of ED program funds (this could include complaints concerning employees, fund recipients, educational institutions, contractors, collection agencies, or lending institutions); please contact our Office of the Inspector General and use their online Hotline Complaint Form. Additionally, the Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is available to further assist constituents suspecting fraud, waste, or abuse involving U.S. Department of Education funds. Complaints or concerns received through the Hotline are evaluated, consistent with established agency performance measures published in the OIG Annual Plan, and may be referred for OIG investigation, audit, inspection or other review. Please direct any related questions or concerns to the Department's Office of the Inspector General by calling 1-800-647-8733.