Rural Education Achievement Program

Part B of Title V of the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) authorizes the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP). REAP is designed to help rural districts that may lack the personnel and resources to compete effectively for Federal competitive grants and that often receive grant allocations in amounts that are too small to be effective in meeting their intended purposes.

The formula grant funds, and the fund use flexibility available under REAP enable rural local educational agencies (LEAs) to participate more fully and effectively in many of the ESEA programs and allow them to provide better educational services to their students.

There are two formula grant programs authorized under REAP: the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program.

The Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Grant Program (CFDA no. 84.358A)

• Under SRSA, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) awards grants each year directly to eligible LEAs nationwide based on a statutory formula. SRSA program grantees must be small and rural, and LEAs must apply directly to the Department each year. An LEA may use its funds on a range of authorized activities and also has the ability to use some of its ESEA formula funds more flexibly under the Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA).

The Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Grant Program (CFDA no. 84.358B)

• The RLIS program provides grant funds to rural LEAs that serve concentrations of children from low-income families. Under RLIS, the Department awards funds to SEAs, which in turn make subgrants to LEAs. An SEA may award the RLIS grant funds to its eligible LEAs via a formula or via a competition. In some cases, the Department awards RLIS funds directly to eligible LEAs; these LEAs are referred to as specially qualified agencies (SQAs). Whether receiving a subgrant from its SEA or a grant directly from the Department, an LEA uses these funds to support a range of authorized activities, in order to assist students in meeting challenging State academic standards.

The REAP website consists of many helpful webpages and resources designed to support SRSA and RLIS grantees through every stage of the grant-making cycle. The REAP team recommends that new grantees and stakeholders begin by exploring the REAP Quick Links document which is a one-page PDF that includes hyperlinks to webpages and resources for commonly asked questions relating to the SRSA and RLIS grant programs.

• Click here to view the REAP Quick Links document

Commonly Used Acronyms

• AFUA — Alternative Fund Use Authority
• CFDA — Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
• ESEA — Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• ESSA — Every Student Succeeds Act
• FY — Fiscal Year
• GEPA — General Education Provision Act
• LEA — Local Educational Agency
• NCES — The National Center for Educational Statistics
• REAP — Rural Education Achievement Program
• RLIS — Rural and Low-Income School
• SAM — System for Award Management
• SEA — State Educational Agency
• SQA — Specially Qualified Agency
• SRSA — Small, Rural School Achievement
• UEI — Unique Entity Identifier

Legislation

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Regulations

Education Department General Administrative Guidance (EDGAR)

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) authorizes two Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) programs: the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program. A local educational agency (LEA) may use SRSA funds to pay for activities that are allowable under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; Title IV, Part A; and Title IV, Part B of the ESEA. RLIS funds may be used for any allowable activities under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; and Title IV, Part A; as well as parental involvement activities. An LEA may only use REAP funds for allowable costs, as defined in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements (Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. Part 200), which include, among other things, the requirement that costs be reasonable and necessary for the accomplishment of program objectives.

To learn more about allowable uses of SRSA and RLIS funds and for additional examples, please view the following slide deck to view a presentation on the allowable uses of REAP funds and the Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA). The presentation seeks to help viewers understand what types of REAP funds are available and how they can be used in schools, how to spend REAP funds with greater flexibility using AFUA, and how funds can be used for addressing COVID-19 related needs. The presentation provides illustrative examples of uses of funds as well as scenarios in which AFUA can be used.

Download a copy of the presentation slides below:

For information on obligating and drawing down REAP funds, see the REAP Grant Performance Period webpage. 

Supplement and Not Supplant Requirement

Both SRSA and RLIS funds must be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local education funds. For information about the supplement and not supplant requirement, please see III-C-2 of the REAP Informational Document.

The Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA)

An LEA eligible for the SRSA program (including a dual-eligible LEA that elects to receive funds through RLIS) may exercise a key flexibility provision in the ESEA. Section 5211(a) of the ESEA, known as AFUA, gives an eligible LEA authority to spend its Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A funds the LEA receives on activities authorized under several ESEA programs. The authority is specifically designed to give small, rural LEAs greater latitude to spend their Federal funds in ways that best address an LEA's particular needs. For details regarding AFUA, see the REAP Informational Document.

How to Use this Guide

Below is a searchable list of examples of possible uses of REAP grant funds, subject to the requirements described above. The list is illustrative only, and not intended to be exhaustive, and applies only to funds awarded under REAP. Funds awarded under another ESEA Title program are subject to the rules and requirements of that program; for more information on individual programs, see the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education website. To use this webpage, you can filter by activity topic (e.g., "Technology Devices") or by REAP program (i.e., SRSA, RLIS, or SRSA and RLIS). (Note: to see the most results, filter by "SRSA and RLIS" and then either SRSA or RLIS to see additional examples specific to the individual programs.) You can also search by word (e.g., "computer") and get results containing that word. The examples listed below may be allowable uses of REAP funds. However, the question of allowability is fact specific (e.g., whether a use of funds is reasonable and necessary and supplements but does not supplant other uses of funds depends on the specific circumstances). If your State or LEA has additional questions related to cost allowability, please contact REAP at reap@ed.gov.

A dual-eligible local educational agency (LEA) in the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) is an LEA that meets the eligibility requirements for both REAP grants in a given fiscal year. Eligibility information for each grant is available on the grant's eligibility page on the REAP website: Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Eligibility and Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Eligibility. Dual-eligible LEAs may receive an award under only one REAP program (i.e., either SRSA or RLIS) each fiscal year.

SRSA Eligible

• To be considered small, an LEA must have a total average daily attendance (ADA) of fewer than 600 students or exclusively serve schools that are located in counties with a population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile.
• To be considered rural, all schools within the LEA must have a school locale code of 41, 42, or 43 (assigned by the Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)) or be located in an area of the State defined as rural by a governmental agency of the State.

Overlapping: Dual-Eligible LEA

RLIS Eligible

• To be considered low-income, 20 percent or more of the children ages five to 17 served by the LEA must be from families with incomes below the poverty line, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE).
• To be considered rural, all schools comprising the LEA must have a school locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43 (assigned by NCES), or be located in an area of the State defined as rural by a governmental agency of the State.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a dual-eligible LEA inform the Department which program it will participate in?

Answer: Between January and March each year, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) publishes the Master Eligibility Spreadsheet (MES). An LEA can access the MES on either the SRSA or RLIS Eligibility page to view its eligibility status as well as estimated grant award amounts. Additionally, the Department invites each SRSA-eligible LEA by email to apply for the SRSA program and notifies the LEA through that email whether the LEA is dual-eligible. If dual-eligible, the email provides the estimate of the LEA's award under each program.

How should a dual-eligible LEA determine which program will provide a larger award?

Answer: The Department publishes estimated award allocations in the MES for eligible LEAs. These award allocations are estimates, and the final size of an LEA's award is dependent upon several factors that can change from year to year. A dual-eligible LEA can use estimated allocations to help determine if it would like to apply for SRSA funds or receive RLIS funds.

What are typical factors that help LEAs decide which program is a best fit for them?

Answer: An LEA should research the requirements and provisions of both the SRSA and the RLIS programs to determine which program best meets its needs. While the Department cannot tell an LEA which program to choose, we have put together a list of factors an LEA should consider when making its decision. Some of these considerations are listed below for your reference.

Can dual-eligible LEAs exercise the Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA)?

Answer: An LEA eligible for the SRSA program (including a dual-eligible LEA that elects to receive funds through RLIS) may exercise a key flexibility provision in the ESEA. Section 5211(a) of the ESEA, known as AFUA, gives an eligible LEA broad authority to spend funds the LEA receives under selected ESEA programs on activities authorized under several additional ESEA programs. The authority is specifically designed to give small, rural LEAs greater latitude to spend their Federal funds in ways that best address an LEA's particular needs. Any LEA that is eligible for SRSA funds may take advantage of the flexibilities provided by AFUA. Given that dual-eligible LEAs are SRSA-eligible they qualify for AFUA, even if they choose to receive RLIS funds in a given year. For details regarding AFUA, see the REAP Informational Document.

G5 Support Guide for Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Grantees

G5 is the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) online platform for grant management. Creating an account, logging in, and obtaining Payee Access allows SRSA grantees to view and draw down awarded grant funds across multiple fiscal years.

Update: Login.Gov Sign in Option Removed 

On Monday, March 17th, 2025 the home page for G5 will revert back to G5.gov and Login.Gov will no longer be supported as a login option. G6.ed.gov will no longer exist, G5.Gov will be the correct URL. To access G5, external users should enter their G5 email ID and their G5 password. If you need to reset your G5 password you can do so by going to Reset Password located under the log in button. 

How to Access SRSA Grant Funds in G5

To access SRSA grant funds in G5, an authorized user at the local education agency (LEA) must have Payee Access. When SRSA funds are awarded, a Grant Award Notification (GAN) is emailed to the primary and secondary contacts listed on the SRSA application. The GAN is the Department’s official notice that details the award amount, the recipient contacts, and the conditions under which the grant is awarded. The contacts listed on the GAN will not automatically have access to the grant funds in G5—every grantee LEA must separately establish Payee Access in G5 in order to access their SRSA grant funds.

Please note that changing the contact listed on the GAN only allows a person to view the document and does not grant access to funds in G5. If the contact listed on the GAN is outdated, the new staff member should create their own G5 account (following the steps below) and request Payee Access so that they can draw down funds from the grant award. Once Payee Access is established, funds may be drawn down from G5. Please see below for instructions on how to request Payee Access and draw own funds.

For questions or support with G5, please contact the Department’s Office of Business Support Services helpdesk by calling 1-888-336-8930 or sending an email to obssed@servicenowservices.com.

How to Create a New User Account

• Navigate to www.G5.gov.
• On the G5 Homepage, click the blue “Sign In” button in top right corner.
• On the next page, choose “G5 Sign In” 
• On the G5 Homepage, navigate to the top left corner and click on the “Sign Up” link next to the words “Not registered?” (Note: this is below the username and password fields).
• Enter the requested information (Note: answer “No” when asked if you are an employee or contractor of the U.S. Department of Education).
• Click “Continue,” and when complete click “Submit.”
• Upon entering your initial information into the system, the website will tell you to look for an “Account Request” email from G5.
• When the email arrives, open it, and click on the words inside that say “Activate My Account.”
• Complete the portion of the registration concluding with “Activate Account.”
• You will receive an email titled “User Account Activation” which will prompt you to log in to G5. Follow the steps 2-3 above and this time, enter your newly created username and password in the appropriate fields on the top left of the G5 Homepage.

How to Request Payee Access

In order to draw down REAP funds, grantees must create a G5 account and establish payee access. For complete directions on how to establish payee access please visit the G5 help guide: Register as a Payee. Please note, in order to establish payee access, account holders will need to verify their identities on ID.me. For detailed instructions, please visit: Creating Your ID.me Account.

Updates as of March 2025: G5 implements enhanced security verification for form submission

G5 has implemented enhanced security verification for users requesting access to payment information on behalf of their organization or making changes to their current access. 

• G5 Payees, Servicers, and their senior officials have the option to complete and sign access request forms using ID.me and Adobe Sign. This option provides a secure method for online identity verification and enables users to electronically sign requests for payment access rather than having these request forms filled out in paper and notarized. 
• To use the secure option, the Payee/Servicer and their senior officials must have a registered and verified account in ID.me. 
  • When completing the ID.Me verification they must ensure the email address connected to their G5 account matches the email address connected to their ID.Me account and that the email address is marked as primary in ID.me. 
    For more information on registering in ID.me, please visit the following link Creating Your ID.me Account. 
• For instructions on registering a new account in G5 as a Payee/Servicer or modifying your current account using this new process, please navigate to the G5 Help section and view the topics under G5 Introduction and Navigation for External Users > User ID and Profile Management for External Users. 

How to Draw Down Funds in G5

Please note that to follow the steps below, a user must have the Full Payee Access role in G5 (see the previous section above for more information). Once you are logged into your G5 account, complete the steps below to request a new drawdown of funds:

• Go to “Payments” then “Create Payments” where the UEI appears pre-populated. If the customer is connected to more than one UEI, they must select it here. The other fields (“Fiscal Year,” etc.) are optional filters that can be disregarded by most users.
• Click “Continue.”
• Locate the PR/Award Number on the next page and enter the amount to be requested in the box next to it. NOTE: The field marked “Recipient Reference” is also optional and designed for entering the name of the program that the grant award is for (“Upward Bound,” for example). This is NOT a field to identify the reason for a particular draw down.
• Click “Continue.”
• Answer “Yes” to the question, “Are you sure you would like to submit this request?”
• Click “Submit.”
• Note that if you do not see any PR Award Numbers available to draw down, this likely means that your account does not have Full Payee Access. Please follow the steps in the section above or contact the Department’s Office of Business Support Services helpdesk by calling 1-888-336-8930 or sending an email to obssed@servicenowservices.com.

Understanding Your PR/Award Number

Every REAP grant award has a unique number assigned to it for identification and tracking purposes. The Office of Management and Budget requires all Federal agencies to assign a Federal Award Identifying Number (FAIN) to each of their financial assistance awards. The PR/Award Number identified in Block 2 of your GAN is your FAIN.

PR/Award Numbers are made up of the following:

• A Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number
  • For SRSA awards this is S358A
  • For RLIS awards this is S358B
  • For RLIS-SQA awards this is S358C
• The last two digits of the fiscal year of the award
  • FY 2023 awards contain 23 directly after the CFDA number
  • FY 2022 awards contain 22 directly after the CFDA number
• A four-digit random identifier that is unique to each grant recipient
  • For example, 1234

When combined, these three elements form your unique PR/Award Number which can be used to identify the fiscal year of the award.

UEI Support Guide for SRSA Grantees

To access Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) grant funds, each grantee local educational agency (LEA) must have a unique entity identifier (UEI) that is registered in the System for Award Management's online platform, SAM.gov. UEI registrations in SAM.gov expire on an annual basis and it is the responsibility of each grantee LEA to access their SAM.gov account and complete the renewal process. An LEA must maintain an active UEI registration in order to access any awarded grant funds. In order to complete the UEI renewal process, you must have the "Entity Administrator" role assigned to your SAM.gov account. If this role is assigned to a previous employee no longer with your LEA, you will need to follow additional steps to become the new Entity Administrator in SAM.gov. The Entity Administrator is the only individual who may complete the annual renewal process for your LEA's UEI registration.

How to Use This Guide: Start with Step 1 in the guide below and identify which of the following scenarios best fits your LEA's current UEI status and follow all steps under the applicable scenario. If your LEA does not have a UEI, proceed to Step 4, which will walk you through the process to request a new UEI. If you have issues completing the steps below, utilize the resources in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of this document.

• Step 1: Verify if your LEA has a registered UEI
  • Learn more about the difference between "signing up" for a new UEI and registering an existing UEI in SAM.gov here.
  • Check the registration of your UEI in the SAM.gov Status Tracker.
    • If your LEA's status on the SAM.gov tracker is "ID Assigned" you LEA has already obtained a UEI, but it is not yet registered in SAM.gov. Proceed to Step 2, below.
    • If your LEA's status on the SAM.gov tracker is "inactive" your LEA has a UEI that was previously registered in SAM.gov but has become inactive. Proceed to Step 3, below.
    • If your LEA's status on the SAM.gov tracker is "active" there are no immediate next steps. Please note your UEI's expiration date and maintain your UEI's registration annually. It is especially important that your UEI registration remain active in the months of July and August as to avoid any award processing delays in G6.
    • If your LEA does not have a UEI in SAM.gov, proceed to Step 4.
• Step 2: Register your LEA's UEI in SAM.gov
  • If your LEA has obtained a UEI but not registered it in SAM.gov, follow these steps to register the UEI in SAM.gov.
  • If your previous SAM.gov account holder is no longer with the LEA, you may need to follow additional steps to gain "Entity Administrator" status, which allows you to make changes to your LEA's UEI. You must have entity administrator access in order to register or renew your UEI's registration.
• Step 3: Renew your LEA's UEI registration in SAM.gov
  • If your LEA's UEI has an inactive or expired registration in SAM.gov, go to your Entity Management Workspace (available from the Entity Registration page under the "Already Registered?" box on the right side of the page) to renew your entity registration. Use the following FAQ guides as needed to renew your SAM.gov registration.
    • Watch this video for an overview of entity registration and management.
    • How to become the new entity administrator for your entity: if your previous SAM.gov account holder is no longer with the LEA, you may need to follow these additional steps become the "entity administrator," which allows you to make changes to your LEA's UEI. For more information on role requests and assignments in SAM.gov, see this support video.
• Step 4: Obtain and register a UEI in SAM.gov
  • If your LEA does not have a UEI in SAM.gov, create a new registration by going to SAM.gov and clicking on the "Get Started" link under the "Register Your Entity…" heading in SAM.gov. LEAs must complete the "Register Entity" registration option and NOT the "Get a Unique Entity ID" option. The "Get a Unique Entity ID" option, which is not a full registration, is only available to entities for reporting purposes. View this guide for more information on registering the UEI.
  • Once you receive confirmation that your UEI was successfully registered, complete the SRSA application or email your UEI to REAP@ed.gov. Include your LEA's name and application tracking number in the email if possible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. The above instructions are not working for me - what do I do next? If you need additional support in registering a UEI in SAM.gov, please refer to the Federal Service Desk (FSD). You can use the FSD search feature or, once you login, the live chat or create an incident features. If you create an incident ticket, FSD will communicate with you via email. Note that this communication is time sensitive and you should respond as soon as possible.
2. I cannot validate my entity information in SAM - what do I do next? See this guide for an explanation of the process, as well as FAQs and how to handle entity validation issues. We also recommend reviewing the Seven Common Reasons Entity Validation Documents Get Rejected, which includes the following examples:
   • You didn't include the specific request you're making in the text box of your ticket
   • You attached the correct document, like a bank statement, but it's too old
   • You attached documents demonstrating your physical address using a P.O. box
   • You attached poor quality documents.
   • SRSA grantees often have validation issues due to the "date of incorporation." If your LEA used the above guide and cannot provide the necessary documentation, we recommend reaching out to your REAP State Coordinator for support in acquiring necessary documentation.
   • Resource: The U.S. General Services Administration's Integrated Award Environment (IAE) hosted an online stakeholder forum regarding entity validation. You can now download the presentation slide deck and view a recording of the program.
3. I need to change the name and/or address associated with the UEI – what do I do next? 
   • Follow these steps to update your LEA's information. NOTE: you will need to upload documentation to verify your entity's name and/or address.
   • After updating your LEA’s name at SAM.gov, follow these next steps.
4. My LEA recently changed its UEI and received a new number – what do I do next?
   • After receiving confirmation that your new UEI was created, ensure that the UEI is then registered in SAM.gov by following these steps.
   • Then, email your UEI number to REAP@ed.gov. Include your LEA's name and application tracking number in the email.
5. Multiple UEIs were created in the process of trying to update my LEA’s UEI – what do I do next?
   • To delete a work in progress (WIP) registration and continue a renewal/update if validation fails, follow these steps.
6. Why am I being asked for my driver’s license and other personal information?
   • Identity proofing is the process of verifying that you are who you say you are and is required for entity administrator access. For SAM.gov, it involves supplying identifying information about yourself to login.gov. Login.gov will use the information to check your identity. You will be asked to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) and upload a photograph of your state-issued ID so that login.gov can verify that information against Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records. You must also provide your phone number, which is validated against your known phone bill to verify your address. Your address can also be verified by U.S. mail as a backup method.

To contact the REAP Program Office at the U.S. Department of Education directly, please email REAP@ed.gov. Additionally, the list below provides a breakdown of REAP State Coordinators. 

REAP State Coordinator Contacts

The following is a list of the REAP State Coordinators organized alphabetically by State. If you have any state-specific questions or concerns, start by reaching out to your REAP State Coordinator. To contact the REAP Program Office at the U.S. Department of Education directly, please email REAP@ed.gov.