About three weeks ago, the new funding forecast from the U.S. Department of Education was released. The forecast outlines the discretionary grant competitions the Department plans to fund for the coming year. It is not a legal document and it changes throughout the year, but it is extremely valuable if you want an idea of what grants might be coming your way and when they might be due.

As I mentioned, it’s not always accurate. For example, last week the forecast said the application notice for the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools grant would be out on December 15th. It wasn’t. Now, it simply says, “TBD” for information on when the application will be available. So, you have to keep checking back for the latest information. By the way, the latest information will be available at the Department’s website or on grants.gov anyway, but the forecast is still effective as an early planning tool.

And don’t forget, the official notice of grant applications, rules, and funding criteria will be published in the Federal Register.