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Section 27h Mentoring and Induction Grants

Section 27h Mentoring and Induction Grants

To help increase retention of new teachers, administrators, and counselors, Section 27h of the State School Aid Act authorized three separate grants totaling $50 million related to mentoring and induction: 

  1. Mentoring Standards, Curriculum, and Professional Learning Creation Grant: Awarded to Western Michigan University.
  2. Program Evaluation Grant: Awarded to American Institutes for Research. 
  3. Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant: Awarded to 121 districts. View the complete list of awardees here: Section 27h Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant Awardees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updates

  • The second round of the Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant from Section 27h will open on June 15. The application may be found in NexSys as 27h Mentoring and Induction District Support 2026. 
  • The new Standards for Mentoring and Induction of New Teachers, School Counselors, and Administrators are now available on the Mentoring and Induction Standards webpage.

Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant

Purpose

To provide up to $10 million per year over 5 years to districts to support mentoring and induction programming for teachers, administrators, and school counselors.

Eligible Applicants

Districts: Intermediate school districts and local education agencies, including both traditional public schools and public school academies.

    Second Round

    • Application Open: June 15, 2026.
    • Application Close: July 20, 2026.
    • Second Round Awarded: Tentatively October 2026.
    • How to Apply: Locate the 27h Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant 2026 under My Opportunities in NexSys.

    Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant Technical Assistance

    Grant Information

    NOTE: Changes were made to statute in the FY26 State School Aid Act. The most notable changes are removing school counselors and administrators from most activities. Administrators are still able to receive mentorship through partnering with professional education organization. The below information applies to the upcoming second round.

     

    Allowable Expenses for Teachers

    • Stipends to mentors of teachers.
    • Training for mentor teachers.
    • Books, materials, professional learning expenses, and other resources necessary for mentoring and onboarding new teachers.
    • Staffing costs to cover time spent by both new and mentor teachers dedicated to mentoring and onboarding rather than being in the classroom or performing other job duties.
    • Contracting with 1 or more established state professional organizations to provide mentoring services to school administrators. Only $3,000.00 per administrator per year or the actual program cost, whichever is lesser, is allowed. Organizations must be selected from a department developed list (in development).

    Separate Administrator Allocation

    • $1.5 million of the $10 million is allocated to administrator mentoring. Grants under this subsection must be awarded in the amount of $3,000.00 per eligible school administrator per year or the actual program cost, whichever is less. If funding under this subsection is not sufficient to fully fund all eligible applicants, the department shall not prorate awards. If funding remains unspent under this subsection after grants to all eligible applicants have been awarded, the department may reallocate those funds to other approved mentoring activities under this section.”
    • Allowable Expense: Contracting with 1 or more established state professional organizations to provide mentoring services to school administrators. Only $3,000.00 per administrator per year or the actual program cost, whichever is lesser, is allowed. 
    • Organizations must be selected from a department-developed list: Approved Administrator Mentoring Providers
    • Organizations hoping to be added to the list may apply here: Approved Provider Application Survey

    Unallowable Expenses

    • Full salaries for current or new full-time staff members.
    • Items that are supplanting existing activities and resources rather than supplementing.
    • Benefits. Office of Retirement Services has deemed the stipends as reportable income, so grant funds cannot be used to cover mandatory benefit costs. NexSys will ask for an amount to be entered into benefits if an amount is entered into salaries. The amount entered should be $0 because benefits are not an allowable expense.
    • Items budgeted beyond the timeline of the funds for this round (the year in which the award funds are received plus one additional year per section 18a).
    • School Counselors: Although the original statute included school counselors, the statute was changed in this year’s budget to no longer include school counselor mentoring.
    • For administrators, stipends, books and materials, mentor training, professional learning, staffing costs are no longer allowable.

    Contact Information

    First Round Grant Award

    Expenditure Period

    Fiscal Year (FY) - Round  Award Date Spending Deadline
    FY25 Award – Round 1,
    10-1-24 to 9-30-25    		 November 2025 By September 30, 2027

    FY26 Award - Round 2,
    10-1-25 to 9-30-26

    		 October 2026 By September 30, 2028
    FY27 Award – Round 3,
    10-1-26 to 9-30-27
    		 To be determined To be determined

     

    Mentoring Standards, Curriculum, and Professional Learning Creation Grant

    Purpose

    Section 27h(5) gives $500,000 to an intermediate school district or other educational entity to assist the Michigan Department of Education to create standards, curricula, and professional learning for mentors of teachers, administrators, and counselors.

    Timeline

    • Grant awarded: June 2024 to Western Michigan University
    • Public Comment for Standards: November 13 – December 22, 2025.
    • Standards Published: April 16, 2026.
    • Professional Learning Modules Released: TBA

     

    Mentoring Program Evaluation Grant

    Purpose

    To award $500,000 to a qualified evaluation entity to evaluate mentoring and induction programming in Michigan, including providing recommendations to improve programming.

    Grant Information

    Awardee of this grant will gather and analyze baseline data from current mentoring and induction programs and then conduct an evaluation of mentoring and induction programs in Michigan after the implementation of the grants awarded per Section 27h. The final evaluation needs to include a recommendation on how to improve programs.

    Timeline

    • Grant awarded: October 2024 to American Institutes of Research (AIR).
    • Initial Evaluation Survey: Released in December 2025.