IMPORTANT UPDATE:
The National Board First Time Candidate (27m(7)) grant will be offered for a fourth round as planned. However, please note there is a change to the application timeline. The grant application will open and close earlier than previously planned. The grant application opens July 31, 2026, and closes August 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Please be aware there are two grants with very similar names. This grant awards money to eligible teachers employed in schoolwide Title I buildings pursuing National Board Certification for the first time.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has designed National Board Certification to develop, retain, and recognize teachers. The National Board is widely regarded as the gold standard for teacher certification, advocating that elevated standards for educators lead to improved learning outcomes for students.
Please note: This certificate is not a nationally accepted certificate to be used in lieu of a state-issued certificate or license to teach.
Definition of Title I: Teacher must be employed in a designated schoolwide Title I building.
The 27m Recognized Achievement grant awards money to eligible teachers who hold National Board Certification at the time of application.
APPLICATION NOW CLOSED. Please regularly check the webpage for updates.
Awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fiscal Year 26, Round 3 application
To be eligible, a Michigan teacher must:
Teachers may receive $4,000. If employed in a schoolwide Title I building teachers may receive $10,000.
Eligible teachers may receive a grant award, including teachers who received an award in the previous round.
The 27m(7) First-Time Candidate grant awards money to eligible teachers employed in Schoolwide Title I buildings pursuing National Board Certification for the first time.
Please regularly check the webpage for updates.
Awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Round 4 application
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN OPEN AND CLOSE DATES.
To be eligible, a Michigan teacher must:
4 components x $475 = $1900
3 years x $75/year application = $225
Teachers in schoolwide Title I buildings pursuing NBC for the first time are eligible to receive funding for the successful completion of four components.
|
Fiscal Year (FY) - Round |
Award Date |
Spending Deadline |
|---|---|---|
|
FY24 Award – Round 1 10-1-2023 to 9-30-2024 |
June 2024 |
10-1-2023 to 9-30-2025 |
|
FY25 Award – Round 2 10-1-2024 to 9-30-2025 |
December 2024 |
10-1-2024 to 9-30-2026 |
| FY26 Award – Round 3 and Round 4 10-1-2025 to 9-30-2026 |
Round 3 - December 2025 |
10-1-2025 to 9-30-2027 |
| FYyy Award - Round x | December 20yy | 9-30-20yy to The year following the receipt of the award |
How to Apply
Districts, PSAs, and ISDs are welcome to apply by completing the following steps:
Already applied? These are the next steps in the process:
Local education agencies (LEAs), both traditional public school districts and public school academies (PSAs), and intermediate school districts (ISDs) are eligible to apply.
Individual educators are not eligible applicants; they are encouraged to inquire with their building or district administration about submitting a grant application.
Yes. A copy of an application template is available for download during each application window. Additionally, there will be a technical assistance video. MDE recommends districts use these resources to carefully draft their responses, keeping a copy of the application template for their own records and reference.
27m National Board Recognized Achievement grant awardees will receive grant money via State Aid:
27m(7) National Board First Time Candidate grant awardees will receive grant money via State Aid:
No, as eligibility rules above indicate, administrators are not eligible for either grant.
Section 18a of the Michigan State School Aid Act states that grant recipients must expend funds awarded to them before the end of the fiscal year following the year in which the funds were received. If the recipient does not expend the funds, they must submit a report to the department by November 1st at the end of each fiscal year and return any unexpended funds to the department by September 30th of the second fiscal year.
According to the Section 27m subsection (3)(a), to receive an award, eligible teachers must meet the following: Be employed in classroom teaching at least 50% of the teacher's full-time hours, as determined by the district or intermediate district.
All grants are subject to audit. Districts are responsible for determining and ensuring that their candidates qualify. While we would love to honor all who have achieved National Board Certification, the grant must be implemented as described in the statute.
Awards are made to districts via school state aid payments. It is the responsibility of districts to make payments to teachers.
Yes, please contact ORS with questions.
Please see ORS Public School Reporting Units for more information. Reportability of additional educational funding.
No. Districts must award teachers the entire award amounts of $4,000 or $10,000 as stipulated by Section 27m.
Districts are able to develop and establish their own procedures to meet their grant management needs with the understanding that unused funds will be pulled back. Districts will need to consider different scenarios.
The district must report when an educator leaves their district so that funding may be pulled back at that time.
The statute allows for one award per fiscal year. Please contact MDE at MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov.
