The Educational Equity Challenge Grant Act of 2026 creates a new federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Education to help school districts, educational agencies, nonprofits, and tribal organizations address academic, mental health, and social-emotional challenges—particularly gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant recipients must dedicate at least 75 percent of funds to proven, evidence-based interventions or use up to 25 percent for innovative locally-developed approaches with independent evaluation, while ensuring that at least 25 percent of funding reaches rural areas and 50 percent supports low-income students. All grant recipients must conduct independent evaluations of their programs and publish results publicly, while submitting annual reports to the Education Department detailing how funds were used and measuring outcomes for disadvantaged groups including low-income students, English learners, and students of color. The bill authorizes $15 billion annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029, then decreases to $10 billion annually from 2030 to 2033, and $5 billion annually from 2034 to 2036.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.