Open ED-GRANT-26-022 CFDA 84.044 Discretionary

Talent Search Program

Posted by Office of Postsecondary Education

Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — Talent Search Program — is cataloged under number ED-GRANT-26-022 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 84.044, posted by Office of Postsecondary Education. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as open, first posted on March 17, 2026. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.

Award economics. The award range on file is $250,000 -- $10,000,000. The agency has projected $175.2 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 175 awards. If the agency funds the expected 175 awards from the $175.2 million estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $1.0 million. Cost sharing is not required, so applicants do not need to commit matching funds to be competitive on this opportunity. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.

Deadline and action path. Applications close on May 1, 2026. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.

Award Range

$250,000 -- $10,000,000

Close Date

May 1, 2026

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time.

Posted

March 17, 2026

Est. Total Funding

$175,152,359

Expected Awards

175

Instrument

Grant

Description

The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor), is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Talent Search Program (TS) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The purpose of the Talent Search Program is to identify qualified individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds with potential for education at the postsecondary level and encourage them to complete secondary school and undertake postsecondary education. Talent Search projects publicize the availability of, and facilitate the application for, student financial assistance for persons who seek to pursue postsecondary education, and encourage persons who have not completed programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or reenter and complete these programs.We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular Announcement Notification and Instructions.

Eligibility

00;05;06;07;11;12;20;25

Official Listing on Grants.gov

View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.

View on Grants.gov

Agency Contact

ReShone Moore, Ben Witthoefft<br/>reshone.moore@ed.gov; ben.witthoefft@ed.gov

Key Dates

Posted March 17, 2026
Close Date May 1, 2026
Archive Date May 31, 2026
Last Updated March 17, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this grant opportunity?
This is a federal funding opportunity titled "Talent Search Program", offered by Office of Postsecondary Education. It is associated with CFDA program 84.044. The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor), is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Talent Search Program (TS) on behalf of the U.S. ...
Is this opportunity still open?
Yes, this opportunity is currently open for applications. The closing date is May 1, 2026.
How much funding is available?
The award range for this opportunity is $250,000 -- $10,000,000. Total estimated funding: $175,152,359. Expected number of awards: 175.
How do I apply?
Applications for federal grant opportunities are typically submitted through Grants.gov. Visit the official listing at grants.gov for application instructions, required documents, and submission deadlines.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants Editorial