Title III Immigrant Set-Aside

Purpose

The Title III Immigrant Set-Aside grant is designed to support school districts that have experienced a significant increase in immigrant students over the past two years. This program provides enhanced instructional and supplemental support opportunities for immigrant students and their families. 

Program Requirements and Eligibility

Colorado's Title III allocation is based on the number of English learners (ELs) reported through the American Community Survey and U.S. Census data. Before determining local allocations, CDE reserves 5% of its Title III allocation for the Title III Immigrant Set-Aside (ISA) grant. CDE determines local allocations based on the number and average number of immigrant students reported through the annual Student October Count in three school years prior to the current school year.

Immigrant children and youth:

• Are 3 through 21,
• Were not born in the U.S. or any U.S. Territory, and
• Have not attended U.S. schools for more than three full academic years.*

Title III ISA Plan

School districts that receive Title III ISA funds are required to submit a narrative describing how they propose to serve immigrant children and youth, and their families, for the school year in which they receive an allocation. The narrative must align to a budget that is also submitted annually.

Use of Funds

Allowable Activities Focused on Immigrant Children and Youth

• Family literacy, parent outreach, and training activities to help parents to participate actively in their children’s education. 
• Support for personnel, including teacher aides, specifically trained to serve immigrant children. 
• Tutoring, mentoring, and academic or career counseling.
• Identification and acquisition of supplemental curricular materials, and educational software and technologies. 
• Basic instruction services directly attributable to their enrollment; classroom supplies, costs of transportation, etc.
• Other instruction services to assist immigrant students: civics education, introduction to educational system, etc.
• Activities coordinated with community-based organizations, institutes of higher education, and private sector entities to assist parents by offering comprehensive services.

Supplement, Not Supplant

Title III funds must only be used to provide additional services, staff, programs, or materials that are not provided with State or local resources absent federal funds; federal funds cannot pay for resources that would otherwise be purchased with State and/or local funds.

Period of availability-27 months

LEAs and BOCES have 27 months (starting July 1^st of each fiscal year) in which to expend allocated Title III funds.

Note: Expiring funds must be expended (paid for) (not encumbered, not obligated, and not contracted), no later than the date of expiration.

Months of October and November following expiration of grant funds is last month to draw down funds/request reimbursement from the Office of Grants Fiscal.

Once funds have expired, there is no recourse to recover the funds.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring of federal programs is conducted to ensure that: (1) every child has a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education; (2) programs comply with federal requirements that are most closely related to positive outcomes for students; and (3) taxpayer dollars are administered and used in accordance with how Congress and the United States Department of Education intended. 

Resources

• Title III Immigrant New Quick Reference 
• Title III Immigrant Set Aside Small Bite

This training provides an overview of the purpose, eligibility, allowable uses, and other considerations for the Title III Immigrant Set-Aside. 

Recording | Slides