Tutoring is an allowable expense for specific covid-relief funding such as the American Rescue Plan as well as ongoing funding through Title funds as outlined below:
Covid-Relief Funding
- American Rescue Plan: Tutoring is an allowable expense for ARPA funding. Specifically, ARPA stipulates that states set aside 5% of funding to address learning loss and that local educational agencies set aside 20% of their allotment for this purpose.
- ARP State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) can be used to support student success. The White House toolkit says that SLFRF can be used to hire and retain school-based staff; build the educator pipeline; and invest in other ways to support our students, including academic and mental health supports.
Traditional Education Funding
- Title I-Part A: Title I funds are intended to help close the achievement gap between high and low-performing students and increase achievement in academic subjects. LEAs may use Title I, Part A, funds to cover the costs for direct student services including “components of a personalized learning approach, which may include high-quality academic tutoring.”
- Title IV-Part A: Tutoring is an allowable expense if it meets the broad program goal of providing student support and academic enrichment.
- Title IV-Part B: A program priority for 21st CCLC is to provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students—particularly students who attend low-performing schools—meet challenging State academic standards.
- Title III: Districts may use Title III, Part A funds to improve instruction for ELs, including those with a disability, by acquiring and upgrading curricula and programs. This may include tutorials, mentors, and academic or career counseling.
- Rural Education Programs: (REAP-RLIS, SRSA) Recipients can use funds to conduct activities under selected ESEA programs which include Title I Part A, Title II Part A, Title III, Title IV Part A, and Title IV Part B.
- Title I-Part C: Migrant education funds may be used for instructional tutorial services to increase migrant student achievement.
- Title I-Part D: Tutoring, mentoring, and academic intervention services are allowable expenditures under Title I, Part D to help children and youth returning to the school environment from correctional facilities to meet state academic standards and stay in school to complete their education.
- IDEA: Tutoring may be an allowable expense provided the instruction is provided by a licensed special education instructor or aide under the supervision of a licensed special education instructor.
- Federal Work-Study: Federal Work-Study funds can be used to pay qualifying college students to be tutors in K-12 school.
Tools
- Funding Tutoring Programs (short narrative brief discussing a range of funding sources)
- Using the American Rescue Plan to Fund High-Impact Tutoring (short narrative brief focused on ARP funding options)
- Identifying Funding Sources (tool for district leadership)
Action Steps
- Based on your early outline of your tutoring program, develop an estimate of costs for the tutoring program using this Tutoring Cost Calculator.
- Identify whether there are existing funds available or if your district needs additional funding to provide the high-impact tutoring program.
- Review the funding options above to identify potential funding for your program.