Title I, Part A Carryover and Waiver
Local educational agencies (LEAs) are authorized to carry over 15 percent (or less) of the Title I, Part A funds to the succeeding fiscal year (FY) without applying for a waiver.Title I, Part A LEA Carryover Limitation | Title I, Part A Funds: Period of Availability | LEA Carryover Limitation Exclusion | Reporting Expenditures and Calculating Carryover | Carryover Funds | Allocating Carryover Funds | How to Request a Carryover Waiver | Carryover Waiver Request Criteria | CDE Review of a Carryover Waiver Request | Resources
Title I, Part A LEA Carryover Limitation
The General Education Provisions Act Section 421(b)(1) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Section 1127(a), state that not more than 15 percent of the funds allocated to an LEA for any FY (but not including funds received through any reallocation), may remain available for obligation and expenditure for one additional FY. All remaining funds not expended or obligated by September 30 of the succeeding FY shall be returned to the California Department of Education (CDE).
Important: The federal FY ends September 30. Unspent Title I, Part A funds become carryover funds on October 1 each FY.
Title I, Part A Funds: Period of Availability
Title I, Part A funds are available for a full 15-month period (until September 30) before the limitation on carryover funds applies.
| Title I, Part A LEA Allocation | Carryover Period |
|---|---|
| Funding Year | One additional year |
| July 1 through September 30 | October 1 through September 30 |
| 15 months | 12 months |
The CDE recommends that the LEA expend or obligate the entire Title I, Part A allocation within each FY. LEAs are authorized to carry over up to 15 percent of Title I, Part A funds to the succeeding FY without applying for a waiver.
- Note: The percentage limitation is applied to the amount of Title I, Part A funds allocated to the LEA, plus any funds the LEA transferred into Title I, Part A from other ESEA programs.
According to the ESSA Section 1127(b), a State Educational Agency may waive the 15 percent limitation only once every three years.
LEA Carryover Limitation Exclusion
The 15 percent carryover limitation does not apply, if the LEA allocation (including funds transferred-in from other federal education programs) is less than $50,000 for the FY (ESSA Section 1127[c]).
Sample Waiver of Carryover Limitation Eligibility Timeline:
| Waiver Status | Fiscal Year |
|---|---|
| Waiver Approved | FY 2021−22 |
| Not Eligible for Waiver | FY 2022−23 |
| Not Eligible for Waiver | FY 2023−24 |
| Eligible to Apply for a Waiver | FY 2024−25 |
Reporting Expenditures and Calculating Carryover
LEAs complete the Title I, Part A LEA Carryover data collection form in the Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS/ConApp) during the winter release (which opens in January) to report expenditures and obligations through September 30. Once the expenditures and obligations amount is entered into the form and the form is saved, the system calculates the carryover dollar amount and percentage (if any). If the LEA has carryover greater than 15 percent and is eligible to apply for a waiver, the waiver request section will display in the Title I, Part A LEA Carryover form when the form is saved.
IMPORTANT: The Title I, Part A LEA Carryover data collection form must be completed during the CARS Winter Release during the dates published by the CARS office. For more information, please refer to the CARS Data Collection Forms Calendar web page.
Carryover Funds
Unspent Title I, Part A carryover funds, at or below the allowable 15 percent, from the prior year, remain available for obligation by the LEA for one additional fiscal year (ESSA Section 1127[a]). Unspent Title I, Part A funds from the prior year may include funds:
- Reserved for a specific purpose but were not spent.
- Retained for LEA-wide direct student services.
- Allocated to a school(s).
Allocating Carryover Funds
Before allocating carryover funds:
- The LEA must ensure that any Title I, Part A funds, originally required to be reserved for specific activities (e.g., parent and family engagement, equitable services, services to homeless children), that were not spent should be used for those specific activities in the subsequent fiscal year.
When determining how to allocate carryover funds:
- The LEA shall:
- Meet its obligations with respect to the statutory reservations from funds that remain available for the subsequent school year.
- The LEA may:
- Retain some or all remaining carryover funds at the LEA level for LEA-wide direct student services; and/or
- Allocate some or all remaining carryover funds to eligible schools.
IMPORTANT: Excess carryover is not reported in the Title I, Part A School Allocations data collection form.
The LEA may only report the amount of allowable (up to 15 percent) carryover funds allocated to eligible schools in the carryover column of the Title I, Part A School Allocations data collection form in the CARS/ConApp.
For more information, please refer to the Title I, Part A School Allocations web page.
How to Request a Carryover Waiver
For FY 2023−24, all LEAs with remaining carryover funds 15 percent or greater as of September 30, 2024, must apply for a waiver in the CARS/ConApp during the 2025 CARS Winter Release when completing the Title I, Part A LEA Carryover data collection form.
LEAs type the waiver request in the waiver request box in the Title I, Part A LEA Carryover data collection form in the CARS/ConApp. The system limits the waiver request response to 1,700 characters.
NOTE: “Characters” refers to total characters,which includes spaces and punctuation, not word count.
Carryover Waiver Request Criteria
When requesting a Title I, Part A carryover waiver, the CDE may, once every three years, waive the percentage limitation if the CDE determines the LEA waiver request is reasonable and necessary (ESSA Section 1127[a]). In the waiver request, the LEA shall provide:
- a description why the LEA has carryover funds,
- how the LEA plans to expend or obligate those funds, and
- confirmation that the planned activities/expenditures
- comply with the Title I, Part A Authorized Use of Funds criteria, and
- will be expended or obligated in accordance with approved LEA and/or school plans by the end of the carryover year.
For more detailed information, refer to the Title I, Part A Carryover Waiver Request Criteria web page.
CDE Review of a Carryover Waiver Request
Completion of the waiver section in the Title I, Part A LEA Carryover data collection form does not result in an automatic approval of the carryover waiver request.
- The waiver request:
- Must be approved by CDE staff before the LEA may allocate, expend, and/or obligate the excess carryover funds.
- Will be reviewed to determine if the Carryover Waiver Request is reasonable and necessary and includes the required elements.
If the LEA has Title I, Part A carryover funds exceeding 15 percent and does not wish to apply for a carryover waiver, the LEA will enter a request to be invoiced in the waiver request box.
The CDE will issue a formal approval or denial letter to the LEA.
If the LEA is not granted a carryover waiver, the CDE will invoice the LEA for all funds above the allowable 15 percent limitation.
Resources
Instructions: 2022–23 Title I Part A LEA Carryover
Detailed instructions regarding how to complete the 2022−23 LEA Carryover form in the CARS/ConApp.
CARS/ConApp
The CARS is a data collection system used to apply for Categorical Program Funding and to report on the use of those funds.
Title I, Part A Authorized Use of Funds
Title I, Part A federal funds help to meet the educational needs of students in California.
Title I, Part A Closeout
Information regarding reporting fiscal year obligations and expenditures to calculate Title I, Part A unspent funds.
Non-Regulatory Guidance: Title I Fiscal Issues: Maintenance of Effort Comparability Supplement, not Supplant Carryover Consolidating Funds in Schoolwide Programs Grantback Requirements
(PDF)
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Non-Regulatory Guidance - Title I Fiscal Issues dated February 2008.
Non-Regulatory Guidance: Fiscal Changes and Equitable Services Requirements Under the ESEA, as Amended by the ESSA
(PDF)
ED Non-Regulatory Guidance - Fiscal Changes and Equitable Services Requirements dated November 2016.
Non-Regulatory Guidance: Supplement Not Supplant Under Title I, Part A of the ESEA, as Amended by the ESSA
(PDF)
ED Non-Regulatory Guidance - Supplement not Supplant dated June 2019.