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Funding Opportunities

Provides funds to schools and districts that to provide safe and educationally enriching alternatives for children and youths during nonschool hours.

Funding Results

All After School Education and Safety (ASES) and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) funding results can be found at ASES and 21st CCLC  Funding Results.

After School Education and Safety Program
21st Century Community Learning Centers
ASES and 21st CCLC Request for Applications

After School Education and Safety Program

The purpose of the After School Education and Safety Program is to create incentives for establishing locally-driven Expanded Learning programs, including after school programs that partner with public schools and communities to provide academic and literacy support, and safe, constructive alternatives for youth. The ASES Program involves collaboration among parents, youth, and representatives from schools, governmental agencies, individuals from community-based organizations, and the private sector.

The following table outlines conditions for which it is appropriate to submit an application in either the ASES Universal Request for Applications (RFA) or Renewal forms via ASSIST:

After School Education and Safety Program
Request for Applications		 After School Education and Safety Renewal Applications
  • New applicants

  • Current ASES grantees requesting to fund new sites

  • Current ASES grantees requesting an increase in current funding, to the legislative cap.

All funding is determined by Free and Reduced Price Meal ranking. 

Note: If a site is requesting an increase in current funding, the Request For Applications (RFA) should reflect the expansion of funds requested, not the entire amount of the grant. For example, if ABC elementary school program is currently funded at $120,000, and the applicant is requesting an increase of funds up to the legislative cap ($152,612.13), the RFA would focus on the $32,612.13 being requested, and not the entire $152,612.13.
  • Current ASES grantee applying to renew your grant every three years within the assigned grant cycle, with no change in funding.

  • Grant Renewal Cycle list to determine which year ASES grants are scheduled to be renewed every three years: ASES Grant Renewal Cycles

  • ASES Program Plan Overview

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The purpose of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program, as described in federal statute, is to provide opportunities for communities to establish or expand activities that focus on:

  1. Improved academic achievement
  2. Enrichment services that reinforce and complement the academic program, and
  3. Family literacy and related educational development services

Entities eligible to apply for funding include: local educational agencies (LEAs), cities, counties, community-based agencies, other public or private entities (which may include faith-based organizations), or a consortium of two or more such agencies, organizations, or entities. Applicants are required to plan their programs through a collaborative process that includes parents, youth, and representatives of participating schools or local educational agencies, governmental agencies (e.g., cities, counties, parks and recreation departments), community organizations, and the private sector.

While the California Department of Education (CDE) anticipates awarding grant funding for the California 21st CCLC Program on a regular basis, it is important to note that grant funding for each fiscal year is contingent upon the availability of federal funds and the enactment of each respective federal and state Budget Act. When grant funding is available, the CDE Expanded Learning Division will conduct a competitive grant process that begins with the release of a RFAs.

ASES and 21st CCLC Request for Applications

Note: ASES Universal grant applications that were received in the past will not be used in any future grant award processes.

Fiscal Year 2025-26

  • ASES RFA (2025-26)—Request for Applications for the 2025–26 After School Education and Safety grant program.

    The Expanded Learning Division is posting an errata to correct the areas of the ASES Universal RFA in which there were indications that the fiscal agent can be an entity that is not an LEA. The fiscal agent is an LEA, including a direct-funded charter school and will administer the grant funds (Eduation Code Section 8482.3[f][4]).

  • ASES Transportation RFA (2025-26)—ASES Frontier Transportation Grant is to provide supplemental funding for existing ASES grantees that have transportation needs.

Fiscal Year 2024-25

Fiscal Year 2023-24

Fiscal Year 2022–23

Fiscal Year 2021–22

  • ASES RFA (2021–22)—Request for Applications for the 2021–22 After School Education and Safety grant program.

  • ASES Transportation RFA (2021–22)—ASES Frontier Transportation Grant is to provide supplemental funding for existing ASES grantees that have transportation needs.

For additional resources, please visit the Expanded Learning Division Resources web page.

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Questions:   Expanded Learning Division | expandedlearning@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0923
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, December 17, 2024
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