Ohio moved oversight of the Aspire Instructional and IELCE/IET grants from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) on July 1, 2026, according to a state bulletin.
ODHE has filed a Final Expenditure Report with the U.S. Department of Education (USED). If USED grants approval, the remaining balance from prior-year grants will go to DEW.
New federal money for the FY27 Aspire and IELC/IET grants has already reached DEW, and the bulletin says those programs can start. The prior year's leftover amount, tied to FY26, is still being processed by USED. DEW said it has stayed in touch with USED and filed the certifications needed to take over authority for those remaining balances.
DEW's Office of Grants Administration plans to send back project cash requests (PCRs) so recipients can remove them and then file their FY26 ASPIRE and IELC/IET Final Expenditure Reports. Per the bulletin, money not recovered because of a returned PCR can still be collected through the FER process.
T.J. Armstrong is listed as the contact for questions, at TJ.Armstrong@education.ohio.gov.