The CTE Local Application is a requirement of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which amended the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV), signed into law on July 31, 2018. The Act represents many years of work on the part of Congress and the U.S. Department of Education, in cooperation with other Federal agencies and State and local agencies affected by its policies, to provide continuing Federal support for rigorous Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that prepare students for today's competitive workforce. The Act envisions all students achieving challenging academic and technical standards and being prepared for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations in current or emerging professions. The Act also provides an increased focus on the academic achievement of CTE students, emphasizing improving State and local accountability. It strengthens the connections between secondary and postsecondary education.
Federal (Perkins) funds under Title I of the Basic Grant for Secondary Programs are allocated to eligible recipients (LEAs). For the FY20 funding period, South Carolina was awarded $21,447,519.00. These funds are divided per legislation, with 85% percent supporting local-level activities at secondary and postsecondary institutions across the state. The remaining 15% is divided into 10% percent for state-wide leadership activities and 5% for state-level administration. Those LEAs desiring to receive Perkins Title I federal funds must submit a Local Application to the South Carolina Department of Education through the Office of Career and Technical Education to use these funds. Local Applications must describe the CTE programs to be funded and how the program satisfies the use of funds specified in the Act. The application for the Perkins funds is divided into two sections: the programmatic and the budget. Both sections must be submitted for approval by July 31 of each year. To receive the federal Perkins funds, an LEA must also have at least one state-approved career and technical education Program of Study.
The approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) Local Application establishes eligibility and is the basis for reimbursing federal and state funds to eligible recipients. The CTE Local Plan is a web-based application in the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) Member Center under the Grants Accounting Processing System (GAPS).
Questions regarding the Local Application should be directed to Maria Swygert at 803-734-8456 or nmswyger@ed.sc.gov or Melissa Benton at 803-734-8287 or mbenton@ed.sc.gov.
Additional Resources & Information
FY24 Perkins Guidelines (PDF 7/05/2022)
FY23 Consortium (PDF 7/05/2022)
FY23 EIA Expenditure Guidelines (PDF 7/05/2022)
FY24 Users Guide (PDF 7/05/2022)
Supplanting vs Supplementing Funds (PDF 7/05/2022)
CTE EIA Budget Spreadsheet(132 KB xlsx 6/26/23)
Program of Study Form (Docx 4/30/21)
Application Timeline (418 KB PDF 5/5/21)
