What is the Virginia K-12 Learning Acceleration Grant?
The Virginia K-12 Learning Acceleration Grant is a program launched by Governor Glenn Youngkin to support the education of Virginia families. The program provides grants of up to $3,000 to fund tutoring and educational services for school-age children. Created to mitigate the educational setbacks caused by the pandemic, this program was designed for to families with children in any form of K-12 education in Virginia, be it public, private, charter, or home-school. The program has been very popular, and the funding was doubled from $30 million to $60 million due to overwhelming demand.
What is ClassWallet?
ClassWallet is a financial technology platform that allows schools and educational organizations to allocate, track, and spend funds in an efficient, transparent manner. It provides a suite of tools for administrators, teachers, and other stakeholders to manage budgets, transactions, and reporting. All vendors that are authorized to take payments from clients using grant funding are registered on ClassWallet, including Commonwealth Tutoring Group LLC.
ClassWallet Documentation about criteria, use, and processing of funds.
How do Virginians (Parents and Students) Benefit?
Although the program closed to new applicants around June 1, 2023. It reopened on September 18, 2023.
The grant has specific conditions for eligibility.
We have been closely monitoring the grant at Commonwealth Tutoring. Below is a simplified summary of the criteria:
- Age Requirement (Option A): For students without a qualifying disability, the age range is 5 to 20 years. The student must have turned 5 on or before September 30, 2023, and not have turned 20 on or before August 1, 2023.
- Age Requirement (Option B): For students with a qualifying disability, the age range is 2 to 22 years. The student must have turned 2 on or before September 30, 2023, and not have turned 22 on or before August 1, 2023.
- Graduation Status Requirements: The student must not have graduated.
- Residency Requirements: The student must be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Income Level Requirements: An application and documentation of family income falling at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline are required.
A Closer Look at the Income Level Requirement
The income level condition is often misunderstood, leading many families to overlook this grant opportunity. The language of this condition is crucial to understand. In Virginia, a 3-person household (for example, two parents and a school-age child) with an income of around $24K is considered to be at the poverty level. However, the grant’s income eligibility extends to households with incomes up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline, which translates to approximately $72K for a 3-person household. Therefore, even if you think your income might disqualify you, it’s worth checking the official poverty chart, as you may very well be eligible for this grant. For the Virginia Poverty Chart, visit the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines Used to Determine Financial Eligibility for Certain Programs.
What You Should Do
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to accelerate your child’s education. If you meet the criteria, apply for the Virginia K-12 Learning Acceleration Grant today. For those interested in fully virtual, personalized tutoring services, Commonwealth Tutoring is here to partner with Virginia families in this educational journey. Visit the front-page of our website at https://commonwealthtutoring.org to learn more and enroll now!
Spending Deadlines
Please be mindful that no matter which grant you receive
$1,500 grants: must be spent no later than December 30, 2023.
$3,000 grants: must be spent no later than May 30, 2024.
For the official application, visit FACTS Grant & Aid.
