In collaboration with the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the New Jersey Department of Education recently announced a notice of a grant opportunity for the Innovation Dual Enrollment Pilot.
The single-year competitive grant will provide local educational agencies with the opportunity to start or expand dual enrollment programs through innovations that facilitate high student participation, particularly for underrepresented student groups. The innovations of grantees are anticipated to lay the foundation for the state to meet the targets recommended in the Dual Enrollment Study Commission’s report.
The grant is open to all operating New Jersey public school LEAs that, based on 2021-2022 data, have at least 40% economically disadvantaged student enrollment in high school and have an established dual enrollment partnership with an accredited New Jersey institute of higher education. The advisory issued by the NJDOE includes an attachment with the eligible LEAs.
Evidence of an established partnership may include an articulation agreement signed by the LEA’s chief school administrator and the institute of higher education’s president or designee, or a letter of intent to partner with an institute of higher education signed by the LEA’s chief school administrator and the institute of higher education’s president or designee.
Applicants may apply for funding based on the LEA’s grade nine through twelve student enrollment as indicated in Table 1. The single-year grant program begins Dec. 1, 2023, and ends on Dec. 31, 2024. Please note new programs must show readiness to start enrolling students at the start of the grant’s performance period.
Table 1: Maximum Award Per LEA 9-12 Grade Student Enrollment
| LEA Grade 9-12 Student Enrollment | Maximum Award Eligibility |
| Greater than 2,000 | $150,000 |
| 501 to 2,000 | $100,000 |
| Fewer than 500 | $50,000 |
The Innovation Dual Enrollment Pilot notice of grant opportunity is available on the Office of Grants Management webpage. Grant applications must be completed using the Electronic Web-Enabled Grants System accessed through the NJDOE’s Homeroom web portal, which will be open to receive applications on Oct. 16, 2023. The grant application must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A technical assistance workshop regarding the grant opportunity will be held via webinar Oct. 18, 2023. Preregistration is required by Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.
Eligible LEAs are invited to partner with accredited New Jersey institutes of higher education to propose strategic and innovative solutions to expand dual enrollment access, participation and completion. The NJDOE anticipates awarding a minimum of three grants across the state. LEAs may consider the information and resources on NJDOE’s dual enrollment website in their application development. Applicants are encouraged to start the application on EWEG as early as possible to meet the submission deadline of Nov. 1, 2023.
For questions regarding the Innovation Dual Enrollment Pilot NGO, please contact the NJDOE via email. For technical assistance regarding access to EWEG, please direct questions to the EWEG help email account.