Rehabilitation Services Vocational Rehabilitation Grants to States

 

To assist States in operating comprehensive, coordinated, effective, efficient and accountable programs of vocational rehabilitation (VR); to assess, plan, develop, and provide VR services for individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice so they may prepare for and engage in an employment outcome.

Active 84.126 Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education A - Formula Grants Fiscal Year 2016 No Current Data Available State VR agencies assisted approximately 186,714 individuals with disabilities to achieve an employment outcome.
Fiscal Year 2017 State VR agencies assisted approximately 173,378 individuals with disabilities to achieve an employment outcome, 97 percent of which obtained competitive integrated employment.
Fiscal Year 2018 No Current Data Available.
Fiscal Year 2023 No Current Data Available. Sections 100-111 and 113 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended by Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Eligible applicants include the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. State agencies designated to administer the VR program will receive funds with the submission and approval of the State Unified or Combined State plan under WIOA, including a VR services portion of that Plan. In order to be eligible for VR services, an individual must have a physical and/or mental impairment, which, for such an individual, constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment, and requires VR services to achieve an employment outcome. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. State VR agencies are required to submit a VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan every four years describing the manner in which they will administer the VR and Supported Employment programs in their States including assurances. State agencies are required to update descriptions and submit amendments and modifications as required to the VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan. Grant awards are made to State VR agencies with an approved VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State plan. States are notified of their annual allotment under the funding formula. Grant funds are withdrawn under the Electronic Transfer System. States are required to submit four-year Unified or Combined State Plans, including the VR services portion of that State Plan. At the end of the first two-year period of the State Plan, States must submit modifications to reflect changes or factors affecting the implementation of the State Plan. States must submit both the four-year State Plan, including the VR services portion of the State Plan, as well as the two-year modification to the Plan to the U.S. Department of Labor. States submitted the 2020 State Plans in March 2020, with an effective date of July 1, 2020. States submitted their modification to that State Plan in March 2022, with an effective date of July 1, 2022. The next four-year State Plan will be due in March 2024. Approval of the Unified or Combined State Plan, including approval of the VR services portion of that plan, is governed by section 102 of Title I of WIOA. Appeal procedures with respect to the VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan are governed by section 101(b) of the Rehabilitation Act. Appeal procedures for individuals with disabilities regarding services under the VR program are governed by section 102(c) of the Rehabilitation Act. Not applicable. Not applicable. Federal and State funds are used to cover the costs of providing VR services to eligible individuals with disabilities under an individualized plan for employment. Such services include: assessment, counseling, vocational and other training, job placement, reader services for the blind, interpreter services for the deaf, medical and related services and prosthetic and orthotic devices, rehabilitation technology, transportation to secure VR services, maintenance during rehabilitation, and other goods and services necessary for an eligible individual with a disability to achieve an employment outcome. Services are provided to families of individuals with disabilities when such services contribute substantially to the rehabilitation of such individuals who are receiving VR services. Funds can also be used to provide VR services for the benefit of groups of individuals with disabilities including the construction and establishment of community rehabilitation programs. Each State is also required to reserve and use at least 15 percent of its Federal VR State Grant award to provide or arrange for the provision of pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities in accordance with section 113 of the Rehabilitation Act. Performance Reports: Performance monitoring: The Rehabilitation Act requires the conduct of annual reviews and periodic on-site monitoring of State VR agencies to ensure whether they are in compliance with Federal requirements. Occasionally, audits are conducted by ED Office of Inspector General. There is no set schedule for these audits. Financial and programmatic records, including case service records, must be kept for a prescribed period of three years after the date of submission of the final financial report (2 CFR part 200, Subpart D--Post Federal Award Requirements). Statutory Formula: Section 110 of The Rehabilitation Act.

Matching is mandatory. The matching requirement is 78.7 percent Federal and 21.3 percent Non-Federal funds of the total of all expenditures incurred under the VR program. This program has a maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. The MOE level is based on the total amount of the State's non-Federal expenditures under the VR program for the Federal fiscal year two years earlier; see funding agency for further details. Matching requirements are mandatory.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. Additional Information: Funds become available for obligations for the fiscal year for which they are appropriated and may remain available for an additional year if the matching requirement is met in the year of the appropriation. Grant awards are issued annually. Electronic Transfer None/Not specified. Suzanne Mitchell
Department of Education, OSERS Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington , DC 20202 US
suzanne.mitchell@ed.gov
Phone: (202)245-7454 https://rsa.ed.gov/about/programs/vocational-rehabilitation-state-grants 91-0301-0-1-506 (Formula Grants) FY 22$3,507,131,103.00; FY 23 est $3,637,651,162.00; FY 24 est $3,960,418,462.00; FY 21$3,414,894,803.00; FY 20$3,351,797,640.00; FY 19$3,260,626,620.00; FY 18$3,184,848,745.00; FY 17$3,121,053,774.00; FY 16$3,118,129,640.00; - In FY 2023, initial annual allotments to States, including D.C. and Puerto Rico ranged from $12.2 million to $320.3 million, with a median award of $52.2 million. Grants to territories ranged from $0.9 million to $3.4 million. Vocational Rehabilitation Regulations (34 CFR part 361). Rehabilitation Services Policy Directives and Technical Assistance Circulars. Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR part 200. Not applicable.