Michigan FY27 Section 504 EXPLORE Grant

Funding$500,000 newly authorized for FY27; up to $10,000 per participating secondary school building for EXPLORE programming and up to $10,000 per qualifying recent EXPLORE graduate/candidate for eligible tuition support.

DeadlineFY27 applications are estimated to become available in NexSys in late September 2026. Exact application deadline, closing time, and time zone are not yet published.

Last verifiedSeptember 21, 2026

Required next actionMonitor the controlling MDE EXPLORE page and NexSys for the FY27 launch. Before publication, applicant-specific CRM work, package production, or ORIGINAL outreach, verify the exact deadline and time zone, resolve the current non-public-school eligibility discrepancy, and verify match or cost-share treatment, required forms and uploads, application prompts, certifications, amendments, and submission mechanics.

Broad Eligibility

MDE's main Section 504 EXPLORE page currently names Michigan ISDs, LEAs including traditional districts and PSAs, and non-public schools as eligible applicants, while the current official Section 504 FAQ lists LEAs, ISDs, and PSAs without listing non-public schools. Final FY27 applicant eligibility must be confirmed from the controlling NexSys launch instructions before applicant-specific action.

Atlas Analysis

Formal scoring remains deferred. MDE confirms $500,000 newly authorized for FY27, with up to $10,000 per participating secondary school building and up to $10,000 per qualifying recent EXPLORE graduate/candidate for eligible tuition support. MDE has released an FY27 application template and estimates NexSys availability in late September 2026, but the exact deadline and time zone and complete live FY27 application controls are not yet published. Atlas Opportunity Score: 0 pending launch verification. N9+ Fit: 0/100 on current published uses. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100 on current published uses. No Dr. Miltie direct-vendor pathway is established.

Upcoming Verification Hold

The Michigan Department of Education states that the FY27 Section 504 EXPLORE Grant is expected to become available in NexSys in late September 2026. The current official page confirms that Section 504 of PA 21 of 2026 newly authorizes $500,000 for Michigan districts and nonpublic schools to create, sustain, or expand EXPLORE programs for students in grades 6-12 and/or provide tuition grants for recent EXPLORE graduates who are pursuing traditional teacher certification while employed by the applicant.

The current official page states that grants of up to $10,000 per school are available for EXPLORE programming and up to $10,000 per candidate are available for qualifying tuition grants. MDE has now posted an FY27 504 EXPLORE Application Template for advance preparation and states that full NexSys application instructions will be posted soon. The main grant page names intermediate school districts, local education agencies, public school academies, and nonpublic schools as applicant categories, while MDE’s current Section 504 FAQ lists LEAs, ISDs, and PSAs without listing nonpublic schools. Treat FY27 nonpublic-school eligibility as unresolved until the controlling FY27 NexSys instructions reconcile that discrepancy.

Atlas Analysis

Formal scoring deferred. This is a legitimate Michigan school and educator-workforce funding pipeline, and MDE has now released an FY27 application template plus current public funding and expenditure guidance. However, the FY27 NexSys application is not yet open, no final application deadline or closing time/time zone is published, and the public main page and FAQ currently conflict on whether nonpublic schools are eligible. Match or cost-share treatment, final required uploads, scoring criteria, certifications, and amendment history also remain unverified. No Atlas Opportunity Score or N9+ Fit Score is assigned until the controlling FY27 application opens and these items are resolved.

Required Next Action

Recheck the official MDE page and NexSys when the FY27 application opens. Review the posted FY27 application template against the live NexSys instructions, resolve the nonpublic-school eligibility discrepancy, and verify the exact deadline including time and time zone, match or cost-share rules, final required forms and uploads, scoring, certifications, and amendment history before publication, organization-specific CRM work, or outreach.

Official source: Michigan Department of Education — Explore Grant: Section 504.

Source verificationOfficial government source · www.michigan.govAtlas last verified this record September 21, 2026. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗