Opportunity Overview
Michigan’s Section 31aa(5) competitive grant funds the hiring or contracting of support staff for student mental health needs. The Michigan Department of Education’s current Grants Spotlight lists the application window as September 1 through October 5, 2026. MDE does not publish a final closing clock time or time zone on the current Grants Spotlight.
Funding
MDE’s Fiscal Year 26 Section 31aa(4) and 31aa(5) FAQ states that subsection 31aa(5) allocates $50 million from the School Aid Fund plus $3.5 million from the General Fund, for $53.5 million statewide. MDE does not publish a universal per-applicant ceiling in the current public materials reviewed. The live NexSys application controls any applicant-level budget constraints.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include Michigan public school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, nonpublic schools, and the Michigan School for the Deaf.
What the Grant Supports
Section 31aa(5) is specifically for hiring or contracting support staff for student mental health needs. MDE identifies allowable roles including psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, community health workers, marriage and family therapists, and other positions approved by MDE. Applicants must show how the position will improve student mental health and provide a plan to sustain the position after the grant period.
MDE’s Fiscal Year 2026 allowable-use matrix permits hiring or contracting support staff and a behavioral health coordinator under subsection 31aa(5), but marks mental health screening tools, a statewide integrated technology platform, clinician consultation for complex student mental health needs, online behavioral health tools, and evidence-based mental health training as not allowable under this subsection.
Scoring
The FY26 scoring rubric currently linked from MDE’s live page is worth 15 total points, but it must be treated as background until the live NexSys application confirms that the reopened September-October round uses the same criteria: Demonstration of Need, 4 points; Position Description, 4 points; Future Spending Plan, 4 points; and Certifications, 3 points. Higher-scoring applications should document multiple specific statements of need, identify meaningful duties and provider credentials, and provide a detailed sustainability plan showing future funding sources, amounts, duration, and a budget for maintaining the position after Section 31aa(5) funding ends.
The certification section requires the provider to hold the appropriate license and work within scope of practice, and requires the statutory mass-casualty investigation and evaluation certification described by MDE.
Submission and Match
MDE administers the competitive application through NexSys. Applicants should use the live NexSys prompts, certifications, budget fields, and attachments as controlling submission requirements. The current public subsection 31aa(5) materials reviewed do not identify a mandatory applicant match or cost-share requirement.
Atlas Strategic Analysis
Formal Atlas Opportunity and N9+ fit scoring are deferred. The current MDE page confirms that Section 31aa(5) is open through October 5, 2026, but it does not publish the exact closing clock time or time zone, and the current NexSys application has not been reviewed for all current-round terms.
The verified subsection 31aa(5) scope is staffing and contracting for mental health support personnel, and MDE expressly marks several technology and tool categories as not allowable under this subsection. Atlas should not position the Nonagon N9+ device and platform or other clinical technology costs into a 31aa(5) application unless MDE later issues controlling written guidance that changes the allowability rule.
Current Action
Eligible Michigan schools and districts should open the live NexSys application, document local staffing need, define the proposed licensed or qualified role and duties, build the post-grant sustainability plan, complete the required certifications, and submit before October 5, 2026. Because MDE does not publish the final closing clock time or time zone on the current Grants Spotlight, applicants should submit well in advance of the final date.
Verified sources: Michigan Department of Education Grants Spotlight and MDE Fiscal Year 2026 Section 31aa guidance linked from the MDE Health and Safety page.