Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP)

What’s New

The FY 2024 Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant competition, announced in the Federal Register on March 14th, will make millions of dollars available to LEAs or consortia of LEAs to develop and enhance magnet schools. Designed to attract a diverse student body, magnet schools provide students with special and unique learning opportunities and families with more choices for their children.

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Please visit the FY 2024 Competition Page to prepare your grant application. The MSAP team has created several resources for you to utilize as you craft your application. After you have reviewed the NIA, there are additional resources provided that will assist in the development of an application. The FY 2024 MSAP Application Brochure, an upcoming MSAP 101 presentation, and the FY 2024 application instructions are all items that will assist in the development of a grant application.

Please contact us at MSAP.Team@ed.gov with any questions you may have regarding the FY 2024 grant competition.

Purpose of MSAP

The Magnet Schools Assistance Program provides grants to eligible local education agencies to establish and operate magnet schools, with special curricula, to attract a diverse group of students and desegregate public schools.

As authorized by Congress in Title IV, Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, the purpose of MSAP is to:

assist in the desegregation of schools served by local educational agencies by providing financial assistance to eligible local educational agencies for—

1. the elimination, reduction, or prevention of minority group isolation in schools with substantial proportions of minority students.
2. magnet school programs that assist LEAs in achieving systemic reforms and providing all students the opportunity to meet challenging State academic standards.
3. innovative educational methods and practices that promote diversity and increase choices in public educational programs.
4. courses of instruction within magnet schools that strengthen knowledge of academic subjects and attainment of tangible skills.
5. improving capacity to continue operating magnet schools at a high-performance level after Federal funding; and
6. ensuring that all students in the magnet schools have equitable access to high quality education to succeed.