Section 27h Mentoring and Induction Grants

The Section 27h Mentoring and Induction Grants program, authorized under the State School Aid Act, provides funding to increase the retention of new teachers, administrators, and counselors in Michigan public schools. The Mentoring and Induction District Support Grant provides up to $10 million per year over five years to local districts to strengthen comprehensive mentoring and induction programming.

Eligible applicants are intermediate school districts and local education agencies, including traditional public schools and public school academies. Statutory updates in the FY26 State School Aid Act removed school counselors and administrators from most grant activities, although administrator mentoring remains eligible through partnerships with department-approved professional education organizations.

Allowable project activities include mentor stipends, mentor training, onboarding materials, release time staffing costs for mentors and mentees, and contracted administrator mentoring services capped at $3,000 per administrator annually. Unallowable costs include full salaries for full-time staff, administrative overhead, employee benefits, items supplanting existing resources, and expenditures outside the approved expenditure window (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027).

Applications are submitted online via the Michigan Department of Education's electronic grant system, NexSys. Entities must have a valid MiLogin for Business account profile and designated Authorized Officials to complete and submit grant applications during the application window.