Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP)

What’s New

On May 17, 2024, the White House announced seven new Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) awards in honor of the 70^th Anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board Supreme Court Ruling. Read more about these and other activities to promote educational equity here.

The FY 2024 MSAP grant competition is now CLOSED for submissions. FY 2024 Competition applicants can click the image below for more information on next steps. Future applicants should review our Competition Resources or email us at MSAP.Team@ed.gov to get started!

(Click on image for more details)

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.