092-HIGD-26 Q&A

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What is the TSET Healthy Incentive Grant for School Districts?

The TSET Healthy Incentive Grant for School Districts is designed to help districts adopt and implement best and promising practices in tobacco free environments, nutrition, physical activity, and employee wellness.

Who is eligible to apply for the TSET Healthy Incentive Grant for School Districts?

Any Oklahoma Public School District that meets grant criteria may apply. Grant criteria may be found in the Resource Guide at ok.gov/tset/hig-s.

Are child daycare centers, tech centers, colleges, or universities eligible to apply for the TSET Healthy Incentive Grant for School Districts?

No, this grant is only open to Public School Districts in the state of Oklahoma that serve PK-12 grade students. Please visit ok.gov/tset/funding-opportunities for additional TSET funding opportunities.

Are School Sites able to apply for funding this fiscal year?

School Sites in Districts that were awarded in FY26 are eligible to apply for the Healthy Incentive Grants for School Sites funding opportunity beginning in FY27.

Who can apply on behalf of a Public School District?

Any administrators for the School District including but not limited to: Superintendents, Principals, School Nurses, and Teachers.

My School District received funds prior to this fiscal grant year; are we eligible to apply for funding this year?

Previous HIG grantees awarded in FY25 or earlier are eligible to apply as long as the prior grant funding is closed out. FY26 grantees will not be eligible to apply until FY29.

Are Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels being used this year?

No. There is only one level of set criteria that must be met in order to be eligible for funding. Grant criteria may be found in the Resource Guide at ok.gov/tset/hig-s

What is the maximum amount that a School District may apply for?

Funding amounts are based on district enrollment. District enrollment can be found at ok.gov/education/public-enrollment-totals.

For enrollment of 2,000 students or less, the maximum funding is $50,000. For enrollment of 2,000 or more, the maximum funding is $80,000.

How will I know if my application is/is not selected for funding?

All eligible applications will be presented to the TSET Board of Directors for funding consideration. Applicants will be notified of their award status within two (2) business days of the TSET Board of Directors meeting at with the applications are considered. Notification will be made via email to the authorized official listed on the application form.

How will my School District receive funds if selected?

Awarded applicants will have 60 days from notification of award to complete all required contract documents as indicated by TSET. Award payment will be made upon submission of all required contract documents.

How long does my School District have to expend the funds?

The grant period is one (1) year from the cooperative agreement start date found in the Resource Guide.

What can funds be spent on?

Districts awarded grant funding will apply the funds towards a project that best addresses the needs and opportunities that improve the health of the students and staff. This list is not exhaustive.
Suggested Use of Funds:
- Cafeteria Equipment (stoves, refrigerators, flat top grills, tables, coolers, knives, utensils, etc.)
- Capital Improvement (sidewalk repair, walking trail/track, etc.)
- CPR/First Aid Equipment
- Hydration stations/drinking fountains
- Physical Education equipment, fitness room equipment
- Playground equipment/improvements
- School garden, green house, hydroponic equipment, etc.
- Street safe crosswalks (flashing lights, signs, etc.)
*TSET reserves the right to approve, deny, or – with the awarded grantee – modify any proposed uses of TSET funds.

If my School District receives funds this fiscal year, can we apply again next fiscal year?

No. After FY26 all awarded grantees will only be eligible to receive funds from this program once every three (3) fiscal grant years.

What required documentation is required to apply?

Documentation of having met each criterion is required from the School District. Each application is reviewed based on specific criteria:
- Non-Acceptance of Tobacco Funds Certification Form from TSET
- Promotion of Shape Your Future and/or Healthy Youth Initiative
- Promotion of the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline
- District’s Wellness Committee
- District’s 24/7 Tobacco-free Policy
- District’s Wellness Policy
- Project Plan
- Project Budget
*Additional information about these criteria may be found in the Resource Guide at ok.gov/tset/hig-s.

What information is needed for my Project Plan?

Applicants are required to provide the Project Title, a brief description that could be used for summary publications, and a detailed project plan outlining all steps from start to finish for the proposed project. Applicants will also have to upload Project Plan documentation utilizing the Project Plan Template found in the Resource Guide.

What information is needed for my Project Budget?

Applicants are required to provide documentation of bids and/or cost estimates solicited or dated within three months prior to application submission AND complete and upload the Budget Justification form found in the Resource Guide.

We are seeking funding for our all boys boarding school that is set to be completed in 2027. Are we eligible to apply for this grant?

The TSET Healthy Incentive Grant for Districts is open to public school districts in Oklahoma. Private schools and non-profit entities are not eligible applicants for this specific funding opportunity. Please explore the Funding Opportunities page on the TSET website for additional information on eligibility for other grant opportunities.

Our organization does not typically sign policies after formal approval. According to the Resource Guide we should "please provide signed documentation from agency leadership confirming that the policies are in effect, including the effective dates for each policy along with the policies themselves." Who would be the best to be considered agency leadership? Board Clerk? President of the Board of Education? Superintendent?

Agency leadership for a public school is generally considered to be the Superintendent. However, based on your districts organizational structure and policies, agency leadership could include other District Administrators, Board of Education President, Board Clerk, etc.

Are reimbursement grants eligible? Our heating and airconditioning needed to be replaced- I was going to apply and it went out, so we had to replace it. So, I wonder if we can do reimbursement. Thank you for your time.

As listed in the Funding Limitations section of the Resource Guide (pg.11), specific unallowable budget items include pre-award costs.

I write grants for small schools. On another QA answer, it listed Pk-12 schools. Are districts that serve K-8 eligible to apply?

Yes, applications are open to all public school districts in Oklahoma. Applications are not open to higher education institutions or early childcare centers.

Application requires a bid to be dated within three months of submission date. I attached my original bid from September 2025, as well as and email from the contractor last week where he stated, "No pricing has changed. Can I keep my original bid in?" I PDF'd that email and attached it to my application. Will that meet qualifications?

Yes, this is acceptable.

Hello TSET, I'm inquiring to see how we might be able to qualify for funding for the HIG Grant. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the after school bike program. We are partnering with the schools where we operate to submit grant requests for funding for 2026-27. It is our understanding that the school representative would submit the funding request. The funds, if granted, would be awarded to the school, and the school would manage the funds. Is that correct? Since we are not, officially, a school, we are partnering with the school to request the funds.

Individual School Sites are eligible applicants in FY27 which is slated to open in FY27. A school is only eligible to apply if their school district was awarded in FY26. Schools will be required to submit a budget and project plan with their applications.

The guidelines mention a comprehensive health education curriculum as an example of use of funds. For a school district applying, can they use these funds to bring in a prevention program addressing mental and reproductive health inside their schools for student wellness?

Grant funds may be used to support comprehensive health education efforts that promote overall student and/or staff wellness. Eligible uses include programs or projects that address multiple dimensions of health and prevention within the school setting, as long as they align with grant guidelines. Funds may not be used for staff stipends.

We plan to apply for playground improvements to make district play areas ADA compliant. Not every structure needs updating, only some at specific sites. It would be a districtwide initiative, delivered at needed sites. Would this meet “districtwide” criteria?

Yes, this would qualify as a districtwide project.

Are schools required to have PE classes K-12 to be eligible for this grant? We have PE classes available for elementary through Junior High but not High School.

PE requirements are addressed within a District's Wellness Policy. The policy is developed and managed by individual school districts. TSET has provided a model wellness policy for your use or reference. Within the model policy, you can find information under the Physical Education and Physical Activity section. Policy requirements for this grant are outlined within the Resource Guide under the Criteria requirements, specifically stating that "School districts must adopt a district wellness policy to meet eligibility requirements. The district's policy must include all minimum required elements to meet federal and state laws as well as score 50% or higher on the policy enhancement criteria for nutrition, physical activity and staff wellness."

Is there a possibility that a grant could be partially funded if one part meets funding criteria but another part doesn't meet criteria? For example, if we submit for $40 project with three components, is there a possibility we would only be funded for two of the three components? Or is it all or nothing? All meets funding criteria or nothing gets funded?

Applications must meet all application requirements to be considered for funding. Please ensure that you read the Healthy Incentive Grant for School Districts Resource Guide in its entirety as all application requirements are explained within it.

What is the main difference between applying as a district and a school site? If we apply as a district this year, does the 3 year limitation prevent school sites from applying next year or just the district?

School Districts must be awarded before School Sites may apply. If you apply as a School District and are awarded, the School Site could apply the following fiscal year and the School District could not apply again for three years. However, if the School District is not awarded, the School Site is not eligible. School Districts are eligible to apply each funding cycle until they are awarded, and then ineligible for additional Healthy Incentive Grant funding for three years.

Would a PTO chapter be able to apply for the Healthy Incentive grant?

PTO’s are not eligible organization types to apply for the TSET Healthy Incentive Grant. Applications must be submitted by the school. A school staff person must be on the application as well as the school authorized official. If the PTO wants to assist the school with the application, that is acceptable. Please let us know if you have further questions.

Does the TSET HIG School Districts grant allow for both planning and design as well as shovel ready projects?

Yes, HIG School Districts allows for both planning & design as well as shovel ready construction projects.

If we are awarded the grant, does TSET pay the vendor directly or does TSET award us the money and then we pay the vendor?

Award payments will be made to the grantee organization.

The grant resource guide states that funds "can only be used to support one project per award." Does this mean the school district cannot use funds for an outdoor water fountain for the play ground AND purchase a blood pressure machine to be made available for the community? There are several items that the district would like to use the funds for under the umbrella of creating a healthier school and community, but we are not sure if one project means only one specified purchase or if the funds can be used for a comprehensive project related to healthier options more broadly.

These would be considered to be two separate projects. If you are adding water fountains to the playground area, you might consider additional upgrades or enhancements to that area. For example, you could include additional playground equipment, shade structures, seating areas, borders around fall impact areas with soft fill (mulch, rubber chips, etc.), ADA access, trail/walking path surrounding playground etc.

Our district's board policy does not reflect the new 40 minutes of recess rule. Our superintendent reached out to OSSBA and they said they are not planning on updating the policy to include the new recess law at this time. I know many schools adopt OSSBA policies. Are other districts having a concern with this policy?

Applications must meet all application requirements to be considered for funding. Please refer to the bottom of page 10, top of page 11 of the Resource Guide for additional guidance on the recess rule as it pertains to this funding opportunity.

I know match is not required for this funding opportunity, but is there any competitive advantage to providing match?

Since this is a non-competitive grant, there isn’t an advantage to being awarded the funding by providing match.

Since HIG is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, I assume waiting until the latter part of the application period to submit is not ideal since we would be at the end of the line and there would be less likelihood of funding being available.

Theoretically, yes. Although it is not ideal to wait until the last few days to submit, all applications receive a good chance. It is perfectly fine to wait until the end of the application period to submit complete and thorough materials. All applications that are successfully submitted during the application period receive the same review process.

Our biggest need at this point is improvements to our middle school cafeteria. The equipment is very old but very expensive to replace. In fact, the middle school cafeteria does not even have a stove due to the cost of having to add the proper ventilation system. Would applying for a grant to help us get our cafeteria equipment and service lines updated be allowable?

Yes, improvements to cafeterias and nutrition access are allowable under this funding opportunity.

The criteria includes a 'district-level wellness committee'. We have a 'safe-healthy school committee'. Does the title of the committee matter? We will change it to Wellness if we must.

TSET does not have criteria that requires a particular name for the committee. The requirement is that there must be a district-level committee that addresses health and wellness. If your Safe-Healthy Committee addresses health and wellness and includes a variety of member types, there is no need to change the name unless it puts your mind at ease.

We are in the middle of a lease-to-own agreement for the property our school is on. Are we eligible to apply?

Unfortunately, the school is ineligible to apply for the TSET Incentive Grant at this time. The property must be fully owned by the applicant at the time of application. You may apply once the school owns the property outright.

The fleld where I enter the requested funding amount does not allow me to enter the cents. As a result, I am unable to enter the exact amount that matches my budget justification. I am not sure whether I should round the amount up or down.

Applicants are advised to round up to the next whole dollar amount in the text field if the amount requiested in the budget justification is not a whole dollar.

Where do I upload the Certification of Non-Acceptance of Tobacco Funds?

The Certification of Non-Acceptance of Tobacco Funds is required at the time of the organization's registration for the TSET Funding Portal and will automatically be requested annually in the portal account. If you would like, you can also open the Application, scroll down to the Files section and click Add Files and add it there to be thorough.

Are cold water immersion tanks and accompanying equipment allowable use of funds?

Yes, the immersion tanks and related equipment would be an approved use of funds, we simply ask that the district apply the funds for purchases, programs and/or projects that best address the needs and opportunities that improve the health of the students and staff. You need also make sure that the immersion tanks are available to all free of charge as outlined in the Public Accessibility section on page 6 of the Resource Guide.

Does my district need to look back and get the official board meeting minutes for our tobacco policy that was adopted in 2005? Or can our Superintendent write and sign a document stating the dates when the policies were adopted?

Yes, your Superintendent can sign a document verifying when policies were adopted and upload it with a copy of the policies. Board meeting minutes from the most recent amendment to the policy are also acceptable for proof of passage.

Attachment B: Budget Justification does not have enough rows available for the number of line items we need. May we group equipment purchases on the available lines to meet TSET's requirement?

A summary or grouping of the equipment items you plan to purchase can be included on the budget template with reference to the bids which you upload to the application.

Will school sites within TSET districts be eligible to apply for their own grants in January 2027, assuming the district-level grant is finalized/closed out? Information was previously provided on the TSET website (example attached) that I am no longer able to find.

We received your question about our HIG School Site grants. The FY27 Resource Guide is currently going through final revisions and should be available by early December. Please monitor our TSET HIG webpage at that time. TSET HIG will also send out an email notification to all of the School Sites that are eligible to apply. You are correct that the Deer Creek School Sites should be eligible once the current FY26 District-level project is complete and closed out with TSET.

The TSET HIGSS grant itself is scheduled to be open January 5, 2027 @ 8:00 a.m. to February 4, 2027 @ 4:00 p.m.

1. Are Oklahoma public virtual charter schools eligible to apply as school districts or individual school sites? 2. Would a recurring, school-based virtual mental-wellness and suicide-prevention program qualify as an allowable expense under the grant?

Thank you for your questions concerning applying for a TSET HIG Schools. Please refer to the eligibility criteria found within the resource guide to determine if the Charter School is eligible (FY27 HIG Resource Guide for School Districts page 5 & 6. "Eligibility: The School district must serve students who attend classes in-person. The school district must be located in Oklahoma and operate from a brick-and-mortar facility that is owned by the district at the time of application.") Grant funds may be used to support comprehensive health education efforts that promote overall student and/or staff wellness. Eligible uses include programs or projects that address multiple dimensions of health and prevention within the school setting, as long as they align with grant guidelines.