What Can Title I Funds Be Used For? A 2026 Guide for School Districts

Why Do Title I Funds Matter?

Imagine you're a teacher in a high-poverty district. Your students are bright, motivated, and full of potential — but when the bell rings at 3 PM, nearly half of them go home to a house with no reliable internet. Homework that requires a Google search? Impossible. A virtual tutoring session? Out of reach. That gap between what students can do at school and what they can do at home is exactly the problem Title I funding was designed to address.

Title I, Part A is the federal government's largest K–12 grant program — and since roughly 95% of all U.S. school districts are eligible for some level of Title funding, there's a strong chance your district is already in the mix. But do you know how to deploy these dollars strategically? That's where the real opportunity lives.

Title I in brief

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act sends federal money to districts and schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families. Congress funded Title I grants to school districts at $18.4 billion for fiscal year 2026, keeping the program at roughly the same level as in recent years.

How a school can spend its share depends on its program type:

• Schoolwide Programs — Schools where at least 40% of students come from low-income families can use Title I funds to upgrade the entire school program, benefiting everyone.
• Targeted Assistance Programs — Schools below that 40% threshold must direct funds specifically to students who are failing or most at risk.

What you can spend Title I funds on

This is where districts often leave value on the table. Title I covers a surprisingly broad range of "reasonable and necessary" expenses. Here are the big categories:

Instructional Support & Staffing

• Hiring additional teachers, paraprofessionals, and instructional coaches
• Before- and after-school tutoring, summer learning sessions, and remedial programs
• Specialized support for English Language Learners and students with disabilities

Educational Technology & Connectivity

• Devices like Chromebooks, tablets, and laptops for 1:1 programs
• Mobile hotspots and home Wi-Fi (hello, homework gap — solved)
• School bus Wi-Fi solutions to turn commute time into learning time
• Online learning platforms, digital curricula, and software subscriptions

Professional Development

• Teacher workshops on new curricula and research-based strategies
• Leadership training for school administrators
• Family & Community Engagement
• Parent workshops and translated materials
• Stipends for community liaisons (Title I actually requires a 1% set-aside here)
  
  

Can Title I pay for hotspots and bus Wi-Fi now that E-Rate doesn't?

On September 30, 2025, the FCC voted that Wi-Fi hotspots and other access points used outside school and library buildings, including school bus Wi-Fi, are no longer eligible for E-Rate. Many districts that built off-campus connectivity programs with E-Rate now need a new way to pay.

Title I is one of the most flexible options. Connectivity is an allowable use when your needs assessment shows that students' lack of internet access is affecting their learning. A few things to keep in mind:

• Tie it to your needs assessment. Document how many students lack reliable home internet and how that affects homework completion, attendance, or achievement.
• Match it to your program type. Schoolwide programs can provide connectivity to any student who needs it. Targeted assistance: schools should direct it to identified students.
• Check with your state. The supplement-not-supplant rule is about state and local dollars, so replacing lost E-Rate support generally isn't supplanting. State interpretations vary, so confirm your plan with your state Title I coordinator.
• Plan for reporting. Choose hotspots and bus Wi-Fi that show usage data, so you can show the investment is reaching students.

For more options, read E-Rate Hotspot Funding Is Gone: Here's What Schools Can Do Right Now.

Top 6 Common Title I Misconceptions

Title I funding is often misunderstood, and those misconceptions can cause schools to miss opportunities to strengthen their overall educational program. Learning A-Z’s summary of federal non-regulatory guidance explains that Title I is more flexible than many educators assume. The page debunks some common myths – detailed below – and instead emphasizes that Title I funds can support any subject identified through a comprehensive needs assessment, a broad range of schoolwide improvement strategies, materials and resources such as technology and books, kindergarten-readiness programs, and in some cases the consolidation of IDEA Part B funds when other IDEA requirements are still met.

• Myth 1: Title I funds can only be used for reading and math instruction.
  The page says Title I funds can be used for instruction in any subject a school’s comprehensive needs assessment identifies as needing improvement.
• Myth 2: Title I funds can only be used for remedial instruction.
  Learning A-Z explains that Title I may support programs that improve the school’s overall educational program, including examples like tutoring for AP students or accelerated summer classes.
• Myth 3: Title I funds can only be used to serve low-income students.
  The page states that Title I aims to improve the academic program for all students, while structuring those improvements to increase gains for low-income and at-risk students.
• Myth 4: If a school does not consolidate funds through a schoolwide program, Title I funds may only be used in a pull-out setting.
  The article explains that even when funds are not consolidated, a schoolwide program does not have to use Title I only for pull-out services.
• Myth 5: Title I funds can only be used for instruction.
  According to the page, Title I can also fund materials and resources that raise achievement in a schoolwide program, including technology, books, supplies, and programs that improve school climate and outcomes.
• Myth 6: Title I funds cannot be used to support preschoolers.
  Title I funds can support programs that help prepare children for success in kindergarten.

Taken together, these myths show that Title I is not just a narrow remedial funding stream, but a flexible tool schools can use to improve achievement, expand access to resources, and strengthen schoolwide supports for all students—especially those with the greatest needs.

One Rule You Can't Ignore: supplement, not supplant 

Title I funds must supplement — not supplant state and local funding. Translation: you can't simply swap out existing budget dollars with federal ones. Under ESSA, districts must demonstrate a methodology for distributing state and local funds to schools that isn't influenced by Title I status. It sounds tricky, but for most districts, it's very manageable with good documentation.

The bottom line? Title I isn't just a safety net — it's a strategic tool. Districts that plan ahead and get creative with allowable uses deliver consistent, connected learning experiences for every student, regardless of zip code.

Kajeet's safe, filtered connectivity solutions including SmartSpots, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and SmartBus, school bus Wi-Fi are Title I-allowable and purpose-built for K–12 students. Let's talk about how to put your funding to work.