FY 2019 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services | CI CET 19 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for CI CET 19 002

The FY 2019 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services is a discretionary federal grant offered through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically led by USCIS Office of Citizenship (OoC). The program is built around the idea that naturalization is a major step in civic assimilation and that lawful permanent residents (LPRs) are more likely to succeed in becoming U.S. citizens when they have access to strong, reliable, community-based support. In practical terms, the grant is meant to expand the availability of high-quality citizenship preparation services across the country and help more LPRs gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to complete the naturalization process and participate fully in American civic life.

At the center of this opportunity is support for citizenship instruction and naturalization application services. Citizenship instruction generally refers to the kind of education required to pass the naturalization tests and function comfortably as a future citizen, including English language learning and U.S. history and civics education. The program framing emphasizes that these requirements do not just serve as barriers to entry, but also as structured opportunities for civic learning, helping immigrants understand democratic values, government institutions, and the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship. In addition to classroom-style preparation, the grant also supports services that help eligible residents navigate the naturalization application process, including guidance and assistance provided within the authorized practice of immigration law. That wording matters because it signals that grantees must operate within the legal boundaries that govern immigration legal services, such as using qualified staff or appropriate legal supervision where required.

Beyond direct instruction and application help, the opportunity highlights several complementary activities that strengthen citizenship programs and widen access. These include developing and sharing best practices in citizenship preparation, which suggests that USCIS wants programs that can document what works and help raise the overall quality of services nationally. It also encourages increased use of technology and improved access to technology in citizenship preparation programs, which can mean digital learning tools, online class components, case management systems, or technology-enabled outreach that reduces barriers for working adults and other hard-to-serve populations. The program further points to partnerships with local libraries and museums, recognizing these institutions as trusted, accessible community hubs where immigrants often seek information, education, and integration resources. Another notable element is the encouragement to incorporate strategies that foster welcoming communities, tying citizenship preparation to broader civic inclusion and local engagement efforts rather than treating naturalization as a purely transactional process.

The grant aligns its objectives with DHS mission priorities, specifically the stated goal to enforce and administer immigration laws, as referenced in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review. Here, the link is that helping LPRs understand eligibility, responsibilities, and the correct process for applying for naturalization supports lawful pathways and informed compliance. In other words, the program positions accurate instruction and application support as part of orderly immigration system administration, while also supporting immigrant integration outcomes.

Administratively, the funding opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number CI CET 19 002 and carries CFDA Number 97.010, with the funding activity category labeled Community Development. The awarding office is the Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division. The opportunity originally closed on 2019-08-13, and it was created on 2019-07-30. The listed award ceiling is 9,000,000, indicating the maximum potential amount referenced in the opportunity materials, though the source data does not specify how many awards were expected or the exact distribution method among recipients.

Eligibility is broad and designed to include many types of community-facing institutions that commonly provide education and immigrant services. Eligible applicants include county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). Taken together, this eligibility list signals that USCIS anticipated proposals from local governments, school systems, colleges and universities, tribal entities, and nonprofit service providers, especially organizations with direct ties to immigrant communities and the operational capacity to deliver instruction, outreach, and application assistance at scale.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a federal investment in community-based naturalization preparation infrastructure. It aims to increase both the reach and quality of citizenship instruction and naturalization application services, while also strengthening the ecosystem around those services through technology, partnerships with civic institutions like libraries and museums, and local strategies that support welcoming and inclusive communities. The intended outcome is more lawful permanent residents successfully prepared to apply for naturalization and more fully equipped to take on the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

• The Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2019 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.010.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-07-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-08-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for CI CET 19 002

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