Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Grant Program

Applications for the 2025-2026 Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Grant Program will be open from
September 15, 2025, through 4:00 p.m. on October 9, 2025.

Available Funds and Duration of Grant

Approximately $90,000 is available for the 2025-2026 school year, with funding contingent on approval of appropriations from the State Legislature.

Funding amount requests will be selected based on number of students enrolled in Local Education Provider (LEP), according to School View data:

• 6,500 students or less = $1,000
• Over 6,500 students = $3,500

There is no guarantee that applying will result in funding, or funding at the requested level.

Grants will be awarded for a spending period specified on the Grant Award Letter, ending June 30, 2025.  Additional grant funding for subsequent years will be contingent upon annual appropriations by the State Legislature, and grantees meeting all grant, fiscal, and reporting requirements. Funded applicants for the 2025-2026 school year are not guaranteed any additional funding beyond the 2025-2026 year at this time. Funds must be expended by June 30, 2026. There will be no carryover of funds.

Eligible Applicants

Per statute, an eligible grant recipient is:

• A local education provider if it has fifty percent or more students enrolled who are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch pursuant to the federal “Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act”, 42 U.S.C. sec. 1751 et seq.;
• The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind
• An approved facility school, as defined in section 22-2-402 (1)
• A rural school district, a small rural district, a charter school of a rural school district or a small rural district, or an institute charter school located within the geographic boundaries of a rural school district or small rural school district.

Note: Applications will not be accepted from individual non-charter schools and must be authorized and submitted through the LEP. 

Applicants that have previously received funds from the Menstrual Hygiene Accessibility Grant may apply for this current funding opportunity. If funding requests exceed the amount of funds available, new grant program applicants may be prioritized.

See list of eligible applicants and more details in the 25-26 Application.

Allowable Expenses

Per statute, a Local Education Provider that receives a grant under the program shall use the monies to ensure menstrual hygiene products are provided at no expense to students and are accessible to a student regardless of the student’s gender identity.

Funding may only be used to:

• Acquire and distribute menstrual hygiene products (tampons, menstrual pads, and pantiliners) at no expense to students; and/or
• Acquire, install, and maintain dispensing machines or disposal receptacles for menstrual hygiene products.

Note the following:

• In the context of this program, menstrual hygiene products include pantiliners, pads, and tampons. Menstrual cups are not included.
• The installation of dispensing machines and receptacles will be funded at $100 per machine or receptacle installed.
• Product shipping costs must be reasonable and should not exceed 5% of the total award.
• Product storage (e.g., plastic containers or tubs, baskets, cabinets) is not an allowable expense.

2024-2025 List of Recipients:

View lists of more previously funded grant recipients

State Grant Code: 3277

Performance Period: 07/01/2024-6/30/2025​

• September 30, 2025 (date updated)- Final date for the Final Expenditure Report/Program Report to be submitted in GAINS. Step-by-step instructions are available on our GAINS Training Resources webpage (Final Expenditure Report (FER) Instructions). On the Sections page, complete the Program Closeout, Final Expenditures, and FER Related Documents sections. 

2024-25 Exhibit A from Grant Award Letters (GALs). Grantees can view individualized GALs in the GAINS LEA Document Library under the 2025 folder.