The Students, Teachers, Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Grant Program is designed to improve K-12 school safety and security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence. The STOP School Violence Act of 2018 gave the Department of Justice the authority to provide awards to grantees to implement evidence-based school safety programs and technology.
Visit BJA’s FY 2026 STOP Notice of Funding Opportunity page for more information about the grant program and to download the full funding opportunity. The deadlines for applying are as follows:
- Grants.gov Deadline: October 30, 2026, 11:59 pm Eastern
- Application JustGrants Deadline: November 6, 2026, 8:59 pm Eastern
The anticipated funding available through the FY2026 BJA STOP School Violence Grant Program is 15 awards of up to $2,000,000 each in Category 1 (State governments and Public higher education), and 80 awards of up to $1,000,000 each in Category 2 (Local government, Private higher education, School districts including public charter schools, Nonprofits, Private K-12 schools and private charters, and Federally Recognized Tribal Governments). Each award is three years (36 months) in duration.
The program seeks to increase school safety by implementing:
- training to prevent student violence against others and self, including training for local law enforcement officers, school personnel, and students
- the development and operation of technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and internet websites
- the development and deployment of:
- school threat assessment and intervention teams that include coordination with law enforcement agencies and school personnel, or
- specialized training for school officials in responding to mental health crises
This funding cannot be used for target hardening equipment to secure schools, such as cameras, security systems, fencing, locks, drug- or firearm-detecting dogs, and more. Instead, see the COPS School Violence Prevention Program for funding for target hardening equipment. These funds can also not be used to hire armed security officers or school resource officers.