Categorical grant

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

Categorical grants, also called conditional grants, are grants issued by the United States Congress which may be spent only for narrowly defined purposes. Categorical grants comprise the bulk of activity in the federal grant-in-aid system, both in terms of the number of programs and the amount of funding. Categorical grants derive their name from the fact that their uses are limited to a narrowly defined category of activities that generally are specified in the authorizing legislation. Categorical grants contrast with block grants, which can be used for broadly defined purposes and are not subject to as much oversight or as many administrative conditions. A block grant can be used for a variety of purposes, with the distribution of funds overseen and allocated by local authorities. A categorical grant is awarded for a singular and specific purpose, with distributions audited to ensure the intended recipient.

Example

 
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Questions

  1. What are categorical grants?

  2. How are categorical grants different from block grants?

  3. Find an image or emoji that does a good job of conveying the meaning of categorical grant?

  4. Who administers categorical grants?

  5. What is one advantage of categorical grants over block grants?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw categorical grant. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

Further Review

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Jonathan Milner

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