Connecticut spends approximately $3.3 billion annually on special education services. Municipalities are largely required to financially support the expenses necessary to provide special education services for their students who have Individualized Education Programs.
The Excess Cost grant is Connecticut’s method for sharing in the expense for students who have extraordinary special education needs. In recent years, however, the grant’s appropriation has not kept pace with growing reimbursement requests.
This frequently asked questions document summarizes key components of the Excess Cost grant, how it is funded, how it is distributed, and the grant's current funding shortfalls.
Citation
School and State Finance Project. (2026). FAQs: Excess Cost Grant. Southington, CT: Author. Retrieved from https://files.schoolstatefinance.org/hubfs/Reports/Excess%20Cost%20Grant%20FAQs.pdf.