Angela-

OMB A-21 reads:

A. Purpose and scope.
1. Objectives. This Attachment provides principles for determining the costs applicable to research and development, training, and other sponsored work performed by colleges and universities under grants, contracts, and other agreements with the Federal Government. These agreements are referred to as sponsored agreements.
 and also:

3. Application. These principles shall be used in determining the allowable costs of work performed by colleges and universities under sponsored agreements. The principles shall also be used in determining the costs of work performed by such institutions under subgrants, cost-reimbursement subcontracts, and other awards made to them under sponsored agreements. They also shall be used as a guide in the pricing of fixed-price contracts and subcontracts where costs are used in determining the appropriate price. The principles do not apply to: ....

I think that OMB A-21 applies to educational institutions of higher education.  Local educational agencies, LEAs, use OMB Circular A-87, Cost Principals for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments, while their sub-awardees may not.  I cut and pasted the following paragraphs from OMB A-87.

16. "Local government" means a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (whether or not incorporated as a non-profit corporation under State law), any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government.

3. Application.
a. These principles will be applied by all Federal agencies in determining costs incurred by governmental units under Federal awards (including subawards) except those with (1) publicly-financed educational institutions subject to OMB Circular A-21, "Cost Principles for Educational Institutions," and (2) programs administered by publicly-owned hospitals and other providers of medical care that are subject to requirements promulgated by the sponsoring Federal agencies. However, this Circular does apply to all central service and department/agency costs that are allocated or billed to those educational institutions, hospitals, and other providers of medical care or services by other State and local government departments and agencies.

b. All subawards are subject to those Federal cost principles applicable to the particular organization concerned. Thus, if a subaward is to a governmental unit (other than a college, university or hospital), this Circular shall apply; if a subaward is to a commercial organization, the cost principles applicable to commercial organizations shall apply; if a subaward is to a college or university, Circular A-21 shall apply; if a subaward is to a hospital, the cost principles used by the Federal awarding agency for awards to hospitals shall apply, subject to the provisions of subsection A.3.a. of this Attachment; if a subaward is to some other non-profit organization, Circular A-122, "Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations," shall apply.

I hope this helps.  Mary Barbosa

At 09:51 AM 5/20/02 -0500, you wrote:
Hello,

I'm passing along a question from a colleague:

OMB Circular A21 applies to colleges and universities. Does it also apply
to K-12 public schools, or school districts?

Thank you in advance for your help.
Angela Ford


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Mary Susan Barbosa, CRA
Grants Officer

Glendale Community College
1500 North Verdugo Road
Glendale, CA. 91208-2894

telephone:  (818) 240-1000, Extension 5823
fax:  (818) 549-9436
email: xxxxxx@glendale.edu