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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesConnecticut does not reimburse every invoice on a school project. A district must have a state grant commitment, and the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) reviews each payment request against the project’s approved scope, current grant rules, and supporting records. The 2026 rules add an allowable construction-cost-per-square-foot limit for applications filed on or after July 1, 2026. Costs above that calculated limit are ineligible, while several categories are outside the cap rather than automatically reimbursable. Change-order timing, documentation, procurement, project type, and the municipality’s reimbursement rate can all affect the result.
This guide explains how to classify a line item before submitting it, what the 2026 transition dates mean, and which records DAS expects.
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The threshold: a grant commitment and a project-specific review
Only an authorized school building project with a state grant commitment can submit progress payment requests under Connecticut General Statutes § 10-287i. DAS describes the review as in-depth and project-specific; a commitment allows a request to be submitted, but it is not approval of every invoice. The agency checks whether each cost belongs to the approved project, meets the applicable eligibility rules, and is adequately documented. See DAS’s progress-payment eligibility guidance.
That distinction matters when a budget contains a mixture of building work, furniture, site improvements, design services, or later changes. A category can be outside one limitation and still require a separate eligibility determination under the grant program.
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How the 2026 construction-cost cap works
DAS says revised school building project grant regulations apply to applications filed on or after March 18, 2026, unless a provision has a later effective date. The new construction-cost limit has that later trigger: it applies to applications filed on or after July 1, 2026. For those applications, construction costs above the allowable cost per square foot calculated under the regulations are ineligible. The agency’s March 27, 2026 explanation is available in Key Changes in the School Building Project Grant Program Regulations.
What the cap includes
The cap covers costs in UNIFORMAT II major groups A through F, together with associated general conditions, general requirements, overhead, and profit. The limit is therefore not a ceiling on every dollar spent on a school project; it is a ceiling on the defined construction-cost subset. A project team should first identify the applicable application date, then map each estimate and invoice to the correct UNIFORMAT II category.
Costs listed outside the new cap
DAS identifies the following as outside the new construction-cost definition:
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| Cost category | Effect of the 2026 per-square-foot cap | What still must be checked |
|---|---|---|
| Sitework and other work beyond five feet from the building footprint | Not counted in the new cap | Project-specific grant eligibility and approved scope |
| Full building and structure demolition | Not counted in the new cap | Project-specific grant eligibility and documentation |
| Loose furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) | Not counted in the new cap | Whether the item is eligible under the project’s FF&E rules and forms |
| Design and other consultant fees | Not counted in the new cap | Whether the service is an eligible project cost and properly contracted |
| Testing, inspection, and permit fees | Not counted in the new cap | Project-specific eligibility and proof of payment |
| Land acquisition costs | Not counted in the new cap | Separate grant rules and the project’s approval |
“Outside the cap” is deliberately narrower than “reimbursable.” DAS reviews payment requests under the circumstances of the individual project. The list above means those costs are not affected by this particular per-square-foot limit; it does not create an automatic entitlement to reimbursement.
Why the two dates should not be combined
March 18, 2026 is the general application date for the revised regulations. July 1, 2026 is the application date that activates the new construction-cost-per-square-foot test. A project team should record the filing date in its eligibility worksheet and avoid applying the July 1 cap to an application that falls outside that trigger.
Outdoor athletic facilities: expanded but limited eligibility
The revised rules allow three named outdoor athletic-facility categories when they are included as part of a renovation, alteration, or new construction project:
- athletic-facility lighting;
- athletic-facility parking; and
- artificial turf.
DAS classifies these as outdoor athletic facilities and limits reimbursement to one-half of the project’s reimbursement rate. The half-rate is a limitation on the reimbursement calculation, not a statement that the district automatically receives half of every invoice. The work must be part of an eligible project and pass the agency’s review. Details appear in the DAS regulation-change explanation.
Early-childhood and special-education space
The revised regulations let the Commissioner, on request, exclude early-childhood and special-education programming space from the space-standard calculation when the educational specifications and enrollment projections support the need. This is a space-planning provision; it does not change the general construction-cost cap or make unrelated expenses eligible.
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DAS says the change did not otherwise alter existing space standards. Projects that qualify as renovations under C.G.S. § 10-282 remain eligible for an exemption from the space standards. Districts should submit the supporting educational specifications and enrollment projections with the request rather than assume an exclusion applies.
Change orders and directives
A change made after final plan review on a project with a grant commitment must be submitted to DAS. The agency encourages districts to submit changes when they are officially issued or finalized, rather than waiting for project closeout. The controlling requirements are summarized in DAS’s change-order eligibility guidance.
The six-month submission deadline
Any change order—whether it adds cost, credits cost, or documents allowance work—must be received and date-stamped by DAS within six months of issuance to be eligible for review. Keep the issuance date, transmittal date, and DAS receipt evidence together in the project file.
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For projects with an authorized total project cost greater than $10 million, eligible change orders cannot exceed five percent of that authorized total project cost. This limit applies after the change has otherwise been found eligible; it is not permission to submit unlimited changes up to five percent without review.
Eligibility determination letters
Only change orders and directives reviewed by DAS and accompanied by an eligibility determination letter are eligible for reimbursement. A contractor’s approval, a building-committee vote, or inclusion in the local accounting system does not substitute for the agency’s determination.
Reimbursement rates differ by municipality and funding date
Connecticut does not publish one reimbursement percentage that applies to every town. DAS says percentages are calculated annually and depend on when the town or district secured its local share of funding. To identify the rate for a particular project, confirm the municipality, the date its local share was secured, and the current DAS information for that project. The state’s School Construction overview is the starting point for the program information.
That municipality- and funding-date-dependent rate is also the base used when the outdoor athletic-facility half-rate limitation applies. Do not insert a statewide percentage into an estimate without verifying the project’s specific rate.
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Payment requests, final closeout, and required records
Progress and final payment submissions
At completion, the district submits a final grant application, DAS-1049F with SCG-1020, and a payment request, DAS-1046S, through Core-CT. The final project costs reported in those submissions must agree. The payment request must include invoices and proof of payment. DAS’s step-by-step closure guidance is at School Construction Project Closure and Audit Procedures — How To.
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Records to retain
DAS’s audit FAQ identifies records that support the cost trail, including:
- general ledgers;
- contractor invoices and contracts;
- bid documents and bid tabulations;
- grant-area code sheets and cost schedules;
- enrollment projections;
- change orders and change-order summaries;
- building-committee minutes; and
- evidence that invoices were paid.
The agency warns that inadequate supporting documents can cause related costs to be treated as ineligible and can produce an audit finding. If audit adjustments exceed the remaining payment, the local education agency may owe repayment to the state. Review the DAS closure and audit FAQ before submitting the final request.
Useful DAS worksheets
The Plan Review Requirements and Documents directory includes the SCG-4000 Ineligible and Limited Eligible Costs Worksheet and SCG-4015 Eligible and Ineligible Items for FF&E and Technology. These forms help organize a line-item review, but they do not replace a project-specific DAS determination.
Procurement and estimating requirements are separate from reimbursement eligibility
Connecticut’s school-construction overview requires applications to include a completed Estimate of Probable Costs through the Public School Construction Cost Database. Separately, for public construction contracts estimated above $500,000, the state describes public notice through the State Contracting Portal and award to a prequalified bidder as required by statute. Those procurement steps protect the bidding and contracting process; meeting them does not by itself make every resulting cost reimbursable.
Keep three questions separate in the project file: Was the contract procured correctly? Is the line item within the approved grant scope? Does the cost satisfy the applicable cap, rate, change-order, and documentation rules?
A practical line-item test before submitting a request
- Confirm the project status. Verify that the project has a state grant commitment and that the request is tied to the approved project scope.
- Record the application date. Determine whether the filing is on or after March 18, 2026 and, specifically, whether the July 1, 2026 construction-cost trigger applies.
- Classify the expense. Identify whether it is UNIFORMAT II A–F construction cost, associated general conditions/general requirements/overhead/profit, or one of the categories DAS places outside the new cap.
- Check project type and special rules. For athletic lighting, parking, or artificial turf, confirm that the work is part of an eligible renovation, alteration, or new construction project and apply the half-rate limitation. For early-childhood or special-education space, assemble the educational-specification and enrollment support for any requested exclusion.
- Screen for a change order. If the item arose after final plan review, document issuance and submit it within six months. For a project above $10 million, test the cumulative eligible changes against the five-percent limit and obtain the DAS eligibility determination letter.
- Apply the correct local rate. Verify the annual rate tied to the municipality and the date its local share was secured.
- Assemble proof. Match invoices, proof of payment, contracts, bids, cost schedules, code sheets, approvals, and meeting records to the amount requested.
- Reconcile the closeout forms. Ensure the final grant application and payment request report the same final project costs before submitting through Core-CT.
Common mistakes that make an otherwise plausible cost ineligible
- Treating the cap as a blanket project budget limit. The July 1, 2026 rule applies to the defined UNIFORMAT II A–F construction-cost base and associated markups, not automatically to every project expense.
- Treating “outside the cap” as “automatically reimbursable.” Sitework beyond five feet, demolition, loose FF&E, design, testing, permits, and land acquisition still face project-specific review.
- Waiting until closeout to send a change order. The six-month receipt-and-date-stamp requirement can eliminate eligibility for review.
- Assuming a local approval is enough. DAS must review eligible changes and issue an eligibility determination letter.
- Using a generic reimbursement percentage. The rate depends on the municipality and when its local share was secured.
- Submitting an unsupported invoice. Missing proof of payment or audit records can lead to an ineligible-cost finding and possible repayment.
- Confusing procurement compliance with grant eligibility. A properly advertised, prequalified contract still has to satisfy the grant rules and approved scope.
Bottom line for Connecticut districts
Start every eligibility decision with the project’s grant commitment, application date, and approved scope. For applications filed on or after July 1, 2026, test UNIFORMAT II A–F construction costs and associated markups against the allowable cost per square foot; keep the separately listed categories outside that cap, but do not label them automatically reimbursable. Treat athletic lighting, parking, and artificial turf as half-rate outdoor-facility items only when they are part of an eligible project. Submit change orders within six months and obtain DAS’s determination letter, use the municipality-specific rate, and preserve a complete invoice, payment, procurement, and audit trail. When a line item remains uncertain, use the current DAS forms and request a project-specific determination rather than relying on a general category label.
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