# Application for Contingency Funds for Alternative Payment Programs (a) Alternative Payment programs as defined in section 18018(e) of this Division may apply for funding for additional services which were provided pursuant to section 8222.1 of the Education Code by submitting a request to the California Department of Education, Office of External Audits. (b) The request shall be in the form of a letter which must be submitted by October 31 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the additional costs were incurred and services were provided. (c) The Office of External Audits shall order payments from the contingency fund after verifying: (1) the costs incurred and the level of additional services provided; (2) that reimbursement from the contingency fund does not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or two percent (2%) of the contractor's maximum reimbursable amount, whichever is greater; and (3) that the contractor has not been reimbursed for additional services from the contingency fund for the prior two consecutive years. > NOTE: Authority cited: Section 8269, Education Code. Reference: Sections 8222.1 and 8278, Education Code. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://title5.caqualityearlylearning.org/contingency-funds-for-alternative-payment-programs/application-for-contingency-funds-for-alternative-payment-programs.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.