5 Grants CTE Educators Should Apply For

Providing topnotch, real-world career and technical education (CTE) experiences for students is a priority for many educators, and CTE grants are a great way to provide the right resources and opportunities to students when district and school budgets are tight.

Grants can be publicly or privately funded, and they usually offer money to be used for specific purposes that does NOT need to be repaid. Luckily, there is no shortage of grants available for educators. Here, we’ve compiled a wide-ranging list of some of the best national CTE grants in honor of CTE Month in February. We should note that there are likely a few state-specific CTE grants you are eligible to apply for as well. Here's a quick list of a few grants you should consider applying for:*

Perkins V Funding

Deadline: January 29

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which amended the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV), was signed into law on July 31, 2018. The amended act, now Perkins V, brings changes to the $1.2 billion annual federal investment in career and technical education (CTE). The U.S. Department of Education is looking forward to working with states to implement the new legislation, which went into effect on July 1, 2019, and provides new opportunities to improve CTE and enables more flexibility for states to meet the unique needs of their learners, educators, and employers. Learn more about how this legislation impacts CTE funding in this blog post.

Workforce Development Grants – GrantWatch

Deadline: Varies

GrantWatch is a grants search engine. It currently provides information of over 1,000 grants. Workforce development grants assist veterans, youth, displaced workers, and immigrants to enter, remain in, and advance in the workplace. With this search engine, you can find grants to provide programs for career education and career training, solve workforce shortage, and promote workforce health.

The NEA Foundation Student Success Grants

Application Deadlines: December 21 and March 19

This grant is available to current members of the National Education Association (NEA), and it supports in-classroom initiatives with the aim of improving student outcomes. Grant funds can be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, technology, or scholars-in-residence. Although some funds may be used to support the professional development necessary to implement the project, the majority of grant funds must be spent on materials or educational experiences for students. This grant is offered at two levels of funding—either $2,000 or $5,000.

McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Academic Enrichment Grant

Deadline: January 15 - April 15 (or when 350 applications have been received)

The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation offers Academic Enrichment Grants designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student learning. Proposals are considered that foster understanding, deepen students’ knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand awareness of the world around them. Grants provide funding for programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic, and creative abilities of children from low-income households. The grants offer up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $30,000 over three years, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.

Sony Corporation of America Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Sony Corporation of America offers funding to programs that support education and creative, artistic, technical, and scientific skills that are necessary for tomorrow’s workforce. Previous education grants have funded a wide range of environmental media teaching and research projects; meaningful environmental education events and programs; quality education programs for at-risk students; arts and arts education; youth-mentoring educational programs to teach students about workplace etiquette and various careers available in the technology and entertainment industries; and multiple other mentoring opportunities, including one-on-one, school-based, or workplace mentoring.

Looking for a little guidance to get started on your grant applications? Check out this blog post for 4 Tips to Take the Stress Out of Grant Applications!

*Many of these grants are awarded annually. Due dates are as accurate as possible as of January 2021 but are subject to change. Always check specific grant websites for the most up-to-date and accurate application information.