Opportunity Grants
Opportunity Grants were developed to help individuals improve their skills at technical colleges, earn certificates or degrees and pursue career pathways to better jobs in high-demand occupations, including registered apprenticeships.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible Applicant:
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Be employed or in temporary lay off status (with documentation)
- Earning a family income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The annual household income limit would be $29,140 for a family of two, $36,620 for a family of three, and $44,100 for a family of four.
- Applicant must possess a High School diploma or equivalent
- Enrolling half-time (eight credits or less) in technical college classes. Full-time college enrollees are not eligible for Opportunity Grants. Applicants with a prior degree are not eligible. Training must be with a Wisconsin Technical College
- Training must lead to a certificate or degree in a demand occupation.
Eligible Training
Eligible Training//Demand Occupation: Occupational training must be with a Wisconsin Technical College and consistent with the needs of the local area as determined by the Workforce Development Board demand occupations. Other technical college certificate or degree programs determined as statewide demand occupations that may be considered for Opportunity Grants include healthcare, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, information technology, energy and registered apprenticeships.
Eligible Funding
Tuition Defined: Tuition costs include instructional costs and fees paid directly to the school, books and consumable supplies/materials. Opportunity Grants tuition may be authorized for up to $1,000.
$250 Wrap-around Services Defined: Wrap-around services may include the cost of uniforms, tools, licensure exam fees, transportation assistance, childcare and other supports necessary for the successful participation in training. Wrap-around services are capped at $250 per enrollee.
In June 2009, Governor Jim Doyle announced the availability of the Opportunity Grants and urged low-wage workers who have no education beyond high school, to apply for up to $1,000 to take technical college classes and prepare for careers in health care, advanced manufacturing and other demand occupations.
“Opportunity Grants represent another significant step we are taking to ensure a skilled workforce,” Governor Doyle said. “One of the challenges we face in building a 21st century workforce is a skills gap. Two out of three jobs today require more than a high school diploma. Yet we have more than 723,000 working-age adults who have no education or training beyond high school. These grants provide individuals, who are stuck in low-wage jobs, an opportunity to begin the path to rewarding careers in high-growth industries.”
Individuals should apply for grants through their regional workforce development boards. For more information, view the Contact information for your Workforce Development Area.