If you’re still starting out and you have no upfront cash, you might be asking how to get a grant to pay for heavy equipment training?
Getting into heavy equipment training will burn a big hole in your pocket; the amount of money you’ll spend on the tuition is no joke.
You could spend as much as $8,000 up to $12,000 depending on the course. That is big money! Taking the training is costly.
There are some ways to pay for the training tuition; one of them is applying for a grant. This funding can be given to you when you’re eligible. The eligibility criteria will depend on the type of grant you want to apply for.
You could be eligible in one or more grants that you haven’t realized. You can apply in the state you are in. There are certain requirements you need to meet to become entitled.
If you are asking what grant you can apply for, here are the types you can avail:
Grants You Can Be Eligible For
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Grant
If you have been laid off from your job, if you are planning to shift career to another, or if you are planning to develop more your skill in the work you’re doing, this grant can be applied for. This grant is perfect if you want to become a heavy equipment operator.
To apply for this grant, you must either be a US citizen or holding a permanent status.
If you are at the age of 18 to 26 years old, you need to be registered into WIOA in order to be eligible. You need to submit other requirements such as social security number (SSN), driver’s license, certificate of birth, proof of employment layoff, notice of employment insurance, other documents that may be deemed necessary.
If you have not enough skills and competency and you’re having a hard time getting a new job, you could be qualified for this grant. You have to express your intention to avail of this grant and apply yourself in the waiting list; applicants who are included in the waiting have to wait for several months before they can receive their status. For more information about WIOA grant, see this resource.
Department of Workforce Development
To improve the skills and competitiveness of the workforce, federal governments award a grant to individuals to help them train in a specific area they selected and to help them become marketable in today’s ever-changing environment. This grant is intended to meet the skilled workers’ needs in terms of acquiring a new skill and improving their current one.
You may visit your federal government website to know more about this grant.
Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
TAA can be availed by individuals who lost their jobs due to the weak economy. The TAA offers job training tuition assistance, relocation allowance, pay for healthcare premiums. To be qualified for this grant, you must file a petition stating that you lost your job because of the effect of the condition of the foreign trade.
If you are one of the workers who has been affected by globalization or weak economy, and if you want to develop your new skills so that you can shift profession, this grant can be applied by you. It helps most of those workers who are in the manufacturing industry. For more information about the TAA program, see this page.
Displaced/Dislocated Workers Grant
You can be eligible for this grant if you lost your job if it is not your fault. Federal governments have developed such a device to help these individuals through this grant. With funding on education and retraining programs, displaced workers can be assured of acquiring new skills through retraining and scholarship.
To be qualified for this grant you must have received your termination letter or job discharge notice, have a family income of $45,000/year or less, you must be a high school graduate. Though, some governments may require more or fewer requirements.
To avail of this grant, you can contact your federal government or authority if such grant exists in their practices.
Vocational Rehabilitation
This grant is given to eligible individuals with disabilities to secure jobs to enhance their skills by giving them rehabilitation services. Other services are medical and psychological assessment, vocation evaluation and planning, career counseling, training and education after completion of high school, job site assessment & accommodation, job placement and coaching, on-the-job training, etc.
This program is committed to helping people with disabilities develop their careers and find good employment and boost their independence.
Tribal Education (BIA)
Grant award usually ranges from $25,000 to $150,000 per year depending on the factors such as a number of educational programs, project design, etc. Applicant must have a high school diploma, experience in the operation of heavy equipment, passed a background investigation, copies of transcripts and copy of driver’s license.
Veteran's Benefits (VA)
Department of Veterans Affairs provides such benefits or you may contact the authority in your state that handles such funding. Veterans are not only entitled to medical and other healthcare claims, they also qualified to grants for skills training and upgrade. Click here for more information on VA benefits.
National Farmerworkers Jobs Program (NFJP)
the NFJP gives grants to community organizations and public agencies to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependent to reach stability. The NFJP, just like any programs, helps individuals to acquire the skills they need to become competitive workers in the market. Those eligible are individuals who are in the agricultural sector most affected by underemployment and unemployment. For more information about NFJP, read this page.
Active Service Personnel
If you are presently serving in one of the branches of the US military or a reservist, and you want to acquire more skills in the operation of heavy equipment that you can use on the job, you may be qualified for such grant. The different branches of the military provide significant scholarship and funding opportunities to its members whether you are active, reservist or retired personnel. For more other grants you can avail, check this page.
How to Apply for Grant
- Find a federal grant you think you are qualified for – when you’re planning to take heavy equipment training, the grants you could avail are listed above. Find the one that you are qualified for. The eligibility will depend on the classification or types of organization or individual you belong to. If you don’t know what grant you are qualified for, you may waste a lot of time in the process because you may be applying for a grant you cannot legally receive. Be sure you know exactly the grant you are qualified for. You can use this website in finding a grant.
- Make sure that you eligible for the grant you are applying for – There are certain requirements that you need to comply with before submitting your application for a grant. The application process and the requirements will also vary depending on the federal grant you are aiming to avail. It is always better to keep in touch with the federal government or authority for you to be able to secure all the requirements so that you can be ready in completing what it needs for you to begin the application process. One of the most important requirements you need to submit is the grant application letter.
- Write the grant application letter and proposal – As I have already said, the application letter can make or break your application so take time to hone a good grant application letter. Most application letter asks for detailed information where and how you want to use the funding. The format will depend on you. You may answer the questions directly or write the answers in narrative format. Before writing the letter, know your strong point and, highlight the main reason why you are needing for grant or funding, just make sure to put all the important details in the letter. Here’s a resource in writing a good grant application letter.
- Submit your grant application – Once you’ve prepared your proposal and application and other requirements, you need to prepare it for submission. When submitting, you need to follow instruction and adhere to the policy. The submission of the application will depend on the type of grant and where you applied it in. Ask the authority or federal government how to submit the application for processing.
The time it takes to approve your grant application will depend on the process and completeness of the requirements you submitted. If you are lacking some requirements, the application may be returned to you, that’s why it is very important to complete the requirement prior to submission (and to follow the submission instruction).
To Make a Finalization
Many considered grants as free money, that’s what they are basically. It is not a load that you have to repay after a period of time. Grant is given without you have to repay for it. Grants allow people to elevate their skills to become more competitive and saleable in getting a job.
If you are planning to take heavy equipment training and you don’t have yet the cash to pay for the training, grants can be a solution to defray the cost of expenses. Depending on the classification you fall in, you may be qualified for the grant.
If you think you are qualified and eligible for such funding you may apply to pay for the cost of heavy equipment training.