Continuing education sounds great, looks great, is great; but it can also take a great toll on your student’s or business client’s budget. Some are able to afford funding for the training they want or need, but many others are not. We are always asked what funding source are available and we can be a bit limited. But, to help you with out of the box thinking, below are three possibly “unknown” funding sources that can be useful when looking for funds.
- TANF
Yes! Temporary Aid for Needy Families. Recent federal legislative proposals have addressed the issue of the only way for parents to escape poverty and achieve long-term family economic security is by obtaining stable employment at higher than minimum wages. The federal government has also suggested states to spend a minimum share of their TANF funds on cash assistance, child care, and work-related training and education activities.(CLASP, 2016) You should talk with your TANF state agency to find out what kind of funding could be available for your individual clients. - SNAP
Under SNAP, Employment and Training (E&T) Programs were created to help food stamp recipients gain skills, training, or experience and increase their ability to obtain regular employment. SNAP E&T funds can be used to provide enhanced individualized services to program participants and are a potential food stamp outreach tool for low-income working families. (National Skills Coalition, 2015) The Farm Bill (which authorizes the SNAP program) is not up for reauthorization again until 2019 so the funds are secure until then at least. You should talk with your SNAP state agency to find out what kind of funding could be available for your individual clients. - MyCAA
The My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship Program is a workforce development program funded by the US Department of Defense that provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance (free money) to eligible military spouses who are pursuing a license, certification or Associate’s degree in a portable career field and occupation. Your school may already be a participant in the program, but if you want more information, you can check out this booklet, MySECO or call us at ProTrain. We have been a part of the MyCAA Scholarship Program since it launched a few years back and can answer many questions.
Continuing education is too important to let finances trump an opportunity to grow professionally. Continuing education helps not only the recipient of the learning but the organization as a whole.
References
CLASP. (2016, July). Expanding Education and Training Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/publication-1/07.2016-Expanding-Education-and-Training-Opportunities-under-TANF.pdf
National Skills Coalition. (2015, June). Aligned by Design. Retrieved from National Skills Coalition: http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/2015-07-Aligned-by-Design-WIOA-and-SNAP-ET-2.pdf