How to get your CDL paid for without signing with a trucking company
A commercial driver's license can lead to a steady, well-paying job, and you do not need a college degree to get one. The thing standing in the way for most people is the cost of training, which can run a few thousand dollars or more. This page covers the ways to get that training paid for through a government program, a grant, or a nonprofit, without signing a contract to drive for one company.
That last part is the difference between this page and the other route. A trucking company will often train you for free in exchange for a commitment to drive for them, which is covered on the paid CDL training page. The programs here do not tie you to any employer, but you usually have to qualify based on your income, your work situation, or your background.
Workforce funding through American Job Centers
The main way people get CDL training paid for is the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or WIOA. It is a federal program run locally through American Job Centers, and it can cover the cost of training at an approved school. This site's guide to WIOA programs explains how it works.
You generally qualify if you have been laid off, have a low income, receive public assistance such as SNAP or TANF, or are restarting after losing a job. The first step is to contact your local center, which you can find with the American Job Center finder at https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/AmericanJobCenters/find-american-job-centers.aspx. Staff there will tell you whether you qualify and which nearby CDL schools are approved for funding. You can also look up approved programs yourself through the WIOA training program finder at https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/EmploymentAndTraining/find-WIOA-training-programs.aspx.
Pell Grants for short-term CDL programs
Pell Grants, the federal government's main need-based aid for school, can now be used for short-term job-training programs like CDL school. Until recently they could only go toward longer college programs, which left most CDL courses out, and now those courses are specifically included.
Pell Grant money does not have to be paid back, and you apply for it by filling out the FAFSA information at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Two things to keep in mind. The amount is based on your financial need, so it may not cover the whole cost. And each state decides which schools and programs qualify, so it is reaching different places at different speeds. Ask the CDL school you are looking at whether its program is approved for a Pell Grant before you count on it - and for other grant programs for training or college see the federal grants for school page.
Veterans and the GI Bill
If you served in the military, the GI Bill can pay for CDL training, often the full cost of tuition, testing, and fees, along with a monthly housing allowance while you train. The school has to be approved by the VA, so check that before you enroll. You apply through the VA's education benefits pages at https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply.
A couple of extra notes for veterans. If you have a service-connected disability, the VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment program may cover training as well. And if you drove similar vehicles in the service, you may qualify to skip part of the CDL skills test, which can get you on the road faster.
Other programs that can help
A few more routes are worth checking, depending on your situation.
Job Corps offers free training, housing, and meals to people ages 16 to 24, and heavy truck driving is one of the trades it teaches. Its centers went through funding and closure threats recently; they are currently funded and operating, but it is still worth confirming that a specific center is enrolling before you rely on it. You can start at the jobcorps.gov site at https://www.jobcorps.gov.
Vocational rehabilitation agencies, run by each state, can pay for CDL training for people with disabilities who need it to work. Registered apprenticeships are another path, where you earn a wage while you train; your local American Job Center can point you to ones in trucking. Community colleges also run CDL courses, often at a lower cost than private schools and sometimes with their own aid.
Some nonprofits help, too. Goodwill runs workforce programs in many areas that can include CDL training or help paying for it, covered on this site's Goodwill job training page. The Women In Trucking organization offers scholarships toward CDL training for women entering the field - see https://www.womenintrucking.org/.
Tips from drivers who have done it or who are seeking options
People who have actually gone through these programs, or who are looking for programs, trade advice on this site's moderated community forum. The thread on getting CDL training paid for has firsthand tips and resources on which routes and schools people found, what the application process was like, and what to watch out for. It is a useful reality check alongside the official programs above.
If you do not qualify for any of these, or you would rather start earning right away, a trucking company will train you in exchange for a work commitment. That option is covered in the guide to company-sponsored CDL training.
Which programs you qualify for depends on your situation, and funding and eligibility rules change. Confirm the current details with the program, school, or agency before you enroll or count on a particular source of aid.
Related Content From Needhelppayingbills.com
|
Need help navigating programs?