Perkins Grant: How Career & Technical Education Programs Can Secure and Use Funding Effectively

In this guide, you’ll learn what Perkins funding can and cannot pay for and how the state plan and comprehensive local needs assessment drive allocations. Also, what practical steps you can take to design programs of study and work-based learning initiatives that are competitive for funds.

So integration with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act systems, the growing demand for in-demand industry credentials, and the expectation that CTE programs document outcomes with reliable, disaggregated data systems. Whether you’re a CTE director, a postsecondary dean, or a workforce partner, this article is built to help you move from understanding the grant to actually winning and deploying it well.

Why the Perkins Grant Matters for Modern Technical Education

The Carl D. Perkins Grant is the single largest federal funding stream dedicated to career and technical education in the United States. Under Perkins V, which was signed into law in 2018 and took effect on July 1, 2019, Congress authorizes roughly $1.3 billion annually through Basic State Grants to strengthen technical education programs at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. We’re now squarely in the 2024–2027 state plan cycle, and institutions that haven’t tightened their strategy around this funding are leaving money-and student outcomes-on the table.

The Perkins grant aims to improve workforce readiness and student employability. Every dollar is designed to align educational programs with labor market needs, not simply maintain the status quo. For secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, and regional consortia trying to expand work-based learning, internships, and apprenticeships, Perkins funding is the engine that can modernize labs, purchase industry-grade equipment, fund career guidance, and develop curricula that actually match what employers need. Florida, for example, receives approximately 81 million dollars annually from Perkins-a figure that illustrates the scale of investment flowing through state systems and into local CTE programs.

What Is the Perkins Grant and How Perkins V Changed Career & Technical Education

The Perkins grant refers to federal funding authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. The Perkins Grant originated from the 1984 Vocational Act and has been reauthorized several times since. It’s important to distinguish this grant from the now-discontinued Federal Perkins Loan program, which was a campus-based financial aid program for students that stopped making new loans after September 30, 2017. The Perkins grant does not provide individual student grants for tuition but supports institutional improvements-equipment, curricula, staffing, and program infrastructure.

The most recent reauthorization, known as the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), was signed into law in 2018 and took effect July 1, 2019. The current four-year state plan cycle runs from FY 2024 through 2027, and it emphasizes quality, equity, accountability, and alignment to labor-market demand. Each state must submit a four-year plan for Perkins implementation that defines CTE concentrators, sets performance indicators, and identifies priority industry sectors.

Here’s how the money flows:

1. Congress appropriates funds to the U.S. Department of Education.
2. The department distributes Basic State Grants to state agencies using a formula based on population and per capita income.
3. States must distribute at least 85 percent of Basic State Grant funds to local eligible recipients-school districts, area CTE centers, community colleges, and regional consortia.

The remaining 15 percent is split between state leadership activities (up to 10 percent) and state administration (up to 5 percent).

Perkins funding is limited to approved career and technical education CTE programs of study. You can use it to purchase CNC machines for a manufacturing pathway. You cannot use it to renovate a gymnasium or buy general-purpose laptops for the entire student body. And you absolutely cannot use it to replace state or local dollars already committed to CTE-federal law requires that Perkins funds supplement, not supplant, existing investment.

The law’s statutory priorities are clear: serving special populations (including economically disadvantaged students and individuals with disabilities), improving access to high-skill, high-wage, in-demand occupations, closing equity gaps, and supporting both secondary education students and postsecondary education students who participate in structured programs of study. Eligible institutions for Perkins funding include public high schools and community colleges offering approved CTE programs, along with area CTE centers and technical colleges.

What Perkins Funding Can Be Used For (and What It Can’t)

This section is the practical breakdown that CTE directors, curriculum leaders, and work-based learning coordinators need when planning 2027 budgets. The rule of thumb: every expenditure must tie back to an approved program of study and be justified by your comprehensive local needs assessment.

Equipment, Software, and Instructional Materials

Perkins grant funds can be used for upgrading equipment and instructional materials in CTE classrooms. That includes industry-aligned machinery like CNC routers, welding stations, patient simulators for health science pathways, and cybersecurity lab hardware. It also covers software licenses-CAD platforms, cloud-based coding environments, electronic health records trainers-as long as they directly support an approved technical education program. New Jersey’s state guidance, for instance, explicitly allows equipment and CTE supplies when they are aligned to the CLNA and local CTE program plans. The key is documentation: show how the purchase connects to a specific career cluster, addresses a gap identified in your needs assessment, and improves student technical skills.

Technical Student Organization Participation

Funding technical student organization (TSO/CTSO) activities is an allowable use that many programs underutilize. Organizations like SkillsUSA, DECA, HOSA, FBLA, and FFA develop leadership, technical and employability skills, and career readiness in students. Perkins funds can cover chapter dues, registration fees for competitions, advisor stipends, and student travel to regional and state events. However, state-level guardrails apply. New York State, for example, specifically prohibits out-of-state travel with Perkins funds. Documentation must show which CTE pathway each student is enrolled in and how the TSO participation supports measurable program outcomes.

Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships

Perkins funding supports work-based learning programs like internships, pre-apprenticeships, clinical rotations, and structured job shadowing. Funds typically cover coordination time, employer outreach, safety certifications, student transportation to job sites, and-critically-the related technical instruction component of registered apprenticeships. Florida’s implementation guide limits Perkins-funded apprenticeship support to classroom-related instruction rather than on-the-job wage subsidies. If you’re building new apprenticeship pathways, Perkins can fund the infrastructure: coordinator salaries, employer engagement systems, and safety equipment. It generally won’t fund student wages directly, though policies vary by state.

Career Guidance and Advising

Perkins funds help schools develop modern curricula aligned with industry standards and requirements, and they also support the career guidance ecosystem. That includes career center operations, labor-market information tools, digital career-planning software, and dedicated CTE counselor positions. These resources connect secondary education students and postsecondary education students to pathways, apprenticeships, and credential programs in in-demand occupations. The goal is ensuring students-and their families-can make informed decisions about which programs of study lead to real employment.

Professional Development

Investing in educator quality is one of the highest-leverage uses of Perkins dollars. Allowable professional development activities include industry externships for teachers (spending time in a workplace to update their technical knowledge), training on newly purchased equipment, credential preparation courses, and attendance at conferences tied to technical education CTE outcomes. The connection must be clear: professional development must address a gap identified in the CLNA and contribute to measurable program improvement, not just general enrichment.

Data, Reporting, and Compliance Systems

Enhancements to data systems that track Perkins-required performance indicators are allowable when they directly support collection and reporting of concentrator outcomes, credential attainment, work-based learning participation, and similar metrics. This can include software licenses for data dashboards, reporting tools that produce disaggregated data by race, gender, disability status, and other special populations categories, and integrations between student information systems and CTE tracking platforms.

What You Cannot Fund

Some common non-allowable uses trip up programs every year:

• Broad facility construction or renovations outside dedicated CTE instructional spaces. A new wing for a welding lab is likely allowable. A cafeteria renovation is not.
• General-purpose technology not tied to a specific CTE course. Buying 200 Chromebooks for schoolwide use is not a Perkins expense, even if some CTE students use them.
• Supplanting existing funding. If your district has paid a CTE instructor’s salary with local dollars for three years, you cannot simply shift that cost to Perkins. You must document that Perkins expenditures add value beyond what state and local levels were already providing services for.

How Perkins V Funding Is Planned, Applied For, and Awarded

Specific forms and portals differ by state, but the planning logic under Perkins V follows the same arc everywhere: state plan, local CLNA, local application, annual performance and fiscal reports. Perkins grant applications vary by state and use online portals, and states determine their Perkins Grant application deadlines. Understanding this flow is essential for anyone responsible for securing and managing funds.

The Statewide Perkins State Plan

Every state submits a four-year state plan to the U.S. Department of Education. This plan defines the state’s workforce strategy as it relates to CTE, often integrated with a WIOA Combined State Plan. It includes:

• Definitions for CTE concentrators (the threshold of courses a student must complete to count)
• State-determined performance levels for each core indicator
• Priority industry sectors and career clusters
• Strategies for serving special populations

Indiana’s state plan for FY 2024–2027, for example, includes explicit instructions on how local recipients should conduct the CLNA and report against state-determined performance levels. These plans are public documents and worth reading closely-they tell you exactly what the state values when reviewing applications.

The Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA)

The Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment is part of Perkins V law. States must conduct a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment every two years. The assessment aims to improve career and technical education programs by forcing local teams to look honestly at data, gaps, and alignment. New Mexico’s assessment supports local education agencies’ funding applications, and similar processes exist in every state.

A strong CLNA involves:

• Analyzing disaggregated performance data (graduation rates, credential attainment, placement) by subgroup
• Reviewing regional labor-market information to confirm programs align with in-demand occupations
• Holding structured conversations with employers, workforce agencies, teachers, students, and community partners
• Identifying root causes for equity gaps in access and achievement

Treating the CLNA as a “check-the-box” exercise is one of the most common mistakes programs make. A thin CLNA weakens your funding justification, creates audit risk, and often leads to misaligned spending that doesn’t move outcomes.

Steps for Local Applicants

Here’s the typical application sequence, distilled into the steps that matter:

1. Analyze data on performance, access, and labor-market demand using your CLNA findings.
2. Engage stakeholders-employers, parents, students, unions, workforce agencies, postsecondary partners-in identifying priority needs.
3. Select or revise programs of study that align to high-wage, in-demand occupations in your region.
4. Decide which gaps Perkins career funds should address in the next funding cycle.
5. Draft your application through your state’s CTE portal, including narrative sections, budgets tied to CLNA priorities, and required assurances.
6. Submit by the deadline. Deadlines often fall in late spring or early summer (May through July) for the following fiscal year, but exact dates vary by state.

In California, for instance, LEAs must submit an Intent to Apply by January 31 for funds beginning in July. Secondary recipients need a minimum allocation of $15,000 to apply directly; those below the threshold must join a consortium or request a rural/charter waiver. Postsecondary institutions often face minimums around $50,000.

Formula Versus Competitive Subgrants

Most Perkins funding is formula-based, allocated under Section 131 (secondary) and Section 132 (postsecondary). But many states also reserve portions for competitive leadership grants. Texas, for example, offers state leadership grants under Section 124 with categories like emerging credentials, educator recruitment and retention, and prison education. These competitive opportunities are worth pursuing if your institution has the capacity-they often fund high-impact initiatives that formula dollars alone can’t cover.

Small school districts frequently participate in regional consortia to meet minimum allocation thresholds. Minnesota, for instance, requires secondary consortia to include at least 1,000 CTE participants and postsecondary consortia to have at least 1,800 full-year equivalents, with a minimum of six state-recognized programs of study across at least four career fields.

Annual Performance Reports and Redistribution

Annual Performance Reports are required for all Perkins sub-grantees. Local recipients report on concentrator outcomes: graduation rates, academic knowledge proficiency, credential completion, work-based learning participation, CTSO membership, and equipment purchases above state thresholds (often $5,000). These reports feed into the state’s Consolidated Annual Report to the U.S. Department of Education.

Many states reallocate unspent Perkins funds at year-end through reserve or formula redistribution, often announced in early spring. If your programs have the capacity to obligate funds quickly, these redistribution rounds can be a valuable supplementary resource. Watch your state CTE office communications closely.

Designing High-Quality CTE Programs of Study Aligned to Perkins V

A program of study under Perkins V is a coordinated, non-duplicative sequence of academic and technical education that spans at least two years of secondary education and proceeds to postsecondary or advanced training, leading to an industry-recognized credential or degree. This isn’t just a course catalog-it’s a designed pathway from the classroom to a career.

State Frameworks and Approval

State agencies define approved CTE programs of study across career clusters such as Health Science, Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Agriculture. States like New Mexico use standards frameworks-NMAC 6.29.3, for example, sets standards for career and technical education courses-to ensure quality and consistency. Local providers must align curricula, equipment, and staff qualifications to these frameworks before they can draw down Perkins funds.

Perkins funding aids in bridge-building between secondary education and higher education for vocational training. Programs of study are the mechanism for that bridge: they create articulated pathways where secondary schools and colleges agree on course sequences, credit transfer, and credential stacking so students don’t repeat content or lose momentum.

Academic and Technical Integration

High-quality technical programs integrate rigorous academic standards with technical content. That means embedding mathematical reasoning into engineering labs, building technical literacy into health science coursework, and requiring communication skills in every capstone project. Perkins V mandates this integration, and states enforce it through program approval criteria and technical standards tied to graduation requirements. The law expects programs to develop both academic knowledge and applied competence simultaneously.

Employability Skills and Career Readiness

Perkins V also expects programs to develop technical and employability skills throughout the student experience, not just in a standalone “career readiness” class. Communication, teamwork, problem solving, and digital literacy should be embedded in projects, assessed with rubrics, and validated through employer feedback from internships and clinical rotations. These are the skills that distinguish a graduate who can perform on day one from one who needs six months of workplace socialization.

Work-Based Learning and TSOs as Core Elements

Work-based learning and technical student organizations are core elements of high-quality programs of study, not add-ons. Job shadowing, pre-apprenticeships, clinical rotations, and structured internships reinforce classroom instruction with real-world application. CTSO leadership roles-chapter officer positions, competition teams, community service projects-build the professional identity and initiative that employers consistently rank among their top hiring criteria.

Employer and Workforce Partner Engagement

Advisory committees should meet at least twice a year and include representatives from employers in the relevant career cluster, workforce development boards, postsecondary institutions, and community organizations. These committees review labor-market data, co-develop curriculum, recommend equipment purchases, and help design work-based learning pathways. Without active employer engagement, programs drift away from what industry actually needs-and that drift shows up in CLNA data and performance reports.

Equity and Special Populations

The program prioritizes support for special populations including economically disadvantaged students and individuals with disabilities, as well as English learners, youth in foster care, and nontraditional students entering fields where their gender is underrepresented. Perkins V requires programs to identify gaps in access and achievement for these groups through the CLNA and then implement specific strategies: adaptive technologies, tutoring, mentorship, outreach, and removing barriers to enrollment in emerging professions.

Documenting Quality and Outcomes

Strong documentation of program quality-credential attainment rates, placement into employment or postsecondary education, participation in work-based learning-directly strengthens future applications for Perkins funding. New York State’s performance targets for secondary CTE concentrators, for example, set four-year graduation expectations rising from 94.00 percent in 2024–2025 to 97.90 percent in 2026–2027. Meeting or exceeding these state-determined performance levels keeps programs in good standing and avoids state intervention. It also provides the evidence base for continuous improvement.

FAQs About the Perkins Grant, Perkins V, and Technical Education Funding

What is the difference between the Perkins Grant and the old Federal Perkins Loan program?

The Perkins grant is federal funding provided to states and then to school districts and postsecondary institutions to improve career and technical education. It funds program-level improvements: equipment, curriculum, work-based learning infrastructure, and professional development. The grant does not provide individual student grants for tuition.

The Federal Perkins Loan was a completely separate program-a campus-based financial aid mechanism that provided low-interest loans directly to students for postsecondary education costs. That program stopped making new loans after September 30, 2017. Some web resources still mention Perkins Loans for historical or repayment reasons, but institutions planning technical education CTE improvements should focus on Perkins V grant requirements, not loan rules.

Who is eligible to receive Perkins funding at the local level?

Eligible recipients typically include local education agencies (school districts, charter school networks, regional consortia), area CTE centers, and postsecondary institutions such as community colleges, technical colleges, and some four-year universities offering approved CTE programs. Eligibility depends on offering state-approved programs of study and meeting minimum allocation thresholds.

In many states, small districts must join a consortium to meet those minimums. That means sharing planning responsibilities, programs of study, and reporting with regional partners. Workforce boards, community-based organizations, and employers are critical partners in the process but are generally not direct Perkins recipients. They participate through MOUs, advisory committees, work-based learning agreements, and sector partnerships.

The Perkins grant funding does not have a universal income requirement for student eligibility for services. Any student enrolled in an approved CTE program can benefit from Perkins-funded resources and support, though the law does require that programs pay special attention to access for economically disadvantaged students and other special populations.

How often do we need to complete the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA)?

Perkins V requires local recipients to complete a CLNA at least once every two years, aligned to the four-year state plan cycle. Many states set specific even-year deadlines-2024, 2026-ahead of local application windows. New York State, for instance, required CLNAs to be submitted by April 1, 2026, for the 2026–2027 application cycle.

A strong CLNA process uses disaggregated data on performance and access, reviews current labor-market information, and holds structured conversations with employers, workforce agencies, teachers, students, and community partners. The goal is to identify where programs are misaligned with industry demand, where equity gaps exist, and where resources like work-based learning and career guidance need to be expanded.

Local Perkins funds must be aligned to the needs and gaps identified in the CLNA. Treating it as a formality weakens your funding justification and creates audit exposure.

Can Perkins funds pay for student wages in internships or apprenticeships?

Whether Perkins funds can be used directly for wages is heavily state-dependent and often restricted. Many states prohibit using Perkins dollars for routine wages but may allow limited stipends or incentives when tied to equity goals or specific pilot initiatives. Florida’s implementation guide, for example, limits Perkins-funded apprenticeship support to the classroom-related instruction portion.

In most cases, Perkins funding is better deployed to build the infrastructure around work-based learning: coordination staff, safety equipment and certifications, transportation, related technical instruction, and employer outreach systems. Employers and other workforce programs-such as WIOA youth funds-are typically better sources for wage subsidies.

Before budgeting Perkins dollars for any form of student compensation, confirm allowable cost policies in your state’s Perkins guidance and consult your state CTE office.

How do Perkins funds support technical student organizations (TSOs/CTSOs)?

Local recipients commonly use Perkins funding to pay for TSO chapter dues, advisor training, competition fees, and student travel to regional and state leadership events, as long as participation is tied to approved CTE programs. Organizations like SkillsUSA, FBLA, FFA, DECA, and HOSA are recognized in Perkins law as partners in developing leadership, employability skills, and technical competencies that reinforce classroom instruction.

Documentation typically must show which CTE pathways students are enrolled in, how TSO participation supports specific program outcomes or performance indicators, and how costs are equitably distributed-especially when some students self-pay or are supported by local fundraising. Some states cap travel spending or restrict out-of-state events, so check your state guidance before committing funds.

When should we start planning for the next Perkins grant cycle?

Start at least six to nine months before your state’s annual Perkins application deadline. For most states, that means beginning in early fall for a late-spring submission. Use this lead time for CLNA review, stakeholder engagement, and budget scenario planning.

A practical timeline:

Quarter	Action
Fall (Q1)	Form or re-engage CTE advisory committee; gather performance data
Winter (Q2)	Analyze CLNA data; review labor-market projections; identify gaps
Early Spring (Q3)	Draft program-of-study adjustments and budget priorities
Late Spring (Q4)	Finalize and submit application through state portal

Early planning is especially important for cross-institutional initiatives such as new work-based learning pathways, apprenticeship partnerships, or shared equipment purchases between secondary schools and colleges. These require coordination with multiple stakeholders, and rushed planning produces weak applications.

Why Choose Our Platform to Support Perkins-Funded CTE and Work-Based Learning Programs

Managing Perkins V requirements-CLNA data, programs of study, work-based learning tracking, annual performance reports, and partnerships with employers-requires more than spreadsheets and email threads. By 2027, states and the federal department expect reliable, disaggregated, audit-ready data. That’s exactly what a modern work-based learning and apprenticeship management platform is built to deliver.

GoSprout helps school districts, secondary schools, and postsecondary institutions:

• Map CTE programs of study to real work-based learning placements and related technical instruction
• Track OJT and RTI hours in real time, directly supporting Perkins indicators for work-based learning participation
• Maintain accurate, centralized records that feed into annual performance reports and state compliance submissions

For Perkins-funded initiatives specifically, the platform offers centralized documentation of employer partnerships, digital agreements and MOUs, and dashboards that show concentrator participation in internships and apprenticeships. Competency tracking tools capture student progress tied to industry and technical standards, so you can demonstrate that your programs are producing graduates with the skills employers actually need.

Compliance and reporting are where most programs lose time. GoSprout provides automated exports aligned with common federal and state reporting formats, the ability to disaggregate data by special populations (disability status, economic disadvantage, nontraditional participation), and audit-ready histories of how Perkins-funded resources-equipment, programs, support services-are being used. When your state CTE office or an auditor asks how you spent your allocation, you have a clear trail.

Mobile access means students, mentors, and workplace supervisors can log hours and activities from job sites, clinics, and workshops. This makes it far easier for institutions to demonstrate high-quality, sustained work-based learning experiences-the kind that justify current and future Perkins funding.

Beyond tracking, GoSprout supports strategic planning. Analytics reveal where programs of study lack employer engagement, where work-based learning access is unequal across student groups, and where new apprenticeships or internships could close the gaps your CLNA identified. That makes the platform a partner in program design, not just a compliance tool.

Next Steps: Use Perkins Career & Technical Education Funding to Build Sustainable Pathways

When strategically planned under Perkins V, Perkins funding can transform technical education CTE programs by aligning them with high-wage, high-demand careers and expanding structured work-based learning opportunities. It’s federal funding designed to develop stronger programs, not just maintain old ones. The institutions that use it best are the ones that treat the CLNA as a genuine strategic exercise, engage employers early and often, and invest in data systems that make reporting straightforward rather than painful.

Here’s what to do now:

• Review your state’s current Perkins state plan and local guidance to understand definitions, priorities, and allowable costs specific to your context.
• Calendar key CLNA, application, and APR deadlines for the 2027 cycle-missing a deadline means missing a year of funding.
• Convene a cross-functional team of CTE leaders, counselors, postsecondary partners, and employers to prioritize investments in programs of study and work-based learning initiatives.

If your team is spending more time on manual compliance tracking than on designing powerful learning experiences for students, it’s time to explore modern tools that simplify the launch, tracking, and reporting of internships, pre-apprenticeships, and registered apprenticeships. Contact your state Perkins representative for state-specific rules, then schedule a consultation or demo with a trusted work-based learning management provider to align your program design, data systems, and Perkins funding strategy before the next application window opens.