Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Five States Receive $39 Million in Grants to Prepare Students with Disabilities for College, Employment

  • 10/03/16

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of $39 million in grants to five states to help students with disabilities prepare for postsecondary education and competitive integrated employment. The states include: California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont.

“Students with disabilities need to have strong transition plans and goals to leave high school ready for college and careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “These awards will help states implement evidenced-based, work-based learning models to help break down barriers to employment.”

Under the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Program, the funds will support innovative activities aimed at improving the outcomes of people with disabilities.

Each grant will finance Work-Based Learning Model Demonstrations that spotlight effective practices offering work-based learning experiences to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

The projects will take place in integrated settings under the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program, in collaboration with state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs) and other key partners within the local community.

The grants are being funded through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration.

Following is a list of the grants:

Recipient

Amount

California Department of Rehabilitation

$8,526,988

Maine Department of Labor

$9,000,000

Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services

$7,519,895

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

$5,000,000

Vermont Agency of Human Services

$8,998,338

Total

$39,045,221

Featured

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.