Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling ALN 84.129B | ED GRANTS 061725 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 061725 002

This grant opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). It is part of the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training (RLTT) program and specifically targets Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.129B. The RLTT program is a discretionary grant program designed to strengthen the vocational rehabilitation (VR) workforce by supporting academic training in areas where there are documented personnel shortages. Those shortage areas are identified by the Secretary of Education and published through a separate notice in the Federal Register, which is why applicants are repeatedly directed to the official Federal Register application notice for the most complete and controlling requirements.

At its core, the program funds institutions and organizations so they can train future VR professionals and ensure they graduate with the specialized counseling knowledge and practical skills needed to serve people with disabilities. The opportunity emphasizes preparing professionals who can respond to a wide range of disability-related needs. Examples explicitly referenced include physical disabilities, mental health disorders or illnesses, intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism), blindness, and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. In practice, this means the supported training is meant to be more than general counseling coursework; it is intended to produce counselors who understand disability-specific barriers to employment, evidence-based rehabilitation practices, service coordination, and strategies for supporting individuals with complex or specialized support needs.

A defining requirement of this program is that scholarship support for students is not optional or incidental; it is a central use of funds. Grantees must use at least 65 percent of the total project budget to provide scholarships to students enrolled in the RLTT program, referred to as "RSA scholars." The notice clarifies that these scholarships can include multiple forms of direct student financial assistance, including tuition and fees, stipends, books and supplies, and student travel connected to training assignments. That framing signals that the Department expects projects to directly reduce financial barriers for trainees, thereby increasing the number of qualified VR counselors entering the field.

Eligibility is broad within the public-serving and nonprofit space. Eligible applicants include states, public or private nonprofit agencies and organizations, Indian Tribes, and institutions of higher education. This structure allows different types of entities to apply depending on how VR counselor preparation is organized locally, but it also suggests that applicants should be able to credibly operate or partner with academic programs and training pathways that result in recognized VR counseling preparation outcomes.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity number is ED GRANTS 061725 002. The application deadline listed is July 17, 2025. The award ceiling is $200,000 per award, and the Department anticipates making about 23 awards. Because this is a Department of Education discretionary grant, applicants must follow the Department's standard application submission rules and formatting expectations, including the "Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs" published December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528). The posting also stresses that this summary is only a synopsis and that the official Federal Register notice is the authoritative source for the details that typically determine whether an application is compliant and competitive, such as absolute or competitive priorities, required project components, performance measures, reporting expectations, and the precise submission instructions and addresses.

Overall, this funding is meant to help expand and improve the pipeline of vocational rehabilitation counselors by paying for student scholarships and supporting structured, long-term academic training aligned to national VR workforce shortage needs. Applicants that are best positioned are those that can demonstrate a strong training program in VR counseling, a clear plan for recruiting and supporting RSA scholars, and the capacity to track and report required outcomes in line with RSA and Department of Education expectations as laid out in the official Federal Register application notice.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling ALN 84.129B" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.129.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-06-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-07-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 23 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 061725 002

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