How can career centers access federal funding to scale programs and improve outcomes?
Career centers can access federal funding by aligning their programs with workforce development, career and technical education, and institutional success goals through initiatives like WIOA, Perkins V, and the Higher Education Act. By partnering with workforce boards, contributing to institutional grant proposals, and designing targeted career programs, centers can secure funding that supports scalable, outcome-driven student success initiatives.
If your career center is constantly being asked to do more - with the same or fewer resources, you’re not alone.
While budgets are tight, the good news is that federal funding streams exist specifically to support the kind of work you do: helping students transition into the workforce.
The challenge? Knowing where to look and how to position your center as essential to student success and economic development.
Here’s how you can tap into 3 major federal programs - WIOA, Perkins V, and the Higher Education Act - to bring funding to your campus.
1. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
What it is: WIOA is a federal law designed to strengthen the nation's workforce. It funds job training and employment services to help people, including students, get high-quality jobs and build careers.
How it works: The U.S. Department of Labor gives WIOA funds to each state. States then distribute this money to local workforce development boards. These boards are made up of community leaders, business owners, and educators who decide how to spend the money to meet the job needs of their local area.
What Your Center Can Do
- Partner with your local workforce board. Your main task is to connect with your area's board. You can find them through the CareerOneStop website. Go to them with a clear pitch. Explain that your students are a source of skilled talent for local businesses. You can propose a formal partnership to co-host job fairs, share job market data, or provide career services to the wider community.
For example, the County College of Morris (CCM) in New Jersey works directly with local employers to create apprenticeships and then connects those employers to the local workforce board, which can use WIOA funds to cover training costs. This is a great model for how a college can act as a bridge between employers and federal funding.
- Get on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL). States maintain a list of approved organizations that can receive WIOA funds to provide job training. Your university may already be on this list, but specific departments or certificate programs might not be. Work with your administration to ensure your relevant programs are listed so that individuals using WIOA funds can choose your institution for their training.
- Create programs for specific groups. WIOA has special funding to help specific populations, such as veterans, individuals with disabilities, and young adults who are not in school. Your center could develop a targeted outreach and career coaching program for these groups, making you an ideal partner for the local board.
Also Read: Career Center Budget Planning Template for Institutional Impact
2. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V)
What it is: The Perkins Act gives federal money to improve career and technical education (CTE). While often associated with high schools, it provides significant funding to community colleges and four-year universities. The goal is to ensure CTE programs (like engineering, nursing, computer science, and skilled trades) are aligned with the needs of modern employers.
What Your Center Can Do
- Connect with your school's CTE departments. Identify which programs at your institution receive Perkins funds. Meet with the deans and faculty of these departments. They are required to show how their programs prepare students for careers, and your center is a key resource for this. For example, the West Virginia Community and Technical College System allocates Perkins grants to its colleges for "new or improved activities" that support CTE. This creates an opportunity for a career center to propose and fund new initiatives, like hiring a dedicated career coach for CTE students.
- Offer specific career-readiness services. Go beyond general career advice. Propose specific services that add value to CTE programs and could be funded by Perkins. Examples include:
- Creating industry-specific resume and cover letter templates.
- Conducting mock interviews with professionals from technical fields.
- Building a mentorship program connecting CTE students with alumni.
- Helping faculty embed career milestones directly into their curriculum.
- Contribute to the needs assessment. Every two years, your institution must conduct a "Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment" (CLNA) to guide how Perkins funds are spent. Your career center has valuable data on employer needs, hiring trends, and skill gaps. Actively participate in the CLNA process to help shape priorities and position your center as an essential part of the solution.
Also Read: Want to Stretch Your Career Center Budget? Here’s What 6 Colleges Did
3. The Higher Education Act (HEA)
What it is: The HEA is a major law that authorizes most federal student aid programs. It also includes grant programs designed to strengthen colleges and universities, particularly those that serve a high number of students from low-income backgrounds.
What Your Center Can Do
- Get included in institutional grant proposals. Your college's grants or sponsored programs office regularly applies for large federal grants. Many of these, like the Strengthening Institutions Program under HEA Title III, are focused on improving student retention and graduation rates. Argue that career services are critical to achieving these goals. Provide language and a budget for your center's activities to be written directly into the grant proposal.
For instance, Stanly Community College in North Carolina received a $2.2 million Title III grant to enhance its career and workforce services. The grant explicitly funds core career center functions like improving career assessment, providing ongoing guidance, and expanding its internship program.
- Propose an innovative project for FIPSE. The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) is specifically for new and creative ideas. This is a good fit if your center wants to launch a pilot program. For example, you could propose developing a virtual reality tool for interview practice or creating a new career-planning curriculum for first-year students.
- Stay informed on HEA reauthorization. This law is reviewed and updated by Congress every few years. These updates can create new programs and funding opportunities. Following updates from groups like NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) will keep you aware of changes that could benefit career centers.
Also Read: How Can Career Centers Show ROI Through Retention, Readiness & Outcomes?
Final Thoughts
Securing federal funding is a marathon, not a sprint - it takes strategic alignment, collaboration across campus, and a compelling vision for long-term impact.
Start by connecting with your government relations office, sponsored programs team, and faculty partners.
As you shape your funding strategy, it’s also worth considering how you will deliver impact at scale once funding is secured.
Many institutions are pairing funding initiatives with technology to expand access, improve consistency, and strengthen measurable outcomes.
Hiration offers a full-stack career readiness suite that spans the entire student journey - from career assessments to AI-powered resume optimization, interview simulation, and more.
It also includes a dedicated counselor module to manage cohorts, workflows, and analytics, all within a secure, FERPA- and SOC 2-compliant platform.
Exploring how your center delivers services at scale can help strengthen both your funding proposals and long-term outcomes.
Federal Funding for Career Centers — FAQs
Why should career centers explore federal funding?
Federal funding helps career centers expand services, improve student outcomes, and scale programs without relying solely on institutional budgets, which are often constrained.
What are the main federal funding programs for career centers?
Key programs include the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V), and the Higher Education Act (HEA), each supporting different aspects of workforce and student success initiatives.
How can career centers use WIOA funding?
Career centers can partner with local workforce boards, get listed as eligible training providers, and design programs for specific populations like veterans or underserved students to access WIOA funds.
What role does Perkins V funding play?
Perkins V funding supports career and technical education programs. Career centers can collaborate with academic departments, contribute to needs assessments, and propose targeted career-readiness initiatives tied to workforce demands.
How can career centers benefit from the Higher Education Act?
Career centers can be included in institutional grant proposals, especially those focused on retention and completion, and propose innovative projects through programs like FIPSE.
What is the first step to securing federal funding?
The first step is building internal and external partnerships, including working with sponsored programs offices, faculty, and local workforce boards to align career services initiatives with funding priorities.
How should career centers position themselves in grant proposals?
Centers should frame their work as essential to institutional goals like retention, workforce development, and economic mobility, clearly linking career services to measurable outcomes.
How does technology strengthen funding proposals?
Technology helps demonstrate scalability, consistency, and measurable outcomes, which strengthens proposals by showing how funded programs will deliver impact across large student populations.
