How to find technology grants for schools
Sometimes, the hardest part of the grant process is finding the right one for your needs. So, we’ve curated this robust list of technology grants, STEM grants, and government funding that you can use to purchase a SolidProfessor School Membership.
Comprehensive list of technology grants
These privately and federally funded technology grants are open to most schools across the country. They provide funding for career readiness initiatives, certification prep, new ed-tech, and additional categories that SolidProfessor qualifies for.
Federal funding for schools
Federal funding is often the most difficult and time-consuming to figure out. But the pay-off at the end is huge! These are some of the most recognizable federal funds that you can use to pay for your SolidProfessor Membership.
The largest federal aid program for public schools, Title I provides funding to schools that have a high percentage of low-income students. The federal government disburses funds based on student enrollment, the percentage of students using the free and reduced lunch program, and other factors.
SolidProfessor qualifies for Title I by helping struggling students quickly get up-to-speed in key engineering and architectural courses.
Title II provides federal funding for programs that improve teaching and leadership through professional development opportunities at the state and district levels. This funding is designed to increase student outcomes by providing professional development programs to teachers.
SolidProfessor qualifies for Title II as it’s an incredibly cost-effective way to provide teachers with online computer-aided design training.
The Carl D. Perkins Act is the primary source of funding for career and technical education (CTE) programs for high schools, colleges, and universities. The Perkins Act focuses on preparing students for jobs in local and regional economies, with a strong emphasis on high-skill and middle-skill jobs.
The Carl D. Perkins Act was made for programs like SolidProfessor that give students applicable, industry-ready skills and credentials.
Local funding and grants for schools
When searching for technology grants or other grants for schools, applying for state or local funding is probably your best bet. There will be fewer organizations competing for that funding, and the review board will likely be more in touch with the local issues you’re facing. Here are our current state-specific grants guides:
Request a State-Specific Grant Guide
Send us the state you’d like a grant guide for and we’ll be in touch shortly with more information!
Grants for private schools
While most grants are earmarked for public schools, there are still plenty of tech grants and other grants for schools that private organizations can leverage to purchase a SolidProfessor School Membership. Here are a few places to start:
Professional development grants for teachers
As the Official Training Partner of Project Lead The Way (PLTW), SolidProfessor is the industry-recognized online platform for helping educators like you get their engineering and architectural design skills up-to-speed quickly and cost-effectively. If you want to use SolidProfessor for professional development — and it’s not being covered by Title II — these professional development grants can help.
How to write winning grant proposals
While every technology grant or grant for education will have its own set of rules and criteria, the key elements will remain fairly consistent. Here’s a high-level overview of the steps you’ll need to take to start writing a winning grant proposal:
- Reach out to the main contact from the funding source (unless the instructions explicitly state otherwise). In many cases, the grant contact can give you extra information, and it helps to be in touch with someone who can answer your questions.
- Get all key stakeholders on board, such as your principal, administrative office, fellow teachers, and whoever else will need to sign off on the grant proposal.
- Gather all the materials needed for writing your grant proposal, including budgetary information, a copy of your school’s most recent financial audit or tax return, related research that supports your case, baseline numbers on how your class is currently performing, projections on how they will perform after the implementation of your new program, and how you will track those outcomes.
- Create an outline of your proposal. Map out what information you’ll cover and where you’ll talk about it.
- Embrace the editing process; your first draft will not be your final product ! Make sure multiple people proofread your grant proposal.
- Submit your proposal before the deadline and follow up with your contact at the end of the process for feedback on your application.
How to bring SolidProfessor’s online learning platform to your school
In addition to using local, state, and national grants to purchase SolidProfessor, you can also bring our online learning platform to your school through certification reimbursements and SolidProfessor’s Technology Grant Program.
Get students certified and receive reimbursement
About one third of states in the U.S. offer schools monetary incentives for getting their students certified in SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, and more.
At SolidProfessor, helping students get certified in CAD, CAM, and BIM software is core to what we do. Our industry-leading certification prep courses will help prepare each of your students to pass one of these rigorous certification exams. Not only will they be better equipped to enter into college or a career, but your school could receive reimbursement from your state, too. So, your SolidProfessor Membership pays for itself.
Take advantage of the SolidProfessor Technology Grant program
At SolidProfessor, we believe that every school — regardless of their financial situation — should have access to high-quality engineering and architectural design education to prepare students for college and careers. So, we started our Technology Grant program for schools, which discounts SolidProfessor School Memberships at up to 90% off the commercial price. Every school qualifies!
To learn more about our Technology Grant program, complete this short form and schedule a 30-minute phone call with an academic product specialist so we can get a better idea of your needs and goals.