Grants Available to Adult Learners at UW, Community Colleges

Adults who are unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19 are now eligible for a grant to pay for education at the University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges.

Gov. Mark Gordon has allocated $7.5 million in CARES Act funding to the Adult Education Grant Program, which will provide grants to Wyoming adults between the ages of 25-64 who are unemployed or underemployed due to the impacts of COVID-19.

“During this crisis, these grants will help impacted workers obtain new skills and advance their careers,” Gordon says. “They also will help Wyoming progress toward its goal of building a highly trained, well-equipped workforce.”

Qualified UW students who enroll in the fall 2020 semester will receive up to $2,500 for tuition and fees. More details will be available Monday, Aug. 10, at www.uwyo.edu/trailblazer.

The deadline for new students to apply for admission to UW -- and secure this additional funding for the fall 2020 semester -- is Friday, Aug. 21. Fall 2020 classes begin Monday, Aug. 24. Adult learners who are already enrolled and qualify for Adult Education Grant Program funding must apply for these funds on or before Tuesday, Dec. 1.

“Starting on a new path in life takes determination. Taking the first step into a classroom can be the hardest, but UW is dedicated to providing top-level educational opportunities to people in all stages of life,” President Ed Seidel says. “We appreciate the governor’s support of this program to help lift the educational attainment of nontraditional-age students across Wyoming.”

Recipients of Adult Education Grant Program funding are eligible to take in-person or online classes at the undergraduate, graduate or certificate level at UW. For adult learners, UW provides access to more than 200 programs taught by top faculty so that students have the opportunity to personalize their experience based on their career goals.