Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: Rehabilitation Services Administration: Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program: Rehabilitation of Individuals Who Are Blind, Have Low Vision ALN 84.129P | ED GRANTS 061725 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 061725 006

This funding opportunity is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), specifically through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). It sits under the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training (RLTT) Program and is tied to Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.129P, which focuses on training professionals who will work in the rehabilitation of individuals who are blind or have low vision. The overall intent is workforce development: building a stronger pipeline of highly trained vocational rehabilitation personnel in areas where the federal government has identified ongoing staffing shortages.

The core purpose of the RLTT program is to provide financial assistance to support academic training in shortage areas within vocational rehabilitation. Under this program, the expectation is not simply to run classes or create curriculum, but to directly support students preparing to enter the field. A key requirement is that grantees must use at least 65 percent of their total project funds to provide scholarships to students enrolled in the program, referred to as RSA scholars. These scholarships can cover several forms of financial support connected to training, including stipends, tuition and fees, books and supplies, and student travel when it is related to training assignments. In practice, that means most of the award is intended to reduce the cost burden on students so they can complete specialized preparation and move into the rehabilitation workforce.

While the RLTT program broadly supports training for professionals serving people with a wide range of disabilities, this specific posting is for rehabilitation serving individuals who are blind or have low vision. The training emphasis is on ensuring RSA scholars develop the specialized skills needed to meet the vocational rehabilitation needs of that population. Although the synopsis does not list detailed competency requirements, the framing makes clear that funded projects are meant to produce graduates prepared for real-world service delivery, especially in roles that address employment, independence, and related rehabilitation outcomes for blind and low-vision consumers.

Eligible applicants are fairly broad within the public-interest space. Applicants may include states and public or private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian Tribes and institutions of higher education. This is important because it allows both university-based training programs and other nonprofit or public entities with the right capacity and partnerships to apply, as long as they can operate a long-term training project and administer the required scholarship component in line with federal expectations.

The opportunity number is ED GRANTS 061725 006. The application closing date is July 17, 2025. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $175,000, and the Department expects to make about 9 awards. As a discretionary grant competition, proposals are typically evaluated against criteria laid out in the official Federal Register notice, and applicants are expected to follow Department of Education discretionary grant submission rules and formatting requirements.

The public posting you provided is a synopsis and repeatedly points applicants back to the official Federal Register application notice for the full set of requirements. That official notice is where applicants will find the authoritative details on eligibility nuances, priorities, performance measures, program contacts, and any pre-application or application requirements that must be followed. For the mechanics of obtaining and submitting an application, the Department directs applicants to its Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-30488.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: Rehabilitation Services Administration: Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program: Rehabilitation of Individuals Who Are Blind, Have Low Vision ALN 84.129P" 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 $175,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 061725 006

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