Short & Sweet

The Short-Term Certificate Grant Program brings Ohio students one step closer to an in-demand job

Achieving postsecondary degrees and credentials is more important than ever before for our nation, our state, and individuals who strive for a better future. This is evident based on quantifiable qualityof-life statistics as well as fundamental unemployment and wage rates.

The DeWine administration continues to drive policies that will move Ohio forward on this critical issue. One example is through short-term certificates. These certificates can be completed in less than one year and lead to a credential required to qualify for an in-demand job as determined by a local and regional needs assessment.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education has distributed $3.5 million to 23 community colleges and 32 Ohio Technical Centers (OTC) for need-based financial aid to students who are enrolled in a short-term certificate program at a state-supported community college, state community college, technical college, or OTC.

• The maximum award is up to $2,000 per short-term certificate with a student potentially receiving up to three awards for different short-term certificates. The student must successfully complete one short-term certificate before receiving an award for another short-term certificate. The total minimum number of students receiving grants will be 1,750.

• Recipients of these grants will enter in-demand occupations such as nurse aide, phlebotomy, medical coding, health information management, welding, machine tooling, real estate, sales, CDL, Peace Officer Basic Training, computer programming, and cybersecurity.

• The grant begins in January 2022 and continues through December 30, 2023.

These investments will support the ability of the state of Ohio to retain and expand existing businesses, attract new investments and talent, and further entrepreneurship while providing opportunities for more Ohioans to work in an in-demand job field.