Next Level Jobs Indiana: Grant Eligibility and How to Apply

Next Level Jobs Indiana is a state workforce program with two tracks: the Workforce Ready Grant pays tuition for adults earning certificates in high-demand fields, and the Employer Training Grant reimburses businesses that train and keep workers in those same fields. Both are run jointly by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), and each has its own eligibility rules and application process.1Indiana Commission for Higher Education. CHE – Next Level Jobs

What the Two Grants Cover

The Workforce Ready Grant is for individuals. It pays for a certificate program at an approved Indiana training provider in a priority industry. The Employer Training Grant is for businesses. It reimburses an employer up to $5,000 per worker trained, capped at $50,000 per employer per year, when the training leads to a credential or measurable skill gain and the worker stays on the job.2Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Employer Training Grant

Which rules apply to you depends on which track you’re using. The sections below take them in order.

Who Qualifies for the Workforce Ready Grant

Under Indiana Code 21-12-8-9, you have to meet every one of these conditions:3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 21-12-8-9 – Eligibility for High Value Workforce Ready Grant

  • You’re domiciled in Indiana, as defined by the Commission for Higher Education.
  • You’re a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.4Indiana Department of Workforce Development. NextLevel Jobs – Workforce Ready Grant
  • You have a high school diploma, GED, or Indiana high school equivalency certificate.
  • You do not already hold an associate or bachelor’s degree, and you haven’t previously earned a certificate that is currently covered by the program.
  • You enroll at Ivy Tech Community College, Vincennes University, or another ICHE-approved institution, in a certificate program the commission has designated as eligible.
  • You correctly file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and accept any federal scholarships and grants offered before the Workforce Ready Grant is applied.
  • You maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by your institution.

Enrollment intensity depends on your FAFSA status. Independent students must enroll at least half-time. Dependent students must enroll full-time, and if they graduated high school after December 31, 2018, they also have to complete a workforce ready grant success program.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 21-12-8-9 – Eligibility for High Value Workforce Ready Grant

One often-missed boundary: because much of Indiana’s workforce training runs on federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) money, male applicants between 18 and 26 must register with Selective Service to receive WIOA-funded services. Men 26 and older who never registered need documentation (such as a DD-214 or a Selective Service verification letter) showing the failure wasn’t knowing or willful.

If you start a program and don’t finish, the grant is designed as a one-shot opportunity for each qualifying certificate. You may be shut out of future funding unless you can show extenuating circumstances such as a medical emergency or military service.

Which Certificates and Schools Count

Eligible certificates sit inside Indiana’s priority industry sectors. For the Workforce Ready Grant, DWD lists four:5Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Next Level Jobs Indiana

  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Health and Life Sciences
  • IT and Business Services
  • Transportation and Logistics

The Employer Training Grant adds two more sectors: building and construction, and agriculture and natural resources.1Indiana Commission for Higher Education. CHE – Next Level Jobs

Sector alone isn’t enough. DWD keeps a specific list of approved certificate programs and approved training providers, and enrolling in a program or at a school that isn’t on the list disqualifies you. The approved list changes as funding priorities shift, so verify both the certificate and the provider before you register.

How to Apply for the Workforce Ready Grant

DWD walks applicants through three steps:4Indiana Department of Workforce Development. NextLevel Jobs – Workforce Ready Grant

  • Complete the online intake survey at the DWD Next Level Jobs website. You’ll receive an automated email with next steps.
  • Contact your intended training provider. Ask whether you need to file the FAFSA, which most programs require.
  • Enroll in an approved certificate program at an approved training provider.

Sequencing matters. The FAFSA is the piece applicants most often delay, and processing takes about five to seven business days before DWD can confirm your grant eligibility.6Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Frequently Asked Questions – Workforce Ready Grant File it early so it isn’t the bottleneck between you and classes.

How the Grant Stacks with Federal Aid

The Workforce Ready Grant is a last-dollar grant. Federal aid pays first, and the state grant covers whatever tuition remains.7Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Workforce Ready Grant A substantial Pell Grant can shrink your Workforce Ready Grant award or zero it out entirely if federal aid already covers the full cost of your program.

Starting in July 2026, Pell Grants may be used for short-term, career-focused workforce programs, including some noncredit offerings. That doesn’t replace the Workforce Ready Grant, but because the state grant fills in after federal dollars, a larger Pell award for a short-term program could reduce what the state pays. Ask your school’s financial aid office for a breakdown specific to your enrollment.

Who Qualifies for the Employer Training Grant

For businesses, the Employer Training Grant (ETG) reimburses the cost of training workers in the six priority sectors. To qualify, the employer must be registered with the Indiana Secretary of State, current on state tax obligations, and operating in one of those sectors.2Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Employer Training Grant

Reimbursement runs up to $5,000 per employee trained, with a $50,000 annual cap per employer. Training has to produce a recognized credential or a measurable skill gain tied to retention, wage growth, or advancement. Training can be delivered by an accredited institution, an industry-certified trainer, or an in-house program that meets state-approved standards. Employers submit a detailed training plan to DWD for approval before training begins.

The Six-Month Retention Rule

Reimbursement is contingent on keeping the trained worker. Employees must be retained for at least six months from the start of training, and employers must keep payroll records showing starting wages, any wage gains, and continued employment.8Indiana Department of Workforce Development. DWD Employer Training Grant Compliance Manual DWD cross-checks roughly half of reimbursement invoices against unemployment insurance wage records each grant period.

Two exceptions soften the retention requirement. If a trained employee leaves on good terms for a job elsewhere, retention may be waived. High school students in work-based learning programs aligned with ETG-eligible sectors are exempt from the retention rule entirely. Missing retention without a qualifying waiver can mean partial or full denial of reimbursement.

If Your Application Is Denied

The common reasons for denial are residency problems, enrolling with an unapproved provider, incomplete documentation, and skipping the FAFSA. The first move is to contact DWD and request reconsideration, attaching documents that speak to the specific reason for the denial.

If the agency upholds the denial, Indiana’s Administrative Orders and Procedures Act (Indiana Code 4-21.5-3) provides for a formal administrative hearing. You can present evidence, respond to the agency’s position, cross-examine, and offer rebuttal. The administrative law judge runs the hearing informally, without the strict evidentiary rules of court, and you can bring an attorney but aren’t required to.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 4-21.5-3-25 – Conduct of Hearing, Procedure

One procedural wrinkle: DWD is expressly exempt from the Office of Administrative Law Proceedings that handles hearings for many other state agencies. DWD conducts its own adjudicative proceedings. If you believe the denial reflects discrimination or a misapplication of program rules, you can also file with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center. Watch the deadlines on any route you choose; miss a filing window and the denial becomes final.

Consequences of Fraud

Misrepresenting eligibility or submitting false information for grant funds carries real exposure. Because federal money flows through workforce programs, the federal False Claims Act applies: under 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733, anyone who knowingly submits a false claim can be liable for three times the government’s damages plus inflation-adjusted per-claim penalties, and private citizens can bring qui tam suits on the government’s behalf.10Department of Justice. The False Claims Act

At the state level, a fraudulent application can trigger repayment, disqualification from future state financial aid, and criminal charges. Employers who falsify training records, inflate headcount, or fabricate retention data to pull ETG reimbursements face the same risks. DWD’s cross-check of payroll records against unemployment wage data is built to catch exactly those discrepancies.