Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program: Rehabilitation of Individuals Who Are Mentally Ill ALN 84.129H

The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training (RLTT) Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), aims to address national shortages of qualified personnel in the field of vocational rehabilitation. This discretionary grant program funds academic training designed to increase the number and expertise of rehabilitation professionals, including those with specialization in assisting individuals with disabilities such as mental health disorders, blindness, deafness, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. The RLTT program supports projects that enhance the academic and practical training of scholars pursuing careers in various rehabilitation disciplines. For fiscal year 2025, applications for RLTT are available starting June 20, 2025, and must be submitted by July 17, 2025. The deadline for intergovernmental review is September 15, 2025. The Department intends to distribute approximately $15 million through this competition, with grants lasting up to 60 months. Award ceilings vary by topic area, ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 for a 12-month period. Each project must allocate at least 65 percent of its total budget to scholarships for students enrolled in eligible programs. Projects that allocate 85 percent or more toward scholarships will be considered under an invitational priority. Eligible applicants include states, public and private nonprofit agencies, organizations, Indian Tribes, and institutions of higher education. The RLTT program includes two absolute priorities: one supporting current personnel in State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies to meet Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) requirements, and the other focused on academic training in six rehabilitation topic areas including counseling, technology, and services for specific disability populations. Applications must address only one absolute priority. Applicants must demonstrate how their project addresses current and projected employment needs and personnel shortages in State VR agencies and related organizations. The application should include detailed plans for academic and clinical training, recruitment strategies, scholar support systems, and post-graduation employment support. All scholars must complete an internship within a State VR agency unless a waiver is granted. Evaluation and monitoring protocols are required to ensure training quality and effectiveness, and programs must align with evidence-based practices and State standards. The RLTT program mandates a 10 percent matching contribution from grantees, although this requirement may be waived in cases of financial hardship. Indirect costs are capped at either the negotiated rate or eight percent of modified total direct costs, whichever is lower. Subawards to carry out project activities are not allowed, though contracting for services and supplies is permitted under applicable federal guidelines. Applications are subject to intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372. Applicants may contact Diandrea Bailey at the U.S. Department of Education for further details. She can be reached via email at 84.129@ed.gov or by phone at (202) 245–6244. Additional resources and the application package are available at the Department’s website. Grants are evaluated based on relevance, curriculum quality, design, resource adequacy, management, and evaluation approach, along with considerations of geographic distribution and applicant past performance.

Projects that use at least 85% of funding for scholarships will meet an invitational priority; using hybrid learning and technology can improve competitiveness.