Frequently Asked Questions

No. Grant funds are awarded for a one-year period and must support activities with measurable outcomes that occur within that grant year. Each grant cycle must include clearly defined outcomes that can be tracked and reported during the funding period. Multi-year programs must demonstrate annual activities and outcomes specific to the year funded. If the program includes stackable, measurable credentials that can be completed within the grant cycle, those credentials may be considered eligible outcomes for that funding period. 

Yes. A one-time payment to student learners may be allowable to cover participant support costs such as supplies, mileage, travel, lodging, and other related expenses, in lieu of itemized reimbursements, provided the payment is necessary, reasonable, and allocable to the grant. The payment must be based on a documented, consistent methodology and applied uniformly to similarly situated participants. Grantees must maintain sufficient documentation to demonstrate allowability, appropriate use of funds, and compliance with all applicable state and grant requirements. 

No. Updated partnership letters are required for the current application cycle. Letters submitted with the FY 2025 application may not be reused, even if partners have not changed. All applications must include current partnership letters that reflect commitment to the proposed activities and grant period. 

Administrative costs support general grant management and compliance, while programmatic costs are directly tied to delivering grant activities and participant services. Roles such as project management, data reporting, and evaluation may be considered programmatic when they directly support grant implementation and outcomes. Costs must be clearly justified and appropriately allocated in accordance with grant requirements. 

Yes. Proposed participant numbers should correspond to each focused occupation listed on the cover sheet. If more than four focused occupations are proposed, all should be listed on the cover sheet, and applicants may insert additional lines as needed. 

Applicants are not required to identify every specific item and unit cost at the time of application. It is acceptable to present a reasonable lump sum by budget category, accompanied by a clear description and examples of the types of items to be purchased. Budget estimates must be well-justified, aligned with the proposed activities, and sufficient to demonstrate allowability and reasonableness. Final expenditure must be supported by appropriate documentation and comply with all grant and state requirements. 

The grant is designed to support innovative ideas to make educational and/or upskilling readily available to those participants in rural areas. This could be covered depending upon specifics outlined within the grant application. There are pivot procedures in place for adjusting grant applications on an as needed basis.  

The grant is designed to support innovative ideas to make educational and/or upskilling readily available to those participants in rural areas. This could be covered depending upon specifics outlined within the grant application. 

Yes. Grant funds may be used to support continuing education and upskilling for rehabilitation therapy staff (e.g., speech, physical, or occupational therapy), including virtual or in-person courses, provided the training directly supports the goals of the grant, is reasonable and necessary, and is clearly documented. The grant is designed to support innovative approaches that make educational and upskilling opportunities readily accessible to participants in rural areas. Costs for such training may be covered depending on the specifics outlined within the grant application and must align with allowable grant expenses.  

Yes, costs for instruction of participants engaged in the program are allowable under this grant. 

For Regional Labor Market Information (LMI) refer to this instructional page to obtain LMI for your area.

Applications are due February 13, 2026. 

Yes. At a minimum, programs should refer all participants to the American Job Center (AJC) and track whether participants are co-enrolled, including which services are received through the AJC or WIOA system. This ensures alignment with the state workforce system and supports coordinated service delivery, even when recruitment and training occur through internal or employer-based processes. 

Yes. A local medical association and a private entity (such as a clinic) may apply together as a consortium or partnership, provided they clearly define roles and responsibilities and designate a single lead applicant to serve as the fiscal and administrative agent for the grant 

No, there is no required page limit for the narrative section. However, the recommended length is no more than 15 pages, excluding the cover page, letters of support, and budget pages. Applicants are encouraged to be clear and concise to support an efficient and effective review process. 

No. Applicants may serve multiple locations and multiple counties, as long as all proposed service areas are within the rural service area identified in the FOA Eligibility section on page 5.

Yes. Ancillary costs that are necessary to implement the proposed grant activities may be included in the budget. All costs must be reasonable, allowable, and directly related to supporting program objectives, with appropriate justification provided in the application. 

Support letters from local WDB and Adult Education partner are required as stated in the Grant Application Guide, page 10, Formal Application Section 3, Letters of Support. 

Support letters for each partner are required as stated in the Grant Application Guide, page 10, Formal Application Section 3, Letters of Support. 

Yes. Applicants may include both Category A and Category B in the same application, provided each is clearly described, separately budgeted, and aligned with grant goals, with measurable outcomes defined for each 

Support letters for each partner are required as stated in the Grant Application Guide, page 10, Formal Application Section 3, Letters of Support.  

The grant can support digital classes as part of its mission to remove barriers to participation through innovative delivery methods. Students from Davidson, however, could not be more than 10% of overall participant enrollment and participation for any student living in one of the four metropolitan areas must be approved by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.  

Development of a new apprenticeship can be considered; however, existing successful apprenticeships should also be considered for replication.  

Entities in the Metropolitan areas can apply for grant services if participants who are served live in one of the 91 rural counties.  

Yes. Travel stipends may be provided as a one-time payment to student participants in lieu of itemized reimbursements for mileage, lodging, supplies, or other related expenses. The stipend must be reasonable, necessary, and clearly justified in the budget. Grantees must maintain documentation supporting the methodology for determining the stipend amount and demonstrate that funds were used in alignment with grant requirements. Issuing a stipend and then separately reimbursing participants for the same or similar expenses is not allowable, as this would constitute a duplicative cost. 

If a program is currently demonstrating success, then a replication would be beneficial only if there is still a demand for the occupation that is being supported.  

The grant parameters do allow for purchasing equipment to support high need healthcare areas as identified within the entity 2026-27 grant application.  

Students do not have to attend school in Tennessee but must reside in rural counties and be enrolled in the healthcare program that is identified as needed within the 2026-27 grant application.  

Please see HERE for a complete listing of all TN counties. Ninety-one rural counties can be supported via the grant. Exclusions include the following four Metropolitan areas: Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, and Shelby counties. All others are included.  

Yes. While the FOA lists specific healthcare occupations as examples, the grant may also support training for other roles, such as Community Health Workers, provided the proposed training aligns with the goals of the grant, targets rural participants, and demonstrates a clear pathway to measurable outcomes. All proposed occupations should be justified within the application narrative. If a need for Community Health Workers has been identified based on local workforce data, then it could be supported via the Rural Healthcare Grant.  

When deciding, consider “intent and integrality." If an activity is essential to achieving specific project goals, it’s programmatic. If it’s essential to the organization's existence, it’s administrative. 

Indirect Costs and Administrative Costs are not mutually exclusive. To clarify: Administrative costs are a subset of Indirect Costs. This is why you often see the term F&A, which stands for "Facilities and Administrative" costs. They are different parts of the same whole. "Indirect" is the total category, while "Administrative" is the specific slice of that category dedicated to management and office operations. 

Residency is not required, but out-of-state participants cannot exceed 10% of overall enrollment for participants. Programs will also submit all out-of-state participants to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development for approval before enrolling for services.  

If a participant continues in a healthcare pathway identified within the 2026-27 grant application, then participants can receive support within the parameters of the 2026-27 grant application.  

It is important to reach out to the Directors of the local boards. They are aware of the Rural Health Care Grant and will be happy to discuss options available within their area. Please see this webpage to identify contacts.  

All inventory items would be needed to meet the inventory policy for your local program. It is important to connect with the local American Job Center because additional supports like car repairs, new tires etc., could be covered for students based on eligibility.