WIOA Youth Activities (17.259)
WIOA Youth Activities (Assistance Listing 17.259) is run by the Employment and Training Administration, part of the Department of Labor. It awarded $4.5 billion in 274 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $16.4 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $10.1 million. Half of the 274 awards fell between $3.3 million and $17.9 million, and they ranged from $75,000 to $169 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$4.5 billion
- Grant awards274
- Typical award$10.1 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$914 million
- Size rank100 of 1824
- Type of assistanceFormula grants
Key findings
- Annual funding was roughly flat, $896 million in fiscal 2021 and $914 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 100th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 79% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 55 states and territories.
What the program funds
To help low income youth, between the ages of 14 and 24, acquire the educational and occupational skills, training, and support needed to achieve academic and employment success and successfully transition into careers and productive adulthood.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Under WIOA, 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas are identified as the recipients of youth training activities funds. For a state to be eligible to receive youth funds, the governor of the state will submit a Unified or Combined State Plan to the Secretary of DOL that outlines a 4-year strategy for the State’s workforce development system.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Title I of the Act authorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act System and establishes state workforce development boards with oversight responsibility by the governors for local workforce development boards; and establishes the process by which eligible providers of training and youth activities are identified. The Act authorizes the use of funds for youth employment and training activities that will provide eligible youth assistance in achieving careers and academic and employment success; ensures ongoing mentoring opportunities; provides opportunities for training; provides continued supportive services; and provides opportunities for leadership, youth development, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and community service. Funds must be used in accordance with the rules and regulations. Section 129(C)(4)(A) increases the minimum Out-of-School Youth expenditure rate for youth formula funded programs to 75 percent. Additionally, Section 129(c)(4) prioritizes work experiences with the requirement that local areas must spend a minimum of 20 percent of non-administrative local area funds on work experience. Funds must be used in accordance with the rules and regulations.;
Matching requirements
Statutory Formula: Title I, Part Ai, Subpart B,Public Law 113-128.IMatching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. The WIOA Youth Formula Program does not explicitly mention maintenance of effort requirements. However, the program emphasizes the importance of providing ongoing support and services to youth participants. This includes tutoring, study skills training, and dropout prevention strategies that lead to the completion of secondary school diplomas or recognized postsecondary credentials. The program also requires the provision of relevant work experience, with a minimum expenditure rate of 20% for this element. Local programs are expected to align their youth programs and services with the WIOA goals and outcomes, ensuring that youth have access to the necessary support and resources to succeed in their educational and career pathways. Youth funding allocations for Program Year 2025 total $920,612,878.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Formula grant award amounts vary annually and are published in the Federal Register.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, WIOA Youth Activities (17.259) awarded$4.5 billion across 274 grant awards, an average of $16.4 million per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 90% of the money, colleges and universities 0.3%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 251 | $4.0 billion | 90% |
| Other | 22 | $425 million | 9.5% |
| Colleges and universities | 1 | $13.0 million | 0.3% |
By state
54 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 5 | $725 million |
| Texas | 5 | $415 million |
| New York | 5 | $329 million |
| Illinois | 5 | $228 million |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | $206 million |
| Florida | 5 | $198 million |
| Ohio | 5 | $186 million |
| Michigan | 5 | $170 million |
| New Jersey | 5 | $130 million |
| Arizona | 5 | $122 million |
| North Carolina | 5 | $122 million |
| Washington | 5 | $106 million |
| Massachusetts | 5 | $89.0 million |
| Georgia | 5 | $84.0 million |
| Indiana | 5 | $77.0 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $74.5 million |
| Louisiana | 5 | $73.4 million |
| Tennessee | 5 | $72.9 million |
| Kentucky | 5 | $69.7 million |
| Virginia | 7 | $66.6 million |
| Nevada | 5 | $59.6 million |
| Colorado | 5 | $59.0 million |
| Oregon | 5 | $54.3 million |
| Missouri | 5 | $53.9 million |
| Connecticut | 5 | $52.9 million |
| Alabama | 5 | $52.1 million |
| Wisconsin | 5 | $51.0 million |
| Mississippi | 5 | $47.9 million |
| Minnesota | 5 | $47.4 million |
| South Carolina | 5 | $47.0 million |
| New Mexico | 5 | $35.7 million |
| Oklahoma | 8 | $30.1 million |
| Arkansas | 5 | $29.4 million |
| West Virginia | 5 | $27.2 million |
| Iowa | 5 | $25.7 million |
| Kansas | 5 | $23.7 million |
| Puerto Rico | 5 | $22.9 million |
| Alaska | 5 | $19.2 million |
| Utah | 5 | $19.0 million |
| District of Columbia | 5 | $18.4 million |
| Hawaii | 5 | $16.5 million |
| Rhode Island | 5 | $16.3 million |
| Delaware | 5 | $14.6 million |
| Nebraska | 5 | $14.4 million |
| Idaho | 5 | $13.2 million |
| Maine | 5 | $12.6 million |
| New Hampshire | 5 | $12.3 million |
| Montana | 5 | $11.5 million |
| South Dakota | 5 | $11.5 million |
| Wyoming | 5 | $11.5 million |
| Vermont | 5 | $11.5 million |
| North Dakota | 5 | $11.5 million |
| Guam | 2 | $1.5 million |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 2 | $1.1 million |
| American Samoa | 2 | $481,423 |