Federal grant programs / Department of Transportation

Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grants (20.235)

Also known as CMVOST

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$10.7 million
• Grant awards87
• Typical award$130,500
• Awarded in FY 2025-$171,805
• Size rank1470 of 1824
• Type of assistanceProject grants (discretionary)

Key findings

• It is the 1470th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 76% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 20 states and territories.

What the program funds

Expand the number of commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders possessing enhanced operator safety training to help reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles, as defined in 49 U.S.C. 31301, and to assist current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reservists to obtain a CDL.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

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

Eligible applicants must be accredited by a government organization such as the Department of Education.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Provide tuition assistance to eligible accredited applicants. Priority is given to programs that train current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reservists (defined in 10 U.S.C. Section 101) in safe CMV operation. Applicant must adhere to eligibility criteria and project plan to be considered. Direct tuition assistance is not available. Every grant must serve a public purpose.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. The Federal share of the grant is 85 percent of the approved expenditures in the project plan. A 15 percent matching share by the recipient is required. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

May 21, 2025 to Jun 20, 2025 The deadline for application submission is included in each year’s Notice of Funding Opportunity posted in Grants.gov.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Fiscal Year 2017: The average award was $110,000. Fiscal Year 2018: The average award was $100,000. Fiscal Year 2019: The average award was $100,000. Fiscal Year 2020: The average award was $100,000. Fiscal Year 2021: The average award was $100,000.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2016: Not Available. All projects provided accredited organizations with funding for tuition assistance to veterans and members of the US armed forces Fiscal Year2017: Funded a community college to recruit, train, and place up to 118 veterans at a cost of $1,160 per student for in-state tuition and $3,465 per student for out-of-state tuition. The community college’s curriculum included 96 classroom hours and 288 hours of off-road and behind-the-wheel training. The community college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has an on-campus Office of Veterans Affairs and there are three military bases within 50 miles. The community college uses print and social media and job fairs to recruit students and partners with potential employers to assist graduates with job placement.Fiscal Year2018: FY 2018 CMVOST National Priorities - The FMCSA may not award grant funding to individuals for personal gain, such as individual requests for obtaining specialized training required for CDL licensing or to any private business for direct financial gain or profit. The FMCSA will prioritize the funding for tuition assistance for students meeting the definition of Qualified Student below. To help reduce the severity and number of crashes involving CMVs on U.S. roads by expanding the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 86% of the money, small businesses 3.6% and businesses 1.9%.

By state

5 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Texas, Iowa, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.