Grant Background
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services was awarded $203,670,005 in funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program. This investment will help support health care innovation and partnerships in rural Wisconsin.
This includes:
- Strengthening the rural health care workforce by providing grants for innovative workforce projects in rural communities, supporting career pathways for rural health care providers, and funding services provided by community health workers.
- Driving rural technology and innovation by investing in upgrades to rural provider systems and digital infrastructure and developing a digital rural health care collaborative.
- Transforming rural care through partnerships by standing up a competitive grant program for rural regions to create coordinated systems of care where multi-sector partnerships show a clear path to sustainability.
Grant Announcement
Coming Spring 2026, rural LEAs will have an opportunity to apply for grants of up to $41,000 annually to develop new and expand healthcare and human services career pathways. A pool of $5 million over five years is being made available by the DPI from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, an initiative by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen and modernize healthcare in rural communities across the United States. The funding goal, a stronger, more resilient rural healthcare pipeline that connects students to postsecondary education, training, and employment opportunities in their communities.
Funding Overview
The initiative is aimed at directly increasing student participation in healthcare and human services career pathways, improving credential attainment, and helping address Wisconsin's critical rural healthcare workforce shortage. Twenty Wisconsin secondary schools will receive competitive grants to develop or expand Career and Technical Education courses, dual-credit opportunities, work-based learning experiences, industry-recognized credential offerings, and to establish or strengthen Wisconsin HOSA chapters.
General Information and Guidance
The application and grant guidance is being developed over the next couple of months. The anticipated application window is set for late spring/early summer. Watch for more updates and information coming soon on this exciting opportunity!
- Eligibility
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Grant Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Applicants
School districts (Local Education Agencies) are eligible to apply for this grant if they meet the following criteria:
- Rural Locale Designation: The district is classified as a rural locale according to the current School Directory.
- CTE Concentrators: The district has Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators for the 2024–2025 school year.
Eligible Districts List
DPI analyzed CTE courses from the 2024-2025 SY to determine CTE Concentrators. Based on analysis of 2024–2025 school year data, 213 rural LEAs meet these eligibility requirements. Only districts appearing on the official eligible LEA list may submit applications for this grant.
- Abbotsford
- Adams-Friendship Area
- Albany
- Alma Center
- Alma
- Almond-Bancroft
- Amery
- Antigo Unified
- Argyle
- Athens
- Auburndale
- Augusta
- Baldwin-Woodville Area
- Bangor
- Barneveld
- Barron Area
- Bayfield
- Beecher-Dunbar-Pembine
- Belleville
- Belmont Community
- Benton
- Birchwood
- Black Hawk
- Blair-Taylor
- Bloomer
- Bonduel
- Bowler
- Boyceville Community
- Bruce
- Butternut
- Cadott Community
- Cambria-Friesland
- Cameron
- Campbellsport
- Cashton
- Cassville
- Cedar Grove-Belgium Area
- Chequamegon
- Chilton
- Clayton
- Clear Lake
- Clinton Community
- Cochrane-Fountain City
- Colby
- Colfax
- Cornell
- Crandon
- Crivitz
- Cuba City
- Cumberland
- Darlington Community
- De Soto Area
- Deerfield Community
- Denmark
- Dodgeland
- Drummond Area
- Durand-Arkansaw
- Edgar
- Elcho
- Eleva-Strum
- Elk Mound Area
- Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah
- Elmwood
- Fall Creek
- Fennimore Community
- Flambeau
- Florence County
- Frederic
- Freedom Area
- Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau
- Gibraltar Area
- Gillett
- Gilman
- Gilmanton
- Glenwood City
- Goodman-Armstrong Creek
- Granton Area
- Grantsburg
- Green Lake
- Greenwood
- Gresham
- Highland
- Hilbert
- Hillsboro
- Hortonville Area
- Hurley
- Hustisford
- Independence
- Iowa-Grant
- Ithaca
- Johnson Creek
- Juda
- Kickapoo Area
- La Farge
- Ladysmith
- Lake Holcombe
- Lakeland UHS
- Laona
- Lena
- Lomira
- Loyal
- Luck
- Luxemburg-Casco
- Manawa
- Maple
- Marathon City
- Marion
- Markesan
- Mauston
- Medford Area Public
- Mellen
- Melrose-Mindoro
- Menominee Indian
- Menomonie Area
- Mercer
- Mineral Point Unified
- Mishicot
- Mondovi
- Montello
- Monticello
- Necedah Area
- Neillsville
- Nekoosa
- New Auburn
- New Berlin
- New Glarus
- New Holstein
- New Lisbon
- Norris
- North Crawford
- Northern Ozaukee
- Northland Pines
- Northwood
- Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton
- Oakfield
- Omro
- Oostburg
- Osseo-Fairchild
- Owen-Withee
- Palmyra-Eagle Area
- Pardeeville Area
- Parkview
- Pecatonica Area
- Pepin Area
- Peshtigo
- Phelps
- Phillips
- Pittsville
- Plum City
- Potosi
- Poynette
- Prairie Farm Public
- Prentice
- Princeton
- Randolph
- Random Lake
- Reedsville
- Rhinelander
- Rib Lake
- Richland
- Rio Community
- River Ridge
- River Valley
- Riverdale
- Rosendale-Brandon
- Rosholt
- Royall
- Saint Croix Falls
- Seneca Area
- Sevastopol
- Shell Lake/p>
- Shiocton
- Shullsburg
- Siren
- Solon Springs
- South Shore
- Southern Door County
- Southwestern Wisconsin
- Spencer
- Spooner Area
- Spring Valley
- Stockbridge
- Stratford
- Suring Public
- Thorp
- Three Lakes
- Tigerton
- Tomorrow River
- Tri-County Area
- Turtle Lake
- Unity
- Valders Area
- Wabeno Area
- Washburn
- Washington Island
- Waterloo
- Wausaukee
- Wauzeka-Steuben
- Webster
- Westby Area
- Westfield
- Weston
- Westosha Central UHS
- Weyauwega-Fremont
- White Lake
- Whitehall
- Wild Rose
- Williams Bay
- Wilmot UHS
- Winter
- Wisconsin Heights
- Wittenberg-Birnamwood
- Wonewoc-Union Center
- Application Details
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- Recipient Schools
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- FAQ
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- Outcomes
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