The Transition Readiness Grant (TRG) program was established under 2017 Act 59 (Act 59, the 2017-19 biennial budget) with a base funding of $1,500,000. This program was designed to support Wisconsin’s students with disabilities to successfully transition to competitive work and post-secondary education environments after high school. Since the inaugural grant program began in FY 2019, the TRG program has accepted 618 applications and awarded 259 grants to school districts and charter schools across the state and in all 12 CESAs.
Congratulations to the 2025-2026 TRG Award Recipients! This year, we received 84 applications requesting more than $5 million in grants; 29 school districts and charter schools were awarded $1.5 million in grants.
Transition Readiness Grant Applications
School districts and charter schools under Wis. Stat. 118.40(2r) and (2x) are eligible to compete for funding that supports evidence-based practices related to the successful transition from high school for students with Individualized Education Programs. The $1.5 million fund will support:
- Transportation options (including contracted services or vehicle purchases)
- Competitive Integrated Employment Training (CIE) Programs
- Post-secondary tuition or supports for students
- Transition Training for Staff Members
Grant awards must be not less than $25,000 and not more than $100,000. Substitutions for a funding category will not be allowed. Grant applications become available in early March and are due May 1st.
2025-26 Transition Readiness Grant Q&A Webinar
To view the webinar recording please see 2025-26 Transition Readiness Grant Q&A Webinar.
The slides for the PowerPoint presentation at the webinar can be found here: 2025-2026 TRG Q&A Webinar PowerPoint Slides presentation
Application Support
Utilize the resources below to complete TRG applications for FFY 2026. Eligible entities must submit the TRG Qualtrics Survey to DPI by the deadline. Digital signatures are accepted for the TRG application.
- Transition Readiness Grant Application Template (Google Doc)
- Transition Readiness Grant Application Template (Fillable PDF)
- Transition Readiness Grant Guidelines
- Transition Readiness Grant Scoring Rubric
- TRG WUFAR Coding Guidance
- Transition Readiness Grant Application Data Analysis Resources
Previous Grant Years
Making a Claim
Claims for the TRG program should be made at least twice per school year using The Program Fiscal Report (PI-1086).
The completed PI-1086 form can be submitted to dpiclaimforms@dpi.wi.gov.
Budget Revisions
Budget revisions can be made at any time. An approved budget must be on file with the Department in order to process a claim for reimbursement.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the Transition Readiness Grant program please contact Alicia Reinhard, Statewide Transition and Graduation Consultant at alicia.reinhard@dpi.wi.gov or Cecile David, Transition Readiness Grant Program Director at cecile.david@dpi.wi.gov.