For a second year, Wisconsin students from lower-income families can apply online for funding to cover the cost of a driver's education program. Here's how it works.
How do you apply for free driver's education in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin high school students can visit the state Department of Transportation website, or tinyurl.com/DriverEdGrant, to apply online for a grant that covers the cost of driver's education classes.
Students who are accepted will receive a coupon number, which can be shared with any driving school that is registered with the Wisconsin DMV. A map of driving schools across the state is available on the DMV's website.
The grant covers tuition costs for 30 hours of classroom coursework, six hours of observation and six hours of behind-the-wheel training.
Who is eligible for free driver's education in Wisconsin?
To receive a state grant for driver's education, a student must:
Be a Wisconsin resident who is 14½ to 19 years old.
Qualify for free or reduced school lunches by having a family income under federal thresholds.
Never have held a driver's license previously.
Where does the funding come from?
The efforts to secure funding stem from a 2022 campaign by Common Ground, a Milwaukee community organization, that initially called on insurance companies to fund driver's education courses to reduce reckless driving and increase opportunities for students.
The insurance companies referred the group to the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, said Jennifer O'Hear, executive director of Common Ground. The alliance suggested using state funds for the program, drawing on fees that insurance companies were already paying to the state.
With support from the insurance industry and Milwaukee city officials, a state bill by Republican Rep. Bob Donovan gained bipartisan support to allocate $6 million in grants to cover driver's education programs. It was the first time the state provided funding for driver's education since 2004.
What happens if students don't get funding right away?
Grants are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until funding runs out. Every three months, $1.5 million in funding will be released.
If students don't receive funding right away, they can sign up to receive an email notification when applications open again.
The notification list resets after each funding cycle, so if students don't receive a grant that round, they should add their name to the next notification list, the state Department of Transportation said.
How many students have received grants so far?
Since the program launched in September 2024, more than 10,000 students have received grants. The program reached capacity in the first month it was available. In March, 4,874 students were on the wait list.
“Combatting reckless driving across our state has been a bipartisan priority over the last few years, and teaching our kids the skills they need to be safe drivers is another important step toward cracking down on unsafe driving," Gov. Tony Evers said in an Aug. 25 news release.
One-time funding initially supported the program, but the newly signed state budget created an ongoing source of funds. Each year, $6 million will become available for the program.
Contact Rory Linnane at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @RoryLinnane.
Contact Hope Karnopp at [email protected] or on X at @hopekarnopp.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's how Wisconsin students can get free driver's education classes
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