Trades & Training Finder

Scholarships, apprenticeships and free or low-cost training, starting in New England and adding states one by one, with a source link and last-checked date on every listing.

Confirm with the provider before you apply. Never pay to apply for a scholarship. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and costs with the school or program.

Start here: students and career changers

Public posts from people in this situation (for example a Massachusetts thread about trade schools and a scholarships thread) show the same problems: too many doors, scattered rules, and a lot of spammy scholarship sites. This page is a plain order of operations, using only programs linked in this directory. It is general information, not personal advice.

1. Decide: earn while you learn, or study first?

Apprenticeship means you get hired, then train on the job with classroom time; the state pages in this directory describe apprenticeships as paid. Doors: Become an apprentice in Massachusetts (state Division of Apprentice Standards), ApprenticeshipNH (Registered Apprenticeship openings in New Hampshire), Maine Apprenticeship Program (find an apprenticeship), Vermont Registered Apprenticeship (how to become an apprentice), Connecticut Office of Apprenticeship Training, Become an apprentice (Rhode Island DLT), and the national Apprenticeship.gov Apprenticeship Finder. Some union programs have a pre-apprenticeship first, such as Building Pathways pre-apprenticeship (free, construction trades).

Study first means a certificate or associate program at a community college or trade school. Several states fund this: see the free-college programs in Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut, and note that Rhode Island Promise (free CCRI right after high school) is aimed at recent graduates while CCRI Momentum Scholarship (two free classes for returning adults) is for returning adults.

2. Talk to a free career center before you spend money

Use the American Job Center finder (CareerOneStop) to find a local center (MassHire in Massachusetts, Vermont Job Centers, and so on). Ask what WIOA training funds you might qualify for and whether your program is on the state's approved list; some funding must be arranged before classes start. See Vermont WIOA-funded training (through Vermont Job Centers) and WIOA and WorkNowNH tuition help at NH community colleges.

3. File the FAFSA

Most free-college and state-grant programs here ask for the FAFSA (or a state alternative if you are not eligible for federal aid). Maine's FAME and Mass.gov pages explain this step. Short job-focused programs may qualify for Workforce Pell Grants (short-term training, starting July 1, 2026) if the program is approved, so ask the school.

4. Apply for scholarships directly, and keep a deadline list

Start with the deadline calendar. Examples: mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship, NH Charitable Foundation scholarship for certificates, licensing and apprenticeships (Medallion Fund), Maine Community Foundation Adult Learner Scholarship, SkillPointe Foundation quarterly scholarship (and Path to Pro). A common tip in the Reddit threads is to apply on the sponsor's own site instead of through an aggregator, and to write a few reusable essay paragraphs.

5. Avoid scams

Never pay to apply, and never give your FAFSA ID or bank details to a "scholarship service". Read the scam check.