Perkins V (the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act) sends federal formula funds through each state to districts and colleges for career and technical education. Districts can use it for CTE equipment, teacher training and career exploration, starting in the middle grades (5 through 8), as long as the spending matches needs found in their comprehensive local needs assessment.
What Perkins V pays for
- Appropriate equipment, technology and instructional materials for CTE programs, aligned with what local employers need.
- Professional development for CTE teachers, counselors and leaders.
- Career exploration and career development, including in the middle grades.
- Integrating academic skills into CTE, and work-based learning.
Rules that shape your plan
- Comprehensive local needs assessment (CLNA): each recipient completes one and updates it at least every two years. Perkins spending must address needs it identifies.
- Programs of study: funds support CTE programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials or further education.
- Size, scope and quality: your state sets standards that funded programs must meet.
- Supplement, not supplant state and local CTE funding.
How to get Perkins funds for your program
Talk to your district's CTE director, who writes the Perkins local application and leads the needs assessment with employers, families and staff. Bring a plan that ties the purchase to a program of study and to careers in your region.
Funding outlook
Perkins funds for the 2026-27 school year come from fiscal 2026 appropriations. Since October 1, 2026, federal programs have run on a continuing resolution at fiscal 2026 levels through December 11, 2026. The administration's fiscal 2027 budget request would move CTE state grants from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor; Congress hasn't decided.
A Perkins plan that fits
The Coding for Good Kit builds the coding and engineering skills behind careers in agriculture technology, environmental monitoring and autonomous vehicles, with 11 plug-and-play sensors and modules, 4 servos and a water pump.
- Middle grades career exploration: each lesson ties a build to a real-world problem, which opens the conversation about the jobs that solve it.
- Data-driven Smart Farming (grades 6-8): students build a system that waters a plant based on soil moisture and tracks how long the pump runs.
- Wildfire Detection with Autonomous Vehicles (grades 6-8): students build a vehicle that patrols an area and raises an alert when it detects bright light and loud sound.
- A class set: 15 Coding for Good Kits with micro:bit V2 Go Packs come to $4,454.85 before shipping, enough for 30 students working in pairs. Kits go back in their cases after class, so one set serves every section.
- Teacher training: free self-paced courses come with the kits, and live virtual PD starts at $1,000 for a 90-minute session.
Frequently asked questions
Can Perkins V pay for coding and robotics kits?
Yes, when they support a CTE program of study or middle grades career exploration and address a need in your local needs assessment.
Can middle schools use Perkins?
Yes. Perkins V allows career exploration starting in the middle grades, which are grades 5 through 8.
Who decides?
Your district's CTE director, through the Perkins local application your state approves.
How can Forward Education help?
We can map our lessons to your state standards, write an official quote, show how a purchase fits the program's allowable uses, and provide a letter of support. Contact our grant team.
Sources: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), Sections 134 and 135; state CTE agency guidance; fiscal 2027 continuing resolution (P.L. 119-103); U.S. Department of Education fiscal 2027 budget request. Checked November 1, 2026.
