How to Pay for Truck Driving School with the GI Bill, Grants, Scholarships, or Payment Plans

By making the decision to attend truck driver training school and earn your CDL, you have just made an important and life-changing decision to expand your horizons, and your paycheck. If you're like many students who attend Southwest Truck Driver Training, or one of the numerous other CDL training schools around the nation, you're probably thinking that you just don't have the cash to pay for school outright. Don't use money as an excuse to put off getting your career going, anymore! There are so many options available to students looking to obtain training and improve their lives through education that perhaps you didn't even know about. Whether you're able to get the entire cost of your CDL schooling covered through scholarships, or you find a payment plan that works for you, attending truck driving school provides great returns on this small investment of your time and money. Below we will go over the most common means by which we assist our students in obtaining funds.


1. Government Grants. Before you can apply for a grant, you need to decide where you plan to receive your truck driver training.

If you're in Tucson, Phoenix, or Las Vegas, Southwest Truck Driver Training is the premier private training facility for becoming a trained professional.  If you don't have a SWTDT near you, we recently wrote a blog that may help you decide: 7 Questions to Ask a Truck Driver Training School Before Enrolling. 

Now that you've chosen SWTDT, there are a few different grants that you can apply for (your campus rep will also help you with this):

• Pell Grant - This grant is reserved for low income individuals looking to increase their earning potential.
• Workforce Investment Act Grant (WIA Grant) - This is available to U.S. residents via the WIA of 1998, which makes it possible for laid-off workers, or workers looking for better opportunities, to be able to pay for an education. This program provides job placement assistance before you even fill out your application. Workers then help you through the process of completing your grant application. Once your application is approved, you'll be able to start your truck driver training. The entire process could take months, but it's a process that's well worth the effort. Experts advise that if you stick through the entire process and don't drop out halfway through because of impatience, you'll likely get the funds you need.

The best way to get started when trying to get grant money is to fill out a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA assesses your financial situation and tells you how much grant money you're eligible for.

2. Student Loans. If you do not qualify for grants or scholarships, student loans are great alternative. Many people who don't have the cash to pay for their schooling up front will go this route.

3. In-House Financing. This is another option for those who don't qualify for grants or scholarships. 

4. GI Bill. The Serviceman's Readjustment Act (GI Bill) was amended in 2010 to allow more benefits and career options for military veterans. The Post 9/11 GI Bill for Veterans states that if you served at least 90 days on active duty or were honorably discharged after 30 days of active duty after 9/10/01, you are eligible for the full benefits of this program. This means that your truck driver training costs, CDL license and testing fees, and housing allowances will be paid for by the government. Southwest Truck Driver Training is GI Bill accredited, though not all schools are. 

When you decide to enroll at SWTDT, our staff will go over all of these options with you in detail. And even if you end up having to pay completely out of pocket for your CDL training, it is an investment that pays off exponentially over the length of a career. You can be earning a salary, plus benefits, in as little as 4 weeks. The training will have paid for itself within your first few paychecks! Contact us to find out more about student aid options by clicking here. Take the next step; your future is waiting!