Six-million-dollar grant goes toward training Ohio drivers – Spectrum News 1
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Six million dollars in grant funding will be distributed to four educational service centers across Ohio to expand access to driver training for young people.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, as part of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office’s Drive to Succeed Program, announced the grants. The announcement was made during National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs Oct. 19-25.
Scholarships for more than 10,000 students under age 21 are expected to be funded through the program, with coverage extending to all 88 counties.
Four regional educational service centers will each receive $1.5 million over two years to administer the scholarships in their designated areas. The centers are East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, Fairfield County Educational Service Center, Midwest Regional Educational Service Center and North Central Ohio Educational Service Center.
“Being able to drive opens doors to jobs, school and so many aspects of daily life,” DeWine said. “Through the Drive to Succeed program, we are making sure that more young people across Ohio have the chance to safely earn their license and build a stronger future for themselves.”
“Safe driving starts with access to strong driver education,” Tressel said. “With this funding, we are helping to ensure that cost is not a barrier to learning the skills needed to be a safe and responsible driver.”
The program was launched in 2022 to assist families unable to afford driving school costs. More than 5,100 students have received scholarships as of 2025.
Scholarships cover the 24 hours of classroom education and eight hours of behind-the-wheel training required for licensure in Ohio.
“This third round of Drive to Succeed grant awards represents our strongest commitment yet to expanding driver training opportunities for Ohio’s young people,” said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “We know there is a need in all 88 counties, and now every community can support young drivers in gaining the knowledge and skills they need for a lifetime of safe driving.”
“Every round of Drive to Succeed grants has shown us how impactful this program is for families across Ohio,” said Emily Davidson, OTSO director. “We have heard from hundreds of parents who recognize the importance of driver training but need help paying for it. This program directly addresses that need and sets young drivers up for safety and success on the road.”
The educational service centers have been given 150 days to launch their scholarship programs. Applications will be available through the Ohio Traffic Safety Office website once programs are active.
The traffic safety office recently introduced additional resources for new drivers, including the RoadReady Ohio mobile app and grant programs for driving schools to recruit and train instructors.
