Free Tuition

Illinois:  

Oakton Community College will waive tuition for up to 12 credit hours of courses in five in-demand careers.

Harper's College, a two year college in Palatine, IL, has earmarked $150,000 to cover vouchers for a wide range of certificate programs.  The funds also can be used to get going on an accelerated associate degree through the fast track program.

Michigan:
The state's "No Worker Left Behind" program provides up to two years' worth of free tuition for unemployed and underemployed workers.

New Jersey:
New Jersey community colleges, including Bergen County Community College, New Jersey City University,Passaic County Community College, and Middlesex County Community College, among others, will let unemployed workers register free of charge in courses with empty seats.

Ohio:

At Lorain County Community College, the newly unemployed can take care of the school's "Make your layoff pay off" program, which allows full-time workers who have lost their jobs after Jan. 1, 2008 to attend class FREE!

Pennsylvania:
• Bucks County Community College is offering up to 30 free credits.
• The Community College of Allegheny County is offering free tuition for five career certification programs.
• The Reading Area Community College is offering one semester's worth of free tuition.

Tennessee:

Maryville College is offering new scholarship programs for workers who've recently lost their jobs.  The scholarships are worth up to $16,000 annually.  Combined with Tennessee's HOPE scholarship and other grants, they could cover the bulk of Maryville College's $27,00 tuition.   Also, more info can be found by emailing alayne.bowman@maryvillecollege.edu 

Partial Scholarships and Grants

Minnesota:
Anoka-Ramsey Community College will waive half its tuition for the recently unemployed.

Down the Road

These schools are considering offering scholarships or waivers later this year.

Minnesota:
Normandale Community College gave free tuition to 260 new students in January and is considering offering the vouchers again in the summer and fall.

Pennsylvania:
Northampton offered free courses to about 200 laid-off workers this winter and is considering offering the scholarships again later this year. 

Washington:  City University of Seattle is making available more than $2.7 million dollars in scholarships to Washington state residents who have been laid off from their jobs within the last 180 days.  

Besides these new scholarship programs, unemployed workers can take advantage of established scholarship programs, such as those for workers laid off because of imports. Your local career or unemployment center's website might have information about other government-funded training programs.

If you find other programs and participating states...please let me know so that I can keep this list updated.

thanks for US News for help in compiling this list