Perkins V eligible expenses are the categories of spending that the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) allows CTE programs to fund with federal Perkins dollars — commonly including career guidance and counseling, professional development for CTE instructors, equipment and curriculum tied directly to an approved program, work-based learning, and specific administrative costs, subject to a state’s own approved Perkins V plan. Because Perkins V is administered at the state level, the exact list of allowable and unallowable expenses varies from state to state. This guide covers what’s consistently allowed, what’s consistently restricted, and the one question every program director should ask before assuming marketing spend is covered.

What Is Perkins V?

Perkins V — officially the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act — is the 2018 reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Act, the primary source of federal funding for CTE programs in the United States. It replaced Perkins IV and shifted the funding priority toward high-quality work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, and closer alignment between CTE programs and actual regional labor market needs. Perkins V funds are distributed to states by formula, and each state submits its own Perkins V plan defining local eligibility rules — which is why “eligible expenses” is never a single national list.

Commonly Allowable Perkins V Expenses

Commonly Unallowable Perkins V Expenses

• General building construction, renovation, or remodeling not tied to an approved CTE program’s equipment needs
• Costs supporting a single, non-CTE-approved individual rather than the program as a whole
• Entertainment costs, and in most states, food and refreshments outside of narrowly defined exceptions
• Administrative costs beyond the state’s approved cap, typically 5% of the total award
• Equipment or supplies unrelated to an approved CTE program of study

Can Perkins V Funds Be Used for Enrollment Marketing?

This is the question that matters most for program directors trying to build enrollment pipelines without draining an already tight budget — and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on your state’s approved Perkins V plan. Some states explicitly list “advertising to recruit CTE instructors and personnel” as an allowable communication cost. Others restrict marketing-related spend more tightly, or cap it within the broader administrative cost ceiling. A small number of states’ guidance documents go further and treat certain promotional materials tied directly to an approved program as allowable.

Because this varies so widely, never assume marketing spend is covered — or excluded — without checking. The fastest way to get a real answer:

1. Request your state’s current Perkins V state plan or allowable/unallowable cost guidance document from your state CTE office (most states publish this as a downloadable PDF).
2. Look specifically under “communication costs” or “administrative costs,” where marketing-adjacent spend is usually categorized.
3. Ask your state Perkins V administrator directly whether program-level advertising or promotional content qualifies under your state’s plan — this is a routine question they field regularly.

If Perkins V doesn’t cover your marketing spend, that’s not a dead end — it’s a reason to prioritize organic channels (search, GEO/AI visibility, YouTube) that compound over time instead of paid advertising that stops the moment the budget runs out. Our CTE enrollment marketing playbook is built specifically around that constraint.

Perkins V and WIOA: Two Separate Funding Systems That Should Work Together

Perkins V funds the CTE program itself. A separate system — WIOA, administered through your regional workforce development board — can fund individual students’ tuition through Individual Training Accounts, provided your program is listed on your state’s Eligible Training Provider List. Programs that only pursue one funding stream are leaving real dollars unclaimed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the allowable expenses for Perkins V funding?

Common allowable categories include career guidance and counseling, professional development for CTE instructors, program-specific equipment and curriculum, work-based learning coordination, and limited administrative and communication costs — but the exact list is set by each state’s approved Perkins V plan, not a single federal list.

Is the Perkins grant a federal grant?

Yes. Perkins V funds are federal dollars, appropriated by Congress and distributed to states by formula under the U.S. Department of Education, which each state then allocates to eligible recipients — typically school districts, community colleges, and area CTE centers — according to its own approved state plan.

What’s the difference between Perkins IV and Perkins V?

Perkins IV (2006) formally renamed vocational education as Career and Technical Education. Perkins V (2018) built on that by requiring closer alignment between CTE programs and regional labor market data, expanding emphasis on work-based learning and industry credentials, and giving states more flexibility in how they define local performance measures.

Getting the Most Out of Your Perkins V Funding

Perkins V dollars are meant to build stronger CTE programs — but strong programs still lose enrollment to competitors that are simply easier to find. Whatever your state allows you to spend on outreach, it works harder when it funds a system that compounds (organic search visibility) rather than one that resets to zero every budget cycle (paid ads).

Scalenroll builds organic acquisition systems specifically for community colleges and CTE programs. Our clients have generated more than 50,000 enrollment leads and $50M+ in enrollment revenue through organic channels alone. Request your Program Enrollment Assessment to see where your CTE programs are losing visibility today.