Highly Rural Transportation Grants (HRTG) is a grant-based program that helps Veterans in highly rural areas travel to VA or VA-authorized health care facilities. This program provides grant funding to Veteran Service Organizations and State Veterans Service Agencies to provide transportation services in eligible counties. HRTG provides transportation programs in counties with fewer than seven people per square mile. There is no cost to participate in the program for Veterans who live in an area where HRTG is available.
Access to VA care for Veterans in highly rural areas continues to be an issue across the United States. VA has established this program to help address barriers to access to care. This program funds innovative approaches to transporting Veterans in highly rural areas who typically have longer commute times to VA-authorized health care appointments.
This program furthers the Department's mission by offering grants to assist Veterans in highly rural areas through innovative transportation services to travel to VA authorized health care and to otherwise assist in providing transportation services in connection with the provision of VA medical care to these Veterans.
Approximately $3,000,000 was available in FY2022.
Approximately $200,000 was available in FY2020.
Previous grantees can be seen at https://www.va.gov/HEALTHBENEFITS/vtp/highly_rural_transportation_grants.asp.
A Highly Rural Area is an area consisting of a county or counties having a population of less than seven persons per square mile. Many highly rural areas are found in the western and southwestern United States, but at least half of the states have one or more highly rural areas.
NOTE: A listing of these highly rural areas may be found with the application materials on www.grants.gov, or at this website under additional resources: https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vtp/highly_rural_transportation_grants.asp
Eligible applicants are Veteran Service Organizations(VSO) and State Veteran Service Agencies (SVSA). A list of organizations eligible to apply for the grant can be found at http://www.va.gov/vso/index.asp.
NOTE: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for new grantees for the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas for the fiscal year 2025.
Applications are to be submitted by 4:00 p.m. eastern daylight time on August 23, 2025. A similar deadline is anticipated annually.
Approximately $8,000,000 is available for an anticipated 15 awards. Maximum grant award is $50,000. Project periods may extend up to 12-months. This solicitation does not require grantees to provide matching funds as a condition of receiving such grants.