News Releases

State of Ohio Awards Owens CDL Program with Financial Aid Funds

The Owens Community College CDL Training Program has received $95,000 from the Commercial Truck Driver Student Aid Program.

The financial aid program is funded through the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). It provides financial aid to in-state students who complete a CDL program and agree to reside and be employed in Ohio for a minimum of one year upon completion.

Owens CDL Training Program received $95,000 from the Commercial Truck Driver Student Aid Program.

ODHE received 33 applications, with the total funds requested being significantly above the amount of funding available. Allocations were made based upon demonstrated success.

“This funding from the Ohio Department of Higher Education lets us keep doing what our CDL Training Program does best: preparing the next generation of truck drivers to put safety first and handle the real demands of the job,” said Charlene Page, executive director of Owens Workforce Solutions and Lifelong Learning. “It’s rewarding to see someone finish our program in as little as four weeks and step into a stable career where Ohio drivers earn a median of nearly $60,000 a year.”

According to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 2.1 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in May 2025 with a median income of $58,640 annually. The jobs are heavily concentrated in Ohio, with 83,060 drivers, the sixth highest total in the country. In the Toledo metro area, there are more than 5,000 jobs with an average annual wage of nearly $61,000 in 2025.

Licensed by the State of Ohio and taught by licensed CDL class instructors, the Owens trucking school and CDL classes provide 160 course hours – 40 hours in the classroom and 120 of hands-on training on the road in our big rigs.

Class A CDL Training classes on the Toledo-area Campus are four weeks long and run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Classes on the Findlay-area Campus are 10 weeks long and run on the weekend.

HazMat Entry-Level CDL Endorsement training is also available.

For more information on the CDL Training Program at Owens, please visit owens.edu/cdl.