The college received a $70,000 Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Training grant. The grant was announced by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican.

College President Jesse Ulrich said the money will be used to provide scholarships to students in the commercial drivers license program.

“This will help us to get more commercial drivers out on the road moving freight and meeting a regional need,” he said.

“We’re excited by the grant and we thank Sen. Grassley for his role in getting it,” he added.

Ulrich said the availability of the scholarships and the college’s remodeled Transportation Technology Center, 2031 Quail Ave., should enable it to attract more students to the commercial drivers license program.

The college trains about 300 truck drivers a year, he said.

Also in the region, Pocahontas County will share a $6,824,000 grant with Buena Vista and Clay counties to implement safety upgrades on 26 miles of rural roads, three intersections and three curves.

The money for the grants was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which was championed by then President Joe Biden.

“These grants are welcome news for Iowa drivers, our state’s economy and Iowans looking to pursue their career goals,”Grassley said in a written statement. “I was glad to support the bipartisan infrastructure law, which continues to invest in Iowa and will pay dividends for decades to come.”