Education Department Approves First Workforce Pell Program

The U.S. Department of Education approved its first Workforce Pell program, for training emergency medical technicians at Iowa Central Community College, according to a Tuesday announcement. Students can now access Pell Grants, federal financial aid for low-income students, to pay for the 14-week program.

“After decades of debate and a lot of hard work, Workforce Pell is finally here—opening up new opportunities for students to use their Pell Grants on programs that will help them jumpstart their careers,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to providing students with affordable pathways to rewarding careers without taking on significant debt.”

The move marks a milestone in the implementation of Workforce Pell, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed last year and took effect in July. States have been gearing up for the onset of the policy for months, though many are still hashing out their approval processes or working to review programs before colleges can submit them to the Education Department for final approval.

Iowa got its approval process up and running relatively quickly. The State Workforce Development Board unanimously approved nine programs submitted by community colleges earlier this summer, allowing them to apply for approval from ED, according to the Iowa Department of Education.