Since Congress approved the Workforce Pell program this summer, stakeholders have been mulling how to implement it.
To help inform those discussions — which are happening at the national, state and campus levels — the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Education Design Lab, have convened an advisory group to survey the Workforce Pell landscape. It’s first meeting, held online on Wednesday, included invited community college CEOs and vice presidents, policy analysts, philanthropic partners and others in the college workforce space.
The purpose of the group is to get a better understanding of Workforce Pell, discuss areas to focus on to best support community colleges’ Workforce Pell efforts and identify next steps. The bottom line: there’s a lot of work to do in very little time before the program starts next July.
But AACC President and CEO DeRionne Pollard, who co-chaired the meeting, noted the importance of using a “collective impact” strategy to address the challenges in Workforce Pell and to guide the two-year college sector in its work around the new program.
“At its core, that’s what Workforce Pell is about — it’s about providing access to education and economic mobility for thousands of people who will go through the doors of our nation’s community colleges,” she said.
Meeting co-chair Lisa Larson, CEO of Education Design Lab and a former community college president, noted some colleges question whether Workforce Pell will make an impact, as the program’s guidelines will limit which short-term programs qualify. Still, she believes it can help fuel the workforce development transformation already underway and support community colleges’ work.
“It’s an opportunity to innovate and respond to the changing needs of communities,” Larson said.
A quick survey of the land
Before diving into group discussions on specific topics, a panel of experts provided background on the Workforce Pell law. There are many questions, from definitions, to the process for approving programs, and states will play a crucial role in crafting and administering the programs. For example, states will have to draft what qualifies as “high-skills” and “high-wage” for program eligibility. The law also says programs must be “in-demand,” but it doesn’t provide specifics.
Although states will have leeway to determine how to shape Workforce Pell to fit their needs, David Baime, AACC’s senior vice president of government relations, said states will likely have some “commonality.” He noted AACC — which is preparing a Workforce Pell implementation guide for its member colleges — has had discussions with the National Governors Association on Workforce Pell.
ED’s tasks
The U.S. Education Department (ED) also has a full plate. For example, it must determine the data it will use to meet the law’s 70% job placement rate requirement for programs to qualify, and where earnings data will come from — two issues likely on the table for selected stakeholders to discuss at negotiated-rulemaking meetings set for December and January. Tonjua Williams, president of St. Petersburg College in Florida, will serve on that group.
“That’s a lot of different pieces that are up in the air, but it’s important for people to understand what, at this point in time, needs to be ironed out,” Baime said.
ED continues to plan for the Workforce Pell program to begin by July 1, which is a tight turnaround. However, Baime noted that there are no approval deadlines for the program, so colleges don’t need to rush if they don’t feel ready to participate.
“There is urgency for a lot of reasons to get this up and running by July 1, but it doesn’t mean that it is necessary — and we don’t expect — that we will see the bulk of programs qualifying at that point in time,” Baime said.
The bigger Pell picture
Despite Workforce Pell’s high profile at the moment, Baime noted the importance of maintaining focus on the traditional Pell Grant program, which serves many more students and is facing a funding shortfall. Community college students receive 30% of Pell Grant awards, according to AACC’s 2025 Fast Facts.
“The Pell Grant program is just far more expansive and reaches far further, and we are every bit as concerned about our low-income, full-time students and academic programs,” he said.
