The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Tuesday announced the opening of the sixth round of Strengthening Community College Training Grants funding, with a focus on programs seeking eligibility for new Workforce Pell grants.
The announcement also directs funding for statewide community college systems or consortia of community colleges to foster workforce and education systems and data activities to track Workforce Pell outcomes. Improved integration between education and state workforce systems is a key component of this round of funding, DOL said.
“The Department is most interested in prioritizing funding for applicants that can demonstrate strong efforts toward developing an integrated state-level data system but that have not yet accomplished the necessary data sharing to facilitate such integration,” DOL said in its grant announcement.
The department said it is seeking proposals that will build program and system capacity to implement and scale access to short-term training opportunities through Workforce Pell Grants. Efforts may include promoting industry-driven strategies, worker mobility and integration with the larger state workforce system (such as Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act partners) to maximize statewide impact.
“The Department of Labor continues to deliver on President Trump’s mission to upskill and reskill our workforce to revitalize American Industry,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a release. “I’m excited to offer community colleges the opportunity to engage with the public workforce system and increase the availability of programs seeking eligibility for Workforce Pell Grants.”
DOL expects to award six to 10 grants, ranging from $6.5 million to $10.8 million. The department said it may also tap the $65 million appropriated to the SCCT Grants program for fiscal year 2026 to fund additional grantees.
Applications are due May 20. On March 4, DOL plans to hold a pre-recorded webcast for prospective applicants.
