Next steps for Workforce Pell and other changes
Matthew Dembicki
July 11, 2025
After years of trying to get Congress to allow Pell grants to cover certain quality short-term workforce education programs, advocates finally got their wish when Workforce Pell passed via the massive budget reconciliation legislation signed into law on July 4.
But there’s still much to do before Workforce Pell is up and running at community colleges and other accredited providers for the 2026-2027 academic year. And Workforce Pell is just one of several changes that ED must implement that will affect community colleges, as outlined in a summary of the legislation by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act sets July 1, 2026, as the implementation date for Workforce Pell and other higher education-related provisions — such as changes to loan repayment options and a new accountability system — in the new law.
