Senate Parliamentarian Nixes Workforce Pell From Megabill
Jessica Blake
June 27, 2025
The decision shocked some higher ed lobbyists but is a win for critics of the plan.
A plan to expand the Pell Grant to students in short-term workforce programs was cut from a budgetary megabill early Thursday morning despite immense bipartisan support. It was one of several higher education–related provisions that a Senate official struck down.
Other provisions that violate Senate procedural rules included plans to consolidate student loan repayment options for current borrowers, limit grant access for noncitizens and exclude medical residents from a loan-forgiveness program. But the decision against expanding grants shocked some higher education experts who expected Congress to finally pass the proposal after years of trying.
“It’s been abundantly clear for years now that many low-income students don’t have the finances to take advantage of the programs that would be made eligible by workforce Pell and therefore they don’t have the opportunity to benefit,” said David Baime, senior vice president of government relations for the American Association of Community Colleges. “There has been such strong support that a successful challenge was not necessarily something that we anticipated.”
