🗞️ Short-Term, Big Impact: DOL Bets $65M on Community Colleges as Gateway to Workforce Pell

On February 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced the sixth round of Strengthening Community College Training (SCCT) Grants, making $65 million available to community colleges and statewide college consortia nationwide. Individual awards are up to approximately $11 million. Applications are due May 20, 2026.

The announcement is timed to coincide with a major federal policy shift: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, included the long-sought Workforce Pell Grant provision (Section 2011), which for the first time extends federal Pell Grant eligibility to accredited short-term workforce training programs between 8 and 15 weeks in length (150–600 clock hours). Set to take effect July 1, 2026, Workforce Pell could provide eligible low-income students roughly $2,000–$4,000 per qualifying program in federal aid — funding that was previously unavailable for programs shorter than 600 hours.

This round of SCCT grants places special emphasis on programs actively working toward Workforce Pell eligibility and on institutions building integrated, state-level education and workforce data systems. DOL stated it is "most interested in prioritizing funding for applicants that can demonstrate strong efforts toward developing an integrated state-level data system" — a prerequisite for tracking the outcomes (completion rates, job placement, earnings) that Workforce Pell programs must demonstrate. Programs must also be portable, stackable along career pathways, and aligned with employer demand in in-demand industries such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, IT, and skilled trades.

The policy context is broadly bipartisan in origin: the Workforce Pell concept has been debated since Senator Mary Landrieu advanced it in the 2014 JOBS Act and has historically enjoyed bipartisan support in principle. However, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act itself passed on a near party-line vote — 218–214 in the House and 51–50 in the Senate — with all Democrats voting against the broader package. Advocates applaud expanded access to federal aid for adult learners and career-switchers; some policy analysts caution that for-profit institutions and online program managers could use the new funding stream to enroll students in low-quality programs, and note that Workforce Pell counts against students' lifetime Pell eligibility limit of 12 semesters.

Key Points

• The DOL is making $65 million available in Round 6 of SCCT Grants, with individual awards of up to approximately $11 million; applications close May 20, 2026
• Grants target community colleges and statewide consortia developing short-term, employer-aligned training programs in in-demand sectors
• A top priority is building integrated state workforce-education data systems needed to track Workforce Pell outcomes
• Workforce Pell Grants — authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and effective July 1, 2026 — extend federal Pell eligibility to accredited programs between 8 and 15 weeks for the first time
• Programs must meet strict eligibility requirements: 70% completion rate, 70% job placement rate, and a value-added earnings test
• Workforce Pell counts toward students' 12-semester Pell lifetime limit, raising equity concerns for those who later pursue degrees
• Supporters see this as a major expansion of access for adult learners, career-switchers, and low-income workers; critics warn of potential for low-quality programs at for-profit institutions

Primary Source Author: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Primary Source: US Department of Labor announces availability of $65M in grants to help community colleges increase access to in-demand, high-quality training (February 17, 2026)

Primary Source Link: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20260217

Supplemental Sources

• SCCT Grant Program Overview – DOL ETA
• Grant Application – Grants.gov
• New round of SCCT Grants focuses on Workforce Pell – Community College Daily
• Workforce Pell Is Now Law Under the One Big Beautiful Bill – UPCEA
• Budget Bill Expands Pell Eligibility: What's Next? – Jobs for the Future
• Unpacking Workforce Pell: Learning from the States – MDRC
• How Colleges and States Can Make Workforce Pell a Reality – Inside Higher Ed