Education Department expands Pell Grants to some trade, short-term job training programs

The Department of Education (DOE) issued a final rule May 18 allowing eligible students to use federal Pell Grant funds for certain trade, technical, and skills-based training programs that can be completed in as little as eight weeks.

The Workforce Pell Grant Program, authorized under President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act, takes effect July 1. According to a DOE press release, the rule expands eligibility beyond traditional undergraduate degree programs and certificate credentials to approved job-training programs tied to high-demand industries.

Eligible programs must include 150 to 599 clock hours and run between eight and 15 weeks. Programs also must be approved by states for high-demand industries, meet completion and job-placement benchmarks, and demonstrate that graduates’ earnings exceed program costs.

Governors and state workforce boards will identify priority fields, which could include career and technical education, registered apprenticeships, and skills trades programs. According to FOX Business, eligible programs may include training for electricians, HVAC technicians, carpenters, and other skilled trades.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the rule would help students enter the workforce faster and with less debt.

“Americans should not have to spend years in college and take on debt they may never be able to repay before entering the workforce,” she said in the release. “Under President Trump's leadership, American students will soon be able to graduate with little to no debt and be well-prepared to start earning in one of today’s in-demand jobs in weeks, not years.”

The department said the program reflects growing demand for alternatives to traditional four-year college pathways.

Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said the rule could help workers pursue job training without committing to a four-year degree.

CatholicVote Vice President of Advocacy Joshua Mercer praised the program, citing ongoing labor shortages in skilled trades.

“Millions of trade jobs sit empty. For every five people retiring from the trades, there are only two entering the workforce,” Mercer said. “President Trump and the Republican Congress were wise to provide a Workforce Pell Grant to help individuals train for high-wage, in-demand technical careers in a matter of weeks — and with little or no debt.”