Labor to Give $65M to Community Colleges for Workforce Pell

The U.S. Department of Labor is putting $65 million toward helping community colleges develop short-term training programs that qualify for Workforce Pell, department officials announced Tuesday.

The funding marks the sixth round of Strengthening Community College Training Grants, administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration. Community colleges will be able to receive awards up to $11 million to support their efforts to create Workforce Pell–eligible programs. The money can also help community college systems or consortia develop processes for tracking outcomes data required by Workforce Pell.

The move comes after community colleges won a smaller-than-expected share of Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, or FIPSE, grants dedicated to preparing colleges for Workforce Pell funding.

“The Department of Labor continues to deliver on President Trump’s mission to upskill and reskill our workforce to revitalize American Industry,” U.S. labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the announcement. “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.”