Texas colleges gain access to Workforce Pell grants
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Students at five community colleges in Texas can now use Workforce Pell grants to finance job training programs.
The U.S. Department of Education recently approved Kilgore College, Weatherford College, Texas Southmost College, San Jacinto College, and a school in Central Texas to participate in the new program. This marks the first time in Texas that low-income students can apply federal grant money toward short-term workforce training, with programs ranging from electrical power line work to advanced machining.
The Workforce Pell program, created through a budget bill signed by President Donald Trump, expands Pell Grant eligibility to include programs lasting as little as eight weeks. Tod Allen Farmer, president of Weatherford College, believes the program will open access to higher education for citizens who previously could not afford it. Texas colleges had to demonstrate that their programs meet federal standards, including a completion rate and job placement rate of at least 70%, before students could receive aid.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board initially requested funding for at least 12 programs. Students who qualify for the Workforce Pell can expect to receive around $1,700 on average, and Texas is among the first states, along with Iowa, Indiana, and Nebraska, to have these short-term programs approved for federal funding.
