Workforce Pell Grant Program Finalized with Added Flexibility for Apprenticeships

What’s happening: Starting July 1, students enrolled in certain short-term, workforce training programs may be eligible for Pell Grants thanks to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Education.

Why it matters: Added flexibility to the Pell Grant program helps lower the financial barrier for students in registered apprenticeship programs – a key pipeline for skilled workers into the transportation construction industry.

What changed: The agency’s first version of the rule (proposed in March) included a general 25 percent cap on classroom instruction delivered by “non-eligible providers” like employer training facilities. In comments to the department, ARTBA asked regulators to revisit the cap to better reflect how transportation construction apprenticeship models operate. The final rule now allows apprenticeship-related instruction to account for up to 49 percent of an eligible program with accreditor approval.