Blog Post | June 15, 2026

State Policy Digest | Spring 2026

State Policy Digest State Policy Network

Author: Tanya I. Garcia, Ph.D.

Maryland is the First State in the Nation with a Workforce Pell Implementation Law with Added Student Protections

On May 26^th, 2026, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed SB509 into law, which took effect on June 1, 2026. Senator Jim Rosapepe led this legislative effort that included many of the proposals in TICAS’ model state legislation, raising the floor of student safeguards and streamlining requirements for schools offering the related technical instruction component of a registered apprenticeship.

SB509 contains four critical protections that will benefit Marylanders. Specifically, it:

Requires schools to clearly inform students about unaccredited companies that will teach part of the Workforce Pell Grant program and keeps those companies out of school’s academic decision-making.
Prohibits schools from partnering or affiliating with companies that offer private education loans, such as income share agreements, for Workforce Pell Grant programs, unless those loans or payment plans charge no interest.
Maintains affordable tuition for Workforce Pell Grant programs by limiting it to the maximum prorated amount of Pell Grant funds available to any student in that program.
Requires non-credit-bearing courses offered as part of a Workforce Pell Grant program to be transferrable to at least one institution of postsecondary education.

TICAS Senior Advisor Chris Madaio testified in support of the legislation. Efforts are also underway in California; in Hawai’i, a similar bill was introduced but didn’t make it out of committee.

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The latest news from our student-centered policy and advocacy teams in Sacramento, Lansing, and Albany

California

On May 14, 2026, Governor Newsom released his budget revision for the 2026–27 fiscal year. The Legislature is expected to pass a final budget by the June 15 deadline, with the new fiscal year beginning July 1. Read our statement to see how higher education fared in the budget revision. As state leaders weigh a proposed reduction to the Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) as well as an investment to strengthen the Cal Grant B access awards, we put together a fact sheet on Cal Grant B and MCS recipients, which serve hundreds of thousands of under-resourced students in California each year.

In addition, TICAS has been supporting efforts in the California Legislature on its Workforce Pell implementation bill, AB 1534.

Michigan

In late April 2026, the Michigan House and Senate revealed their proposals for the 2026–27 state budget. Both budgets propose increases for the state’s cornerstone financial aid programs, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Michigan Reconnect, and the Tuition Incentive Program. Importantly, the Senate concurred with the governor’s proposal to invest in lowering the age of eligibility for the Michigan Reconnect program to 21. Our statement has more information on the proposed budgets, which have a July 1 deadline.

New York

Originally due on April 1, 2026, Governor Hochul and the Legislature finalized the FY2027 budget on May 28, 2026. Three of our policy priorities for 2026 were included in the final budget: (1) first-time state funding for an emergency assistance program across SUNY and CUNY campuses; (2) increased funding for college completion opportunity programs; and (3) increased funding for the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP). In February, TICAS provided testimony for the NYS Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Higher Education.

Additionally, we submitted a memo of support for A.4922C/S.5598B, which provides common-sense protections for private student loan borrowers and cosigners. The companion bills passed both houses in the final days of session. Other issues we worked on that did not pass but for which TICAS and our partners laid a solid foundation and will be a continued focus of our advocacy next year includes the SNAP for Students Act, Workforce Pell program guardrails, and strengthening the state’s need-based financial aid program.

TICAS updated and released several resources and publications for state leaders to track changes happening in Washington, D.C.:

A federal higher education tracker, Breaking F(Ed), is a frequently updated resource where we share breaking news, in-depth analyses, and tools for advocacy.
Our 2026 Federal Policy Agenda outlines a set of evidence-based, data-driven recommendations for the higher education system to help more Americans secure a middle-class life and successfully adapt to evolving workforce needs.

Federal Negotiated Rulemaking

In December and January, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) convened the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee. The AHEAD committee considered ED’s proposed regulations to implement changes Congress made to the Pell Grant program, primarily the extension of Pell Grants to short-term job training programs, also known as Workforce Pell. Read more in our week 1 and week 2 recaps. On April 8, 2026, TICAS submitted its own public comment and joined 22 other organizations in submitting a comment on the proposed Workforce Pell rules.

General

May 4, 2026 | Press Release | TICAS Announces Incoming President Jen Mishory

State-specific resources from CA, MI, NY, and other states

December 9, 2025 | Report | Independently Unaffordable: The New York Tuition Assistance Program’s Inequitable Treatment of Independent Students

December 19, 2025 | Report | 2024-2025 Michigan Impact Report: From Pipe Parts to Pipeline

January 29, 2026 | Fact Sheet | California College Affordability Fast Facts

February 5, 2026 | Fact Sheet | New York 2026 Policy Priorities

February 9, 2026 | Fact Sheet | Michigan 2026 Policy Issue Fact Sheets

February 13, 2026 | Fact Sheet | Extending the Eligibility Timeline for New York’s Tuition Assistance Program

March 2, 2026 | Blog | Aligning for College Affordability in New York: Reflections from Our First Statewide Advocate Convening

March 4, 2026 | Fact Sheet | Eliminating Distinctions Between NY’s Dependent and Independent Students for TAP Awards

March 11, 2026 | Letter of Support | TICAS Written Testimony in Support of Maryland SB628 (Institutional Debt)

April 14, 2026 | Fact Sheet | Supporting Rural Students in Education and the Workforce

April 20, 2026 | Webinar | Equity Beyond Income: On-Ramping Wealth-Responsive Financial Aid in California

May 15, 2026 | Fact Sheet | California Must Invest in Need-Based Financial Aid in the FY26-27 Budget

State higher education news and developments on accountability, affordability, basic needs, and college completion (alphabetical order by state)

Public Policy Institute of California | How Does College Completion in California Compare to Other States?

Colorado Department of Higher Education | New Scholarship Initiative Expands Support For Students on the Path to a Bachelor’s Degree

Fox5 Atlanta | Georgia budgets $325M DREAMS need-based scholarship

Chicago Tribune | Higher ed commission wants feedback on O’Bannon Grant approach

Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education | 6 out of 10 Kentucky college students are graduating debt-free

Mass.gov | Massachusetts Publishes FAFSA Completion Dashboard to Encourage Students to Apply for Financial Aid

Mississippi Today | Mississippi universities get green light to revive college completion program

NJ Senate Republicans | Committee Advances Singer Bill to Help Student-Parents Achieve Higher Education Goals

Times-Union | Free tuition isn’t enough: SUNY adding $4 million in tutors, advisers to get adult learners to graduation

EdNC | As NC prepares for Workforce Pell, only a fraction of short-term programs are expected to qualify

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | Shapiro Administration Invests $1 Million to Combat Hunger on 30 College Campuses Across Pennsylvania

Gilmer Mirror | Texas Begins Work to Help Expand Federal Financial Aid for Short-Term Workforce Training

The EDU Ledger | Virginia Lawmakers Launch State’s First HBCU Caucus to Address Century of Underfunding

The Spokesman-Review | Washington bill aims to provide free or reduced fares to community college students

West Virginia Watch | West Virginia House advances bill aimed at aid for college students

Meet Our Researchers

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Vice President

Tanya I. Garcia, Ph.D.

Vice President

As VP at TICAS, Tanya is responsible for advancing our state policy agenda, strengthening the organization’s relationships with policymakers and key partners, overseeing the college completion policy and New York policy and advocacy portfolios, and serving as an external ambassador for TICAS.

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Policy

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State Policy Digest | Spring 2026

Maryland is the First State in the Nation with a Workforce Pell Implementation Law with Added Student Protections