Pell Grant Resources

The Dept. of Education held the second and final Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee neg reg session to discuss regulations to implement earnings accountability metrics for postsecondary programs.

Last week, ED held the first AHEAD committee negotiated rulemaking (“neg reg”) session, convening stakeholders to negotiate the implementation of regulatory changes from H.R.1. Most notably, the committee discussed the extension of Workforce Pell Grants to short-term job training programs. Our new blog breaks down seven primary areas of discussion during the neg reg.

This blog outlines four potential major issues should states extend Pell eligibility to noncredit programs and offers guidance to help states improve their ability to assess the quality of Workforce Pell programs, bolster student protections, and prevent bad actors and subpar programs from accessing this significant expansion of federal aid.

We collaborated with the Partnership for College Completion and the Here Lab on a new report that shows how targeting aid specifically to low-income, low-wealth students would increase college enrollment, raise graduation rates by state, and reduce student loan defaults.

As part of HR 1, Congress expanded Pell Grant access to short-term programs for the first time. Without careful implementation, this move may leave students and Pell dollars vulnerable to untested, low-quality, overly expensive, or fraudulent programs. In response, TICAS created model legislation to provide a blueprint for states to protect students and taxpayers.

Today, 88 signers from the higher education and workforce development communities urged Congress to invest in our nation’s workforce by preserving the purchasing power of the Pell Grant with at least a $200 increase in the maximum award for FY 26.