LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan sent a letter of support to congressional offices urging them to support The Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (H.R. 6585).

In late 2023 the House Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-VA) led a bipartisan group of legislators, including Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), to introduce and hold a mark-up for the Act that expands access to Pell Grants by allowing short-term workforce training programs with at least 150 instruction hours (but less than 600) to qualify for coverage.

House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise (R-LA) has scheduled a vote for the Act for the week of February 26. To pass, it will require an affirmative vote from two-thirds of the house membership. The House and Senate have struggled to agree on a Pell Grant expansion that would include for-profit colleges and online programs.

If enacted, students can opt for for-profit and online training programs, but the state workforce board will be required to determine if a program’s curriculum meets the threshold of high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industries as well as recognized post-secondary credentials. Lastly, the Education Department will make final eligibility determinations. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has also previously signaled his support for a bipartisan expansion of Pell Grants.

Stefanik and Scott have previously introduced legislation to expand access to Pell Grants through the H.R. 496 – Promoting Employment and Lifelong Learning Act   and H.R. 1655 – Jobs to Compete Act.