Minnesota's Workforce Pell Program: A New Path For Job Training

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- College students looking to get a leg up and higher learning institutions looking to help them have a new way to connect. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) has launched its new Workforce Pell Program.

The program expands the federal Pell Grant eligibility for Minnesotans who want to pursue a short-term job training program. Congress established the Workforce Pell in 2025 to support jobs that are high-skill, high-wage, in-demand, and are both portable and stackable across employers.

Healthcare and trade programs are some of the approved occupations.

States were given flexibility to determine their own procedures and policies for rolling out the program. Students in Minnesota may be eligible for a Workforce Pell if they are attending a participating institution, meet Pell Grant requirements, and are enrolled in an approved short-term program on the state's priority occupation list.

OHE Commissioner Denis Olson says now is the time for colleges to apply.

Colleges interested in applying to be a Workforce Pell campus can find more details on the OHE's website, along with application materials. The Education Office will post the current list of Minnesota-certified Workforce Pell programs annually on its webpage within 30 days after the U.S. Department of Education's final approval.

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Gallery Credit: Bethany Adams