A Republican bill with 5 Republican cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The PELL Act of 2025 aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish the Workforce Pell Grant program. This program would allow eligible students to receive grants for specific workforce programs that are shorter than a traditional academic year. These programs must be approved by a State Governor and meet specific criteria regarding industry demand and job placement. The bill sets requirements for program length, earnings, and completion rates to ensure quality. It also allows for the recognition of non-traditional institutions as eligible entities. The changes are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill extends Pell Grant eligibility to short-term vocational training, increasing access to skill-building for low-income students.
- Scored +6
Does this make college cost less?
The bill creates a new prorated grant option for short-term workforce training programs.
- Scored +5
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
The bill facilitates faster entry into the workforce through shorter, high-demand training programs.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased accessibility for short-term training: Students can receive prorated grant amounts for programs that are less than a full academic year, provided they meet eligibility requirements (Section 2(a)(3)(B)).
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Alignment with high-demand careers: The bill ensures that programs are aligned with high-sills, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors as determined by a State Governor (Section 2(b)(1)(3)(A)(i)).
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Career advancement and portability: Eligible programs are required to provide credentials that are either stackable and portable across employers or prepare students for specific occupations with recognized credentials (Section 2(b)(1)(3)(A)(iii)).
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Pathway to further education: Programs must ensure that students can receive academic credit toward future certificate or degree programs upon completion (Section 2(b)(1)(3)(A)(iv)(aa)).
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Quality control through job placement standards: The bill requires programs to have a verified job placement rate of at least 70 percent to be considered eligible (Section 2(b)(1)(3)(A)(iii)(II)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on graduate study: Students are ineligible to receive a Workforce Pell Grant if they are enrolled in or have already attained a program of study that leads to a graduate credential (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).
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Prohibition of concurrent benefits: Students cannot receive these workforce grants at the same time they are receiving other specific types of Pell Grant benefits (Section 2(a)(4)).
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Impact on duration limits: Any time spent studying under a Workforce Pell Grant counts toward a student's overall duration limit for federal student aid (Section 2(a)(5)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill extends Pell Grant eligibility to short-term vocational training, increasing access to skill-building for low-income students. Would students be better off under this? — The bill provides new funding opportunities for students pursuing stackable credentials and industry-aligned training. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill facilitates faster entry into the workforce through shorter, high-demand training programs.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill creates a new prorated grant option for short-term workforce training programs.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill encourages workforce participation by funding short-term programs aligned with in-demand industry sectors.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill provides pathways to high-wage, in-demand occupations through subsidized short-term training.
- 5/13/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/8/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Chuck GrassleyRepublican · Iowa
James JusticeRepublican · West Virginia
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming
David McCormickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Pete RickettsRepublican · Nebraska