Press Releases

In Case You Missed It, Linda McMahon—former United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration—wrote an op-ed in The Hill outlining why Congress should pass the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act to expand Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality, short-term workforce education programs, thereby giving America's workers the skills they need and enhancing national productivity.

Workforce Pell Grants will create high-paying jobs for more Americans

By Linda McMahon

September 11, 2024

 

Congress has a critical opportunity to make a transformative investment in our nation’s greatest asset: the American worker.

 

…

 

America’s skilled workforce is unparalleled worldwide in technology, health care, trades and manufacturing. Our productivity per hour is consistently among the highest on Earth. .

 

Congress should recognize the effort and commitment of American workers by funding the skills [education] and technical education most laborers rely on. The Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, sponsored by Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), and Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), aims to do just that. This legislation proposes to extend Pell Grant eligibility to broaden the scope of educational opportunities for millions of Americans…

 

Half a century ago, it was commonly understood that funding a college degree for low-income students was the best way to upskill America’s workforce. Colleges were focused on preparing students for professional roles at the highest levels of government, science, business and the arts.

 

Today, however, many degree programs have lost sight of their mission.

 

 

Updating Pell Grant eligibility to make room for professional programs outside of colleges would not create some kind of funding free-for-all — the augmented program will still impose strict requirements. The proposed legislation requires that these shorter-term programs lead to a recognized postsecondary credential, meet the needs of local or regional employers and be aligned with career pathways.

 

It includes additional quality assurance criteria restricting eligibility to programs with completion and job placement rates of 70 percent or more. Specifically, programs in fields such as health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades are likely to benefit.

 

 

Workforce Pell is a bipartisan initiative because Americans on both sides of the aisle are ready to stop restricting Pell Grants to college degree programs. By expanding eligibility to include high-quality, short-term workforce [education] programs, this legislation can help more Americans access the education they need to succeed in today’s economy. It is an investment in our greatest resource — the American worker — and a significant enhancement of our national productivity.

 

Read the full op-ed here.